Alison Brie Says Training For Glow Helped Her Manage Her Body Dysmorphia and Depression

Mental and physical health can go hand in hand, and Alison Brie revealed how managing both improved her overall well-being. In a recent interview with Women's Health, the actress opened up about her experience with depression and body dysmorphia, and how working on Glow played a role in helping her manage both.

On the manifestation of her body dysmorphia, Brie explained, "I go back to red carpet photos where I thought I looked so horrible, and there are some where I now think, 'God, I looked beautiful.' And I'll remember: an hour before that I was in tears. I thought I was so disgusting." She added, "I think it's something I'll probably be working through my whole life. And depression, too."

Brie said training for the Netflix series, however, which highlights the lives of female wrestlers in the '80s, "took the motivation out of being skinny for Hollywood standards and made it about being strong for lifting other women, literally." She said, "There was a real goal."

She also praised her "wonderful" husband, Dave Franco, for maintaining "great lines of communication" so she can share her feelings: "It's been funny talking to him about [body dysmorphia]. He said, 'Before I knew you, I'm not sure I believed body dysmorphia was a real thing. It's so interesting to me what you see — and what I'm seeing when I'm looking at you — and the frank discussions we have about it.'"

Today, Brie is intent on getting stronger, and she's active six days a week between hikes, Peloton rides, and working out with her trainer, Jason Walsh. "I like to lead the charge against people thinking that strength training makes women bulky," she said. "Jason [Walsh] uses my body as an example at the gym, because I can lift more than a lot of people. You can pack a lot of muscle into a lean little body."