‘Gossip Girl’ star Kelly Rutherford says airport runs are her workout

Call it Upper East Side cardio — with carry-on luggage.

More than a decade after playing Serena’s mother, Lily van der Woodsen, on “Gossip Girl,” Kelly Rutherford is now trading Pilates for passport stamps.

The actress told Fox News Digital that she prefers a fitness routine that will keep her looking and feeling her best effortlessly, of course.

JANE SEYMOUR CELEBRATES HER 75TH BIRTHDAY WITH A SWIMSUIT BEACH PHOTO AND A THANK YOU MESSAGE

“I think I’ve been pushing luggage at the airport lately. [my] exercise,” he laughed. “Seriously, there’s been a lot of that. But I love swimming. I was on the school swimming team. I find it very peaceful and good for your whole body. And I think it’s really good mentally too. So I love that.”

“I love playing tennis with my kids in the summer and [do] there’s so much outdoors,” he shared. “I love going for walks or hikes. I have small dogs. I have two little dachshunds, so they keep me very busy running around after them.”

This jet set pace is not a coincidence.

WATCH: KELLY RUTHERFORD SHARES HER HEALTH ROUTINE AND LIFE IN MONACO

The 57-year-old star recently teamed up with her longtime friend Véronique Gabai to launch a perfume. “Rose Premiere.” A luxurious blend of tangerine, musk and the iconic romantic flower.

Kelly Rutherford’s new luxury fragrance “Rose Première” is now available. (Véronique Gabai)

Last year the women traveled to Grasse in the south of France; Here, Grasse Rose de Mai, a rare and very fragrant rose, is harvested by hand in the early mornings of May, when its scent is at its peak. Women spent most of their sunrises vineyards to pick flowers.

The passion project brought Rutherford back to his childhood; She kept him active while watching his grandfather tend his rose garden.

But for Rutherford, it’s also about something deeper.

Kelly Rutherford and son Hermés Gustaf Daniel Giersch attend the Gala One Summer Gala on July 24, 2025 in Saint-Tropez, France. Rutherford also has a daughter named Helena Grace Rutherford Giersch. (Stephane Cardinale-Corbis/Corbis)

“I think you always want to stay healthy for your kids and set a good example for your kids,” she explained. “As much as we want to give advice and say there’s a lot to do, they actually follow what we do more than what we say. And I think about that a lot because I tend to want to do too much. So I have to say, ‘Okay, I don’t want to set an example of being too stressed, trying to do too much, and worrying.”

Ed Westwick and Kelly Rutherford were seen on the set of “Gossip Girl” in New York City on August 10, 2012. (Anderson/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

“‘How do I create a balanced life?’ “I learned to say,” he said. “But at this point they’re giving me advice. I think the best thing I’ve learned is to ask your kids for advice because they know. They’re so smart. Every generation comes with more knowledge and more information about the times they’re living in. So I think it’s important to listen and be open.”

Kelly Rutherford was spotted doing yoga at The Standard Hotel in New York City on October 9, 2014. (Şans Yeh/Getty Images)

The star is in familiar territory. While he considered the United States his home, he also built a life in Monaco, where his children lived.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Over the years, Kelly Rutherford has made a life for herself in Monaco. (Jean-Patrick Deya/Gama-Rapho)

“I love it there,” he whispered. “It’s beautiful. Look, whenever I think about being close to your kids, it’s the nicest thing. And it’s such a beautiful place. It’s so quiet. Obviously, in the summer it’s the Grand Prix and all the people come to enjoy the south of France, it’s very busy. But most of the year it’s very quiet and it’s a nice place to live.”

“If you go to Paris, you get inspired by the people walking on the street,” he noted. “Same thing in Monaco. I’m always inspired by Monaco. In Monaco you can be really stylish, but you can also be casual and casual, like in New York. Maybe a little bit conservative in some ways, but you can find that everywhere.”

“Everything meaningful begins with love,” said Kelly Rutherford ahead of the perfume launch. (Véronique Gabai)

Referring to the American Oscar-winning actress who became Princess of Monaco, Rutherford continued: “And Grace Kelly – I think we have to give her a lot of credit for Monaco and what it is today, her style and what she brought there.”

American actress Grace Kelly is shown in a portrait circa 1955. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

“I think about her often in Monaco; what she brought, how she raised her children and what a wonderful woman she was.”

“It’s funny, I remember taking my daughter to a mani-pedi in Monaco,” Rutherford thought. “There was a perfume on the counter. It was a fragrance belonging to Grace Kelly. I thought, ‘I will have my own perfume, just like Grace Kelly.'”

Kelly Rutherford told Fox News Digital that love is the feeling that gives her the most confidence. (Véronique Gabai)

The late actor also inspired Rutherford’s approach to make-up. These days, she favors simple “clean beauty,” sticking to products made without harsh or unnecessary ingredients.

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Kelly Rutherford is seen picking flowers in Grasse with her long-time friend Véronique Gabai for their new fragrance. (Véronique Gabai)

But her radiance isn’t just deep in her skin.

“What makes me feel safe? Oh my God, I think it’s love,” she said. “I think about loving my children and feeling loved by my children and my dogs. I have a job I love and friends I love, like Véronique Gabai, whom I’ve known for 15 years. Working with people I love and admire. I think that’s [about] Having a really good foundation of love and that foundation benefits everything else in my life. “I think it gives me a lot of confidence in what I do.”

Kelly Rutherford’s “Rose Première” perfume features Grasse Rose de Mai, a rare and highly fragrant rose hand-harvested in the early May mornings when its scent is at its peak. (Véronique Gabai)

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

“There will always be love,” he added.