Paul Rudd's No. 1 Health Tip Might Surprise You

Paul Rudd, who stars as Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently pulled back the curtain on his No. 1 health tip. (Hint: It's a bit of a snooze.)

Comparing photos of Rudd, 53, side by side with his 26-year-old "Clueless" self, it's easy to see he's doing something right in the aging department.

Minus a few small crow's feet, the actor's youthful appearance has hardly changed over his nearly three decades of fame. Inquiring minds want to know: Is it great genes? A special diet? Has Rudd discovered a secret fountain of youth?

To promote his new movie, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which hit theaters Feb. 17, the actor gave Men's Health magazine an interview about how he stays in superhero shape.

The secret? Sleep

The March edition of Men's Health highlights Rudd—one of two March covers featuring "Ant-Man" stars—as he dishes on aging, his rise to Marvel superhero fame, fitness and his favorite healthy foods.

The year before he began filming the latest "Ant-Man" movie, Rudd partnered with celebrity trainer Richard Louis, a former Mr. Universe competitor, to get his body ripped to superhero shreds.

He credits his Marvel transition to Louis and diet, partially. First and foremost, though, he praises a good night's sleep. In his mind, Rudd places the most importance on sleep. Then diet, weights and cardio follow—in that order.

"People ask me, 'Can you send me your meal plan? How many times a week do you work out? Do you drink? Do you eat carbs? Do you have a cheat day?' The most important part of training is sleep," Rudd told Men's Health.

"People will set their alarm and then sleep for four hours and they'll get up so that they can train…They're doing themselves a disservice," he added.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least seven hours of sleep per night for anyone older than age 18. Countless studies have shown that getting a minimum of seven hours of sleep a night improves everything from sexual health to athletic endurance.

Sleep is known to lower a person's risk of heart disease and diabetes—two known detractors of sexual health, leading to erectile dysfunction (ED), low libido, loss of sensation, vaginal dryness and more—and improve memory and immune system function. Major health benefits could be a snooze away.

Rudd swears by it. If it's good enough for Ant-Man…

A day in the life of Rudd

The actor says getting in shape for his latest "Ant-Man" movie made him feel "less like an imposter" in his chiseled superhero suit.

Louis told the magazine Rudd was on a rotating carbohydrate diet while bulking up for the movie. Carbohydrate-heavy days fueled Rudd's cardio-heavy workouts.

"It was four meals a day, including a protein shake. Then the next three days, it was only carbs at breakfast," Louis told Men's Health about Rudd's transformation.

For the most part, the "Anchorman" star starts off his day, like many Americans, with a hot cup of coffee.

"I get up and I have a cup of coffee, and then I do cardio before I eat anything," he told the magazine. "I never would've done that before ['Ant-Man']. I lift weights, hopefully, at least three times a week. And I've learned so much about how my body reacts to foods, how it reacts to exercise, and where I'm happiest and how much it affects me mentally…If I'm in this suit, running around playing a character who's supposed to be a superhero, I just feel better."