Lance Bass, 44, said his health routine is all about family-friendly activities like pickleball and hiking, and eating his veggies.Greg Doherty/Getty Images

Former NSYNC member Lance Bass said his boyband years took a toll on his body.
Bass said he has focused on stabilizing his blood sugar after a post-NSYNC diabetes diagnosis.
Bass has also picked up pickleball and hiking — efficient, heart-healthy exercises.

Lance Bass is more NSYNC with his health than ever before.

These days, the iconic boy band alum, now 45, is “obsessed” with pickleball. He has also discovered the power of broccoli and some other nutrient-rich vegetables to stabilize his blood sugar, he told Business Insider in an interview.

“I’m really focused on giving myself an extra few years,” Bass said.

Bass said he’s making up for lost time: The way he was living in his 20s took a toll on his body. He wishes he’d done more to prepare his body for middle age.

“I wish I could go back and just be a little more gentle with myself. I’m definitely feeling some of those things in my later age.”

“Looking back now, I see a lot of horrible habits that I created because of being on the road. When you’re onstage three hours a night dancing your butt off, you can really eat anything you want, or at least you thought you could,” he said.

Now, his goal is to live a long, healthy life for his kids (and future grandkids) according to Bass, who balances family life with a busy career including TV and film production.

It also means fans will get the best possible version of him when NSYNC eventually reunite — and we got a preview of that in March, when Justin Timberlake hosted a surprise NSYNC reunion during a concert in LA. “I’ve been prepping for this for years, so I’m ready to go. There are no plans right now, but I think the future is bright for NSYNC,” Bass said.

Speaking to BI about his health, fitness, and partnership with allergy relief brand Allegra, Bass offered a glimpse into how he’s keeping fit in his 40s with time-saving workouts and healthy eating hacks.

Pickleball and 10-minute workouts

With a packed schedule, Bass said working out for even just 10 minutes at a time in his home gym helps him keep healthy.

“You have to make sure that you put a little exercise in your day every single day,” he said. “I know that the older I get, the more I have to make sure that that heartbeat gets up a little bit.”

Bass also gets moving with fun, family-friendly activities with his husband, Michael Turchin, and their twins, Violet and Alexander.

The kids enjoy doing exercises with their dads, especially squats, which they know as “up down,” according to Bass. The family is also avid about spending time outside.

“I grew up in the south, so we were always outdoors, and I want my kids to be able to experience that. We live near a park, so we’re always out in the woods,” he said. “I’m now at the age where I don’t run. So hiking is exactly my cup of tea.”

Bass said he uses Allegra Airways, a tool that offers maps based on air quality, to steer clear of the worst sources of allergens when he’s enjoying the great outdoors.

His newest athletic hobby is pickleball, and he finally hopped on the sport trend this year and won his first tournament (at a Super Bowl event, no less).

“Everyone’s been talking about it, and I’ve always wanted to play, but this year I picked up a racket. Now I am obsessed,” he said.

Eating broccoli and spinach helps balance his blood sugar

Bass has been paying more attention to his blood sugar, and eating balanced meals, after a recent diabetes diagnosis.

“I never ate vegetables, and I never realized how important it was,” he said. ” I didn’t know I was developing diabetes, just eating just crap food because you’re just trying to fuel yourself.”

Now, Bass is a big fan of green beans, broccoli, and spinach, which he said are easy to mix into delicious, healthy meals.

“Find that one green veggie that you can really do and just add it to everything,” he said.

When it comes to family dinner, though, Bass struggles as much as the next parent to get his kids on board with broccoli. He said healthy swaps like chickpea pasta help make dinner staples like mac and cheese a little more nutritious.

“I’ll teach them nutrition for sure,” he said. “Right now it’s impossible because these kids only eat anything yellow. It makes me feel a little better that other parents go through the same stuff.”