20 Fitness Tips From Female Athletes Popular Today

To remain at the top of professional female sports requires grit, determination and a comittment to health and wellness. For proof, look no further than these iconic athletes at the top of their game. Soccer star Alex Morgan values recovery and sleep after a training session, MMA fighter Paige VanZant hits the gym twice a day and WNBA star Sue Bird is gluten-free. Read on to see 20 amazing bodies of these superstars and how they stay so fit.

1. Alex Morgan

Getty Images

Former soccer player Alex Morgan shared her wellness secrets with Buzzfeed. “For my daily wellness routine, I always make sure to take my vitamins, get some form of recovery in chronotherapy or infrared sauna, and sleep for 8 to 9½ hours, which is a lot more than a normal person, but I feel like that amount allows me to reach my full potential the next day. It's important for me to have some ‘me time,’ so I try to make sure every couple of days that I do something just for me, like getting a manicure or pedicure.”

2. Carli Lloyd

Joe Maher - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Former soccer player, Carli Lloyd, talked about her diet to NJM. “I usually eat the same thing at breakfast and lunch, such as a salad, and switch up what I have for dinner each night. Some days, I make myself two eggs over-easy with a side of avocado, or oatmeal with strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Otherwise, I'll keep things light and make myself a green smoothie. My go-to ingredients are water, ice, spinach, kale, pineapple, cinnamon, green grapes, juice squeezed from half a lemon, avocado, kiwi, ginger, and mint, which really make a smoothie good.”

3. Megan Rapinoe

Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

Former soccer player, Megan Rapinoe, shared her approach to wellness in an interview with Bustle. “It’s about figuring out what I need from a mental, emotional, and physical standpoint, and allowing it to change over time. Sometimes I feel like doing more yoga, or I feel like taking more baths or taking more walks. Instead of approaching it as, ‘Oh, I have to do this for my health and wellness,’ I’ll think, ‘Oh, I'm actually feeding my body and this is really all just for me.’ It frames it in a different way and allows me space to change and move with the different seasons as I get older.”

4. Julie Ertz

Trevor Ruszkowski/USSF/Getty Images

Julie Ertz is a former soccer player. She shared what she eats when she trains to Forbes. “My go-to's are fruit, veggies and protein-packed snacks like almonds. I also like to plan ahead in terms of meals and snacks because it easy to make an unhealthy choice when you don't have a snack in your bag or meal pre-planned. My husband and I love to cook at home so we're very mindful about planning out our meals. We want to make sure we have the healthiest choices for us because we both train all day, every day.”

5. Simone Biles

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes of all time. She shared her favorite beauty products with People. Biles says that she uses a facial essence from Pitera. "This Pitera essence is seriously like a miracle water for my skin: it hydrates, moisturizes, evens out my skin tone and leaves my skin glowing. I love that it's super powerful, yet really lightweight. When I heard the legendary story – that it was discovered in a Sake brewery in Japan where all the elderly brewers had soft hands with no wrinkles – I knew I needed to try it, and now I love it."

6. Aly Raisman

Shutterstock

Aly Raisman is a former gymnast, who competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She tells Shape that after retiring, she does a lot of Pilates and stretching. "I'm not able to do [Pilates] every day, as much as I would like to, just because I don't physically have the stamina to do it," she says. "But Pilates has really helped me with my workouts and even mentally, too, because I like how I can focus on different parts of my body, and it helps me feel more strong and confident."

7. Paige VanZant

Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Paige VanZant is a very successful MMA fighter. She shared her workout secrets in an interview with Women Fitness. “I of course have a very strict workout regimen. I’m in the gym every day twice a day. Since I have switched over to professional boxing my schedule comprises of boxing every day, sometimes twice a day. And strength and conditioning three days a week. I do all of my training at American top team, A world renowned MMA and combat academy.”

8. Sue Bird

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Sue Bird is a former WNBA player. She shared her diet secrets in an interview with GQ. “I don't eat dairy, and I've been gluten-free ever since I took a blood test that showed I have a mild allergy to gluten. I stick with all anti-inflammatory foods: tons of veggies, eggs, chicken and fish. I will have some red meat, but only every now and then. There’s very little sugar, if any, because I save that for my cheat days. I like rice bowls a lot. That's been my new thing this year—I’ll have some brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, and mixed veggies.”

9. Candace Parker

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Candace Parker is a very successful WNBA player. She tells New York Magazine that she loves to cook meals for her family. “I love grilling. I think it’s super-fast and efficient, and there’s not a lot of cleaning up, so I’m kind of the griller in the family. My dad is actually the grill master, and I’m learning from him. I can do all red meat and stuff like that, but I’m working on perfecting my barbecued chicken, my cedar-plank salmon, my beer-battered chicken. I love grilling Hawaiian rib eyes and lamb chops.”

10. Allyson Felix

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Track and field athlete, Allyson Felix, shared her training routine with EatingWell. “I train about five hours a day. Three of those hours are on the track -- warming up, stretching, doing drills and then the actual workout, which may be anything from very technical work on the starting blocks to speed work. From there, I go to the gym and spend a couple of hours doing strength and conditioning.”

11. Suni Lee

Stew Milne/Getty Images

Suni Lee is a gymnast who competed in the 2020 Olympics. She opened up about training for the 2024 Olympics and moving past what people thought of her to NBC Olympics. "I still struggle with that daily. I mean, whenever I'm talking to my coaches, I always get really sad because I'm like, 'I'm never going to be the same. I'm not the same Suni; not the same athlete.' And they're like, 'Good! You don't want to be. You're doing everything and more right now. And you should be proud of the way that you've been able to come back from everything, because you never thought that you would be in this position.' And I was like, 'You're so right!' It's just hard mentally because I'm like, 'Wow, I was in a really good spot last year or last Olympics (when) getting ready.'"

12. Ashleigh Barty

Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Tennis player Ashleigh Barty shared her diet secrets in an interview with Body & Soul. “Everything in moderation and listen to your body. If I’m feeling run-down, I make sure I’m eating well and looking after myself by having plenty of fresh fruit and veg. A steak or red meat usually helps when I’m run-down, too.”

13. Chloe Dygert

Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Chloe Dygert is a professional cyclist. She shared with Velo that she is always trying to improve herself and her performance. “There’s not one thing that I would consider myself good at. Even if I won the stage at RideLondon, what could I have done better? I’m always looking to better myself, even when things are perfect. I never want to stop. That’s how I’m going to get better.”

14. Dina Asher-Smith

Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Dina Asher-Smith is a sprinter. She revealed to Vogue that since she spends so much time outside, she has to wear sunscreen. “I’m a big skincare girl. The most important things for me in the day are a good cleanser and SPF, especially now I’m training in Texas, where it’s super hot and I want to make sure my skin is clean and happy. I love a double cleanse, with Estee Lauder’s Cleansing Balm followed by Sarah Chapman’s Rapid Radiance Cleanse. For keeping my skin hydrated I love the Noble Panacea serums, and then for sun protection, I’ll typically go in with Estée Lauder’s antioxidant sunscreen.”

15. Katie Ledecky

Jerome Ibrahim/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Olympic swimmer, Katie Ledecky, opened up about her diet with E! News. “I keep it pretty consistent. The only day that I don't train is Sundays so even right now when I'm taking a little bit of time off, I'm trying to stick to a pretty regular routine. So oatmeal for breakfast, some sort of egg sandwich for lunch, or eggs with toast and then dinner is what varies the most but it is either carbs or some sort of protein: chicken, steak, salmon, something along those lines.”

16. Naomi Osaka

Robert Prange/Getty Images

Naomi Osaka is a very successful tennis player. She shared how she takes care of her body to Harper’s Bazaar. “I've actually gotten super into hot yoga lately. I had never tried it until a few months ago, and now I love it. I started out with 60-minute classes, and now I'm doing 90-minute classes—I feel amazing afterwards. I also usually get a post-training massage treatment a few times a week. But in between massages, I always use my Hyperice Hypervolt Go, because it's super lightweight and portable, which makes it easy to carry it wherever I go. It really helps keep my muscles loose and soothed after tough practices and matches.”

17. Chloe Kim

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Chloe Kim is a very successful snowboarder, and competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics. She shared some of her skincare secrets in an interview with Allure. "I have pretty dry skin, so I like to just slather my face with thick moisturizer,” Kim explains. “The important thing is I have to wear sunscreen because I get really bad goggle tan. I still do, but sunscreen makes it much better."

18. Mikaela Shiffrin

Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Olympic skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, revealed to Sports Illustrated that her coaches record her practice sessions. She says that this helps her figure out what she needs to improve on. “We can objectively rate what my energy levels should be, across a period of time, given this data,” Shiffrin says. “There’s a graph showing the peaks and valleys of my training, and the highest intensity blocks versus the lowest intensity blocks. The last couple of years we’ve collected enough data to see when I get tired in a really intense training block.”

19. Madison Keys

Robert Prange/Getty Images

Madison Keys is a very successful tennis player. She talked about what she focuses on when she trains to Thorne.com. “I think the most important areas to me are energy, recovery, and sleep. If I’m training or in a tournament with matches on back-to-back days, then I focus on those things that make sure I’m physically at my best. I do really long training sessions outside when it’s hot in Florida, where I’m based, so I have to be on top of putting the right things into my body to stay hydrated and energized. Depending on where I’m playing a tournament, it could be just as hot as Florida and a match could go a few hours. If my body is feeling good physically, then it allows me to play more freely and focus on my tennis.”

20. Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Track and field star, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, talked about her training routine to Bulk.com. “What I eat and how you fuel your body is such an important part of the program. It literally gives me the energy I need to train and compete. Having the right nutrition helps with allowing my body to rest and recover correctly, repairing muscle fatigue after a tough session or competition. You are dealing with such small margins in elite sport that not paying attention to your nutrition would be like not having a training plan.”

For most professional athletes, diet, and exercise are part of the job. Performing well on the court, course, field, or in the gym, poo, or ring, requires a dedication to healthy living, discipline, and nutrition. Even after their professional careers are over, female athletes keep doing the things they love to stay in shape. Here are 20 amazing bodies of female athletes over 40 and all of their top health, wellness, and diet secrets.

1. Serena Williams

Shutterstock

Serena Williams is one of the most body-confident athletes. "My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat,” Serena William revealed to Women's Health. "You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

2. Venus Williams

Shutterstock

Venus Williams is all about a plant-based lifestyle and even launched her own vegan protein brand, Happy Viking, in 2020. "I need to refuel and provide protein to my muscles quickly after I work out for recovery and to maintain muscle," she told Insider in 2021. "So Happy Viking was created to fuel your inner fighter, your inner Viking, while feeling happy and satisfied about what you put in your body."

3. Danica Patrick

Shutterstock

Danica, 41, doesn’t pick and choose when she is going to be healthy. "What I'm hoping is that people realize that this is a lifestyle," she said during an appearance on Good Morning America. "I want them to develop a good relationship with food and exercise to not be a reward or punishment but a way of life and something that makes you feel good and something that makes you a better you every single day." One of her health habits is eating paleo, she revealed on her website. "Paleo is based on the idea that you only eat foods that were available to ancient man before the invention of agriculture. So no grains, no dairy, no beans or legumes, no added sugars or preservatives. Instead, you focus on naturally raised meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts," she said. "My intention was to only do it for a week or two to reset my body with less sugar and more veggies. Well . . . I felt so good, and saw such amazing results, that I never quit."

4. Torrie Wilson

Getty Images

Former WWE star Torrie Wilson is all about the 80/20 method of eating. “I go for the 80% rule of healthy. I’m now more focused on eating whole, natural foods that have a lot of nutrients to help me feel good from the inside out. I’m anti-strict eating because of competing and being anorexic,” she said.

5. Gabrielle Reece

Getty Images

Gabrielle Reece revealed to Parade that she bounces between high intensity interval workouts (HIIT) and underwater circuits. “I try to create a little bit of structure. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I typically will do some kind of HIIT, high intensity mixed bag of exercises that I change each time. It's about 60 minutes of work, a little bit less. I write the workouts, a mix of resistance, strength and dumbbells,” she said. “After I workout, I try to do a breathing routine that's about 15 to 20 minutes, to start the recovery process and down-regulating. It’s really important that even if we're sitting at our desk or driving in our car, that we're nose breathing as often as we possibly can. That's a really important health idea. So my routine involves a lot of nose breathing and oxygenating the tissues and the cells. That’s Monday, Wednesday, Friday if the schedule permits in a perfect world.”

6. Dara Torres

Getty Images

Dara Torres suffered from an eating disorder in college that left her with a “fear” of foods. “And so my philosophy is to eat healthy, but if you have a craving for something, don't deprive yourself; just have a little bit of it to help with the craving that you have. My philosophy is that if you are keeping yourself from eating certain things and not having what you want, you're gonna want it more than you should. So that's the biggest thing with me with diet. I try to eat my proteins every day and my fruits and vegetables. But I do have a sweet tooth. I can't deny that. For some reason it gets worse when I travel. I'm out to dinner and I see someone having chocolate cake, I’ll ask for a piece, take a couple of bites, and then let everyone else have it. I just can't cut out certain foods completely and be that restrictive after what I went through in college. I try to eat little meals throughout the entire day. So I always make sure that if I get hungry or need snacks, I will have macadamia nuts or avocados. I just try to eat healthy stuff but I’m not a saint. That's for sure!” she told Parade.

7. Summer Sanders

Getty Images

Summer Sanders maintains that eating a healthy breakfast every morning is her healthiest habit “I never miss breakfast. As a busy mom, there will be days when I'm cruisin' along and I'll look at the clock and I haven't eaten lunch. And I'll run downstairs and I'll start shovelin' stuff down the pie hole, and I'll think, "That was no lunch at all." But breakfast has sort of turned into the new dinner, where you can sit down with your family and have a conversation. And my kids talk at breakfast. We talk about our dreams, talk about our nights' sleep, talk about what we wanna do today and be positive,” she told Self.

8. Kristin Armstrong

Getty Images

Kristin Armstrong is still a runner. “I probably run five days a week; I go to the gym for strength training twice a week; and I try to do yoga twice a week. How far I run depends on what I'm training for. If I'm doing marathon training, then my long runs on Saturdays will escalate depending on what part of my program I'm at. During a regular week, I run 3 to 10 miles per day, and I bump it up on the weekends,” she told Self.

9. Jo Pavey

Getty Images

Jo Pavey fuels her body with food. "When you're running you need to make sure you are getting a decent amount of carbohydrate in order to fuel yourself. I do give myself a cheat day - I mean pizza is a great carbohydrate and you can always put healthy toppings on it. It's all about balance and just generally I've found having that balance in life does me a lot of good,” she told The Sun.

10. Zara Phillips

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Zara Phillips avoids two things. “I don’t diet but I try to eat well and not to eat too many carbohydrates or sugary things. Lunch is quick and simple, like soup and a sandwich or eggs and toast," she told the Sunday Times Magazine.

11. Oksana Chusovitina

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

At 41, Oksana Chusovitina was the oldest gymnast to compete at the Olympics. When asked what motivated her to return to elite competition after having a child, she didn’t hesitate to respond. "There was no motivation. I stepped into the gym to work out a little bit, to get my body back in shape."

12. Lisa Leslie

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Lisa Leslie revealed to ESPNW that hse has a daily toothbrush workout routine which includes squats and leg lifts. “My favorite workout involves an electric toothbrush and whole lot of squats. If you get an electric toothbrush it usually runs for two minutes [and] you do four quadrants of your mouth. While at the same time, you can do your squats. So I do my squats probably for a minute, which gets me about 50 squats in a minute and then I do leg lifts and raises for the other minute. That pretty much gets my teeth cleaned and my butt toned,” she said.

13. Chemmy Alcott

Dave Benett/Getty Images

In an interview with Hello! magazine, former Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott was inspired to lose weigh after having children. "I looked in the mirror and I wasn’t comfortable with who I was," she said. "I didn’t know who was looking back at me. I had been a professional athlete for 20 years, then I became a mum and I lost who I was. I wanted to find myself again and be confident in myself as a woman and mother." She added that she hired a personal trainer, her friend Sarah Lindsay and embarked on a 12-week body program.

14. Annika Sorenstam

Shutterstock

Annika Sorenstam maintains a health diet. She drinks water and tea, stays away from fried food, and rarely has juice. “We eat three meals a day, in reasonable portions, and we live active lifestyles. In the evening, we’ll grill a simple chicken or fish, steam broccoli to go with it, maybe sauté some mushrooms. We don’t buy any of it ready-made because you don’t know what salt and preservatives are in those foods,” she told Edible Orlando. “I don’t believe in light diet foods,” she says. “My husband and I enjoy food very much. Often he’ll hang out while I cook, we’ll share a bottle of wine and dine at home. It’s more comfortable than going to a restaurant.”

15. Anna Kournikova

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Anna Kournikova has a no-frills approach to exercise. "I grew up in the Soviet Union in the eighties and nineties. We didn't have gyms, let alone a treadmill. We worked with what we had; you can too. All you need are sneakers and a sports bra to go running. Or try jumping rope for 10 minutes—it's a great workout!" she told Glamour. "Exercise gives us energy and confidence, so why cut corners? It's easier to incorporate it into your life and feel good now, rather than put it off and feel guilty about it a year from now."

16. Steffi Graff

Getty Images

Steffi Graff stays active. “I am generally a very energetic person. I like to be in motion, I like to act. I still try to start the day with a 45-minute workout – running, yoga, exercise – because after it my head seems to clear up, I feel not only physical vigor, but also amazing mental clarity. I’m ready for a new day. Daily challenges are very important. And not only in terms of sports,” she said in an interview.

17. Lindsay Davenport

Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Lindsay Davenport has spent up to 10 to 15 hours doing hitting and stroke drills, plus three hours of free weights, the occasional Pilates class ("depending on how stiff I am"), and two sessions of footwork and plyometrics (high-impact drills), she revealed to Marie Claire.

18. Natalya Neidhart

Getty Images

Natalya is all about workout buddies. “I’m guilty as anyone of procrastinating when I don’t have a set schedule to follow. For me, I need accountability, which is why I grab a partner. My mom, sister, friends, my husband, heck even my cat have all joined me for some pretty awesome workouts! When you have a partner and your sweat session is like an appointment you have to ‘show up for,’ you won’t miss a workout! These are tools I use to keep me on track, when life sometimes life feels ‘out of our hands,’” she told Calgary Sun.

19. Marion Reneau

Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC fighter Marion Reneau wakes up early, eats breakfast and does a morning one-on-one session with her coach. Then she spends an hour with her strength and conditioning coach, and drives home for lunch and takes a two hour break. Then, she goes on a three-mile run, followed by Jiu-Jitsu, grappling and wrestling, with her husband. "I'm still active," she told Visalia Times Delta.

20. Natalie Gulbis

Shutterstock

Natalie Gulbis consumes a high protein diet. “My diet six days a week consists of protein shakes with whey protein, healthy fats, greens and probiotics for breakfast and lunch. I have protein bars as snacks in between. For dinner I usually have fish or steak with steamed veggies. When I am home and not on tour I sit down for lunch. Usually chicken with salad dressing on the side. I allow myself 200-300 calories of a treat a day. A Michelob ultra, glass of wine, chocolate etc. On Sundays after the tournament I have a cheat meal and eat whatever I may have been craving. I like consistency and protein keeps my energy up and my body feeling good,” she told Women Fitness.

Spanish soccer star Alexia Putellas isn’t afraid to try new workouts and take on new challenges when it comes to her fitness. Putellas, 30, shared a video of herself wearing soccer gear, boxing gloves, and a big black jacket, sparring with a friend out on the field. “Alexia Putellas, boxer for a day,” FC Barcelona Femeni captioned the post. Putellas is known for her drive and exceptional fitness both on season and when she’s training off season. Here’s how she stays strong and happy.

1. Two Hours Daily Training

Putellas trains for two hours every day, mixing up a variety of strength exercises using body weight and low-impact equipment. “Your body fat percentage will increase over time if you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose over time. Strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass at any age,” says the Mayo Clinic.

2. Vegan Diet

Putellas switched to a plant-based diet after getting injured and found it helpful with her recovery. “The first thing I stopped eating was red meat and I introduced plant-based milk and yogurts,” she told The Beet. “Now, there are a lot of high-quality plant-based protein options on the market and it’s easier to stick to a plant-based diet. The most important for me is to make sure I am eating what my body needs to perform and recover, and that’s why I also have my own nutritionist who helps me every day.”

3. Supplements For Athletes

Shutterstock

Putellas has good advice for any athletes thinking about switching to a vegan diet. “I feel much better. I thought I was not gonna be able to get enough energy and strength from plant-based food but it’s been great since I changed my diet,” she told The Beet. “Feeling lighter, recovering quicker, less inflammation, and full of energy. If you are an athlete you have to be very careful with your diet because every single meal you have is gonna affect your performance and recovery. You want to make sure your body gets all the nutrients needed. Also, supplementation is very important. Vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12.”

4. Constantly Evolving

Putellas is always focused on elevating her game and performance. "Football is a game of mistakes," she told FIFA. "And if you lose, you've made a mistake, sure. And even in winning, surely you have committed some [mistakes], despite the result and that you have won. I always think that there are things to improve and if there are things to improve, then you have to keep working."

5. Advice To Young Athletes

Putellas wants young women to stay focused and strong when following their dreams in the athletic world. “I would tell her to be strong and fight for her passion, that she shouldn’t even think of giving it up, because in the end she would be letting those who tell her not to play win,” she told EL PAÍS. Unfortunately, she is right that there is still a long way to go, even though it has advanced so quickly. But it goes beyond that; it is a matter of education, a matter of culture. That takes many years to change, but we have to do it.”

From gymnastics to swimming, track and field to boxing, these athletes have honed their bodies to perfection. Discover their secrets, from unique training routines and dietary preferences to mental resilience and recovery strategies. Each champion, like Simone Biles challenging societal beauty norms or Sue Bird's dedication to an anti-inflammatory diet, offers a unique perspective on what it takes to reach the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Join us on this journey into the exceptional lives of these remarkable athletes.

1. Simone Biles

Shutterstock

While Simone Biles may compete in gymnastics, she doesn’t believe in competing with other women in society. She talked about this on Instagram. "Let’s talk about competition," she shared. "Specifically the competition I didn’t sign up for and feel like has become almost a daily challenge for me. And I don’t think I’m the only one. In gymnastics, as in many other professions, there is a growing competition that has nothing to do with performance itself. I’m talking about beauty.”

2. Katie Ledecky

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Swimmer Katie Ledecky tells Shape that she does a full-body strength training workout three times a week. "It's pretty full-body because that's what swimming is," explains Ledecky. "I think core strength is incredibly important in swimming — it's that connecting piece between your arms and legs. So we work on strength and we work on power because you have to have that power coming out of the starting blocks and on all of the turns, as well as a good jump."

3. Allyson Felix

Shutterstock

Track and field star Allyson Felix tells Women’s Day that she’s changed her approach to training as she’s gotten older. “I think when I was younger I always felt like I wanted to do as much as I could — quantity was everything — and now that I’m older, and as a mom, it’s really quality over quantity. It’s about training smarter. For me, being able to focus on recovery allows me to come back and get quality work the next day as well.”

4. Mikaela Shifrin

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Skier Mikaela Shifrin talked about her training process to Sports Illustrated. She says that before a competition, she likes to eat pasta. “I feel a lot more energy in every way for the race,” she explains. “That’s a theory I believe in.”

5. Claressa Shields

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Boxer Claressa Shields shares her fitness secrets with Muscle and Fitness. “My boxing routine requires strength and conditioning workouts in the morning. Then I’ll train again with another two- to three-hour boxing session. I’ll hit the bag or pads with my coach and work on certain combinations. Then it’s working on the game plan and watching film. All that is about three hours. At the end of the day, there may even be a nighttime session or just an early morning session the following day.”

6. Sakshi Malik

Al Bello/Getty Images

Wrestler Sakshi Malik shared her workout and training secrets with GQ. “Fitness is the most important thing – it is impossible to perform if you’re not fit,” she says. “This sport is so tough that you require each part of your body to be strong. While power and strength need to be constantly worked on, I like to work on my techniques quite a bit. In addition, it is also important to work on your mental strength and discipline. In a sport like wrestling, you need to make split decisions to go into attack or defense, and without the right focus, you can’t achieve this.”

7. Elaine Thompson-Herah

David Ramos/Getty Images

Track and field star Elaine Thompson-Herah works with trainer, Stephen Francis, to keep her in Olympic shape. She says that Francis has really helped with her career. "I don’t know what it was but Stephen saw something in me that I did not see,” Thompson-Herah told World Athletics. “He told me I could do better in training and that I was not producing the times on the track that I should be. He told me not to be scared of people, be less serious, smile more and shake it up."

8. Dina Asher-Smith

Shutterstock

Track and field athlete Dina Asher-Smith shared her training secrets with Runner’s World. She says that there’s one type of workout she avoids. “I don’t lift weights. There are lots of other ways to get power. It’s not about how much weight you can throw around, but how well you use the power that you have.”

9. Erin Jackson

Shutterstock

Speed skater, Erin Jackson, shared her mindset when she trains with Shape. “My inline coach from back in Florida, Renee Hildebrand…used to always say, 'Perfect practice makes perfect,'" says Jackson. "It's not just 'Practice makes perfect' — if you practice something the wrong way, then you're just going to reinforce the wrong way. That's something I've held onto over the years, to make every practice count."

10. Brittany Bowe

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Recovery is important to speed skater, Brittany Bowe. She shared her favorite ways to do so with SELF. “After a tough day, I’ll get into an epsom salt bath. I put some lavender oil in there. I typically use Dr. Teal’s Epsom Salt in a few different combinations, and especially enjoy the lavender. I’m definitely a bath person—I take a couple baths a week to wind down.”

11. Naomi Osaka

Shutterstock

Tennis star, Naomi Osaka, likes to make smoothies before and after she works out. She shared some of her go-to ingredients with Us Weekly. ​​“My favorite fruits to add in are strawberries, blueberries, and a frozen banana – sometimes I add mangoes,” she said. “My go-to trick is, if fruits are starting to go bad, rather than waste them I cut them up and place them in portion-sized baggies and freeze them so they are ready to go for my shakes. In addition to some ice, I add in BODYARMOR LYTE Coconut for some extra vitamins and antioxidants.”

12. Jade Jones

Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage

Taekwondo athlete, Jade Jones shared her post-lockdown training process with Women’s Fitness. “I’m making sure that everything I do is so I’m in the best possible shape for when it’s my time to fight in July. I train Monday to Friday, usually twice a day. I put in as much as I can into each session, and then try to recover corr,ectly, get the right amount of sleep, eat the right things, and take my Bioglan supplements to keep myself healthy. Knowing I’m doing all I can to be at my best gives me confidence and is part of my mental preparation.”

13. Rose Lavelle

Visionhaus/Getty Images

Soccer player Rose Lavelle opened up about her training process to Well + Good. She says that she values her recovery time. “Today, rest is vital and I can’t play as much as I did as the load is so much more,” she says. “Now it’s a balance, and I have to prioritize the off-field piece and everything that I’m doing to help best prepare my body to be able to perform on the field.”

14. Kelsey Mitchell

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Kelsey Mitchell tells the National Post that she eats a lot of protein to help with her cycling. “Protein is obviously super important. But I think that’s the one thing that’s ingrained in us in society. It’s like, if you’re working out and you’re lifting, you’re tearing those muscle fibres — you need protein to build it back up. I kind of struggled with figuring out that I needed carbs for energy.”

15. Ginny Thrasher

Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Gold medal rifle shooter, Ginny Thrasher, talked about her wellness routine in the caption of this Instagram post. She says that she doesn’t like to take supplements. “Regarding supplementation, I personally take a minimalist approach. I try to get my nutrients from my diet and whole foods, only using supplements as needed to help boost anything I need. People often ask what specific supplements rifle shooters should take, but I think it’s more about what’s PROVEN, NECESSARY, and SAFE rather than looking for a performance benefit that pills just won’t give you unless you need it.”

16. Marianne Vos

Luc Claessen/Getty Images

Cyclist Marianne Vos talked about her approach to the Olympics in an interview with Soigneur. “I lost myself in my preparation for the Olympic Games. The satisfaction is temporary— I know that. When you wake up the day after winning the world championships, you are still Marianne. Winning a race does not necessarily make you happier. It is the road to it that counts.”

17. Emma McKeon

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Swimmer Emma McKeon talked about her diet and how it evolved to Rescue. “At times, I used to just eat whatever I wanted, even when training, and I would end up being exhausted and not have enough energy to get through training sessions. So I have learnt what foods I need to eat and how much I need to eat to fuel my body, and learnt which foods to choose instead of filling up on things that aren’t going to fuel me for intense training.”

18. Cate Campbell

Sam Tabone/WireImage

Swimmer Cate Campbell shared some of her healthy habits with Body + Soul. She says that sleep is important to her. “Having a good sleeping routine is really important for me. I make sure the TV is off at 9pm, then I listen to music while I clean the kitchen and get ready for bed. I try and make my bedtimes as consistent as possible during the week – especially if I have training the next morning.”

19. Dana Vollmer

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

In an interview with ESPN, Dana Vollmer talked about how she manages pain while swimming. “That's something over the course of my career I've had to learn: what is good pain and what is bad pain? The pain in burning from using your muscles is different than the pain of hurting something. The 50 free is short, that's why I'm doing it. And my doctor said there is really no risk at all. I made a joke about doing a belly flop and [the doctor] said even that would be fine. As long as I'm cautious with the warm-up and keep some space between myself and the other swimmers, that's really the only issue at all.”

20. Sue Bird

Shutterstock

Basketball star, Sue Bird, shared her wellness secrets with GQ. She says that while she believes in the 80/20 rule with her diet, she cuts out and limits some things. “I don't eat dairy, and I've been gluten-free ever since I took a blood test that showed I have a mild allergy to gluten. I stick with all anti-inflammatory foods: tons of veggies, eggs, chicken and fish. I will have some red meat, but only every now and then. There’s very little sugar, if any, because I save that for my cheat days. I like rice bowls a lot. That's been my new thing this year—I’ll have some brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken, and mixed veggies.”

Elena Delle Donne is making great use of her precious time off by hitting the pool and having fun. The Washington Mystics Forward, 34, shared a video of herself wearing a blue and orange bikini, lounging in a pool float in the shape of a giant donut. Donne humorously attempts to drink a seltzer from a water pistol, and doesn’t quite manage it. “Don’t choke sis!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂” commented a friend. Donne trains incredibly hard and is open about what it takes to be a champion—here are the rules she lives by.

1. Game Day Diet

Donne enjoys a protein-packed diet on game days. “My wife, Amanda, makes me breakfast on home game days,” she says. “(It’s) usually eggs, pancakes and bacon. I like to snack throughout the day, as well. My go-to for that would be apples with peanut butter. Usually an hour before the game, I have half a bagel with peanut butter. I try to keep it light the few hours before a game but then after the game, I’ll refuel with pasta and a protein… Definitely a lot of protein and good carbs, so foods like chicken, brown rice, sweet potato, etc. Whatever the meal is, it has to be packed with nutrients to fuel me for my game. For dinner, one of my favorite dishes is chicken with sautéed onions, mashed sweet potatoes, and veggies.”

2. Managing Lyme Disease

Shutterstock

Donne has Lyme disease, which makes it even more important for her to follow a healthy diet. “It’s a struggle because your schedule is so packed that you just want to turn to what’s quickest and most convenient,” she says. “However, I always remind myself that my diet is important not only for my basketball career, but also for my health in managing my Lyme disease. So it’s really important to try and stay true to my nutrition plan. At this point, I’m used to playing in different cities, so I’ve found my go-to spots in each city where I know I’ll be able to find a great meal. I have to take lots of medicine/supplements for my Lyme disease, so most of what I take is centered around that. The supplements help with joint and muscle inflammation and then other supplements to support my immune system.

3. Staying Active On Days Off

Donne takes one day off a week from training. "I make sure I at least have one day off [a week], and I try every day to do something to pour back into my body," she says. “I ask a lot of it, and I don’t put back into it enough. It’s something I’m working on." Donne stays active even on her off days. "There were days when I was so sick and so tired I didn’t feel like I could do anything, but I always made sure to do something. Like get up and walk, or do something active," she says. "The more you lay around, the worse you feel. You’re in a funk. Even just going outside and feeling the breeze, that makes you feel a little bit more awake."

4. Dealing With Nerves

Shutterstock

Donne has learned to live with nerves when it comes to competing. "I think that [having nerves] is never going to go away, which is a good thing. I kind of like nerves," she says. "It means I’m ready...We all have those little jitters. The second I touch the basketball and start warming up and shooting, they’re gone. You’re right back at home on the court."

5. Advice For Athletes

Donne’s advice to younger athletes is to work on having a balanced diet. “It’s obviously a large part of what allows your body to be in peak form to compete at a professional level,” she says. “I would just recommend making sure you do your research and find out what works best for your body, because it’s different for everyone. The key is having a well-rounded nutrition plan that includes a little bit of everything. Also know that no one is perfect, so you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. It’s OK to indulge every now and then or have cheat meals, just focus on getting back on track afterwards.”