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Be Consistent

Consistency – at the gym and the martial arts studio – is the key to success. "It is a way of life," Rayna says. "It's not only teaching your body movements and being in synchronicity with your body, but also just like the mental aspect of it."

Fight Your Way to a Hot Body

Rayna is a big fan of martial arts. She has been doing taekwondo since she was 2, earning her first black belt at 6. "In the very beginning, my parents put me in the sport because I was just really shy, and I think they could tell that I needed something," says Vallandingham, who lives and trains in Los Angeles. "Immediately, I just loved it. I felt at home, and every single day, instead of watching Dora, I wanted to go to the dojo,” she told Well + Good. Studies confirm that the practice helps with balance, cognitive function, psychological health, weight loss, and physical fitness.

Work on Strength and Flexibility

Rayna recommends prioritizing strength, flexibility, and power. "Of the three, I think strength and flexibility are the top two," Vallandingham says. "We used to have people stand on my legs and force my knees to come down in butterfly stretch," she says. "I have permanent damage to my body—I have tendonitis [because of this]."

Lift Weights

If you want a strong, lean body like Vallandingham, you must lift for it. The star strength trains, focusing on supersets, doing two moves back-to-back that target the same muscle groups to double down on their gains. One of her favorite exercises is a goblet squat. She stands with her feet shoulder-width apart, folded forward until she can slide her palms underneath her soles (you could also hold your ankles or calves), then bends her knees, lowering her butt toward the floor while lifting her chest, coming into a deep squat. She'll bend and extend her legs several times in this position. Then, it's on to the main event, holding a weight in her hands while bending down into a deep squat. "I love utilizing a Bosu ball—they're pretty much in every single gym," she adds.

Stretch

Rayna never skips stretching. She starts by by lying on the floor with her legs up the wall and then allowing them to open out into a side split. "I let gravity do its work because that's my body telling me, okay, this is where we're at," she says. "My hips are opening on their own, and I'm not having to force anything." “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints,” says Harvard Health. “Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”

Minfulness and Meditation

Charli practices mindfulness. Before going for a run, she says words of intention. “I am willing. I am grateful. I surrender,” she revealed during an interview with San Diego Magazine. Meditation:

“When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress,” says the Mayo Clinic. Benefits include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
• Building skills to manage your stress
• Increasing self-awareness
• Focusing on the present
• Reducing negative emotions
• Increasing imagination and creativity
• Increasing patience and tolerance
• Lowering resting heart rate
• Lowering resting blood pressure
• Improving sleep quality

Stretching

She also makes sure to stretch. “If you ever can think of some dynamic stretches: F.A.S.T. ✨🙌 My left hip and right QLs have been SO tight lately so I’m on a journey of getting them right! What’s bugging you at the moment???” she captioned a post. “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints,” says Harvard Health. “Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”

Here Is The Right Way To Run

During her interview with San Diego, Charli explained how you should be running. “Remember, the sole of the foot is showing right in front of us,” she said, doing a type of high-knee movement. “To do this, you’re over exaggerating your running form while standing still. Raise your knee up, point your toes to the clouds (forming an A), and then pedal the sole of your foot forward before striking your knee down. It’s more complicated than it sounds after 30-plus years of moving a certain way,” the writer explained.

Positive Attitude

In a recent post Charli revealed things she learned about positivity. “Patience is easier when it isn’t required,” she said. “The people around you are BLESSINGS (which I feel like I already understood but sometimes it’s nice to have it emphasized).” Also, “We are up, we are down, but trusting the process sometimes means knowing that it’s all good even when it’s not the best” and “Making a plan is the best option for everything. It’s ok if the plan doesn’t go perfect, but just willy-nilly-ing it is not the best option when you want to get things done.”

Never Giving Up

Charli refuses to give up. “Understand what you want first, and then go for it. Then keep going for it all the time, and, eventually, you’ll get it,” she said during her interview.