Michelle Kwan Rollerblades In Workout Gear: “My Version of Running Laps”

Former competitive skater Michelle Kwan isn’t quite ready to hang her skates up just yet—so she finds fun alternatives to relive her Olympic glory days. Kwan, 43, shared an Instagram video of herself wearing black leggings and a strappy tank top, skillfully rollerblading in her yard. “My version of running laps 🤷🏻‍♀️,” she captioned the post. Kwan is now a diplomat, mother, and ageless role model—here’s what her health and fitness routine looks like.

1. United States Diplomat

Kwan keeps busy as a diplomat serving as United States Ambassador to Belize, but never skips her workouts. “Work hard. Play hard,” she told Shondaland. “Play is important. I like to work out no matter what. I do yoga. I do Pilates. And getting enough sleep is also important. Since I arrived [in Belize], I actually go to bed earlier. It’s been a game changer. Kalista goes to bed at 9:30 [p.m.], which is late for a little one, but she’s sleeping throughout the night, so I go to bed soon after.

2. Subhead Goes Right Here

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Kwan balances her work life and motherhood like a pro. “Being a new mom arriving at post was a little frightening at first,” she told Tufts Now. “How am I going to do this? All the questions you can imagine, they all surfaced. Luckily, as people say, it takes a village, and I'm thankful and very fortunate to have that village. One surprise is how fun it is—how enjoyable it is to be serving alongside career diplomats. I can't stress enough how rewarding it is to be here.”

3. Healthy Habits

Kwan swears by good sleep and exercise for health and happiness. "In a perfect world, I would get 8 hours of sleep a night,” she told USA Today. “I make sure that I turn off my cell phones, computer, and TV before heading to bed, so I can concentrate on sleeping. I always make sure that I allot 1.5 hours of exercise five days a week. If I'm traveling I try to bring yoga DVDs with me and I definitely bring my sneakers so I can get in a quick run if there's no gym at the hotel. Everything in moderation… Eat your veggies, avoid fats and sugar and use portion control.”

4. Stress Management

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Kwan doesn’t let stress overtake her life. “Life can be overwhelming sometimes -- feeling like there's not enough time in the day to finish all that you need to do,” she told USA Today. “The approach that helps me the most to reduce the stress level is to take one thing at a time. This mind-set helps me concentrate on the task at hand rather than to be bogged down by the anxiety of not being able to do it all."

5. Role Model

Kwan knows many young people look up to her as a role model. “Over the years, I have met a lot of young kids that looked up to me wanting to be an Olympian,” she told Shondaland. “I love that sense of hope and dreams and that kind of aspiration because I find it so beautiful. We need good people in politics. We need more people in service. I always encourage young people, whatever their wishes or their aspirations might be, just to continue.”

Lindsey Vonn is getting her sweat on – and flaunting her fit figure. In a new social media post the skier shows off her amazing body in a two-piece workout look while executing a workout at the gym. “Back on my @redbull grind and man, it feels good! Getting as strong as I can… think I might have a plan for the knee, but first I need to get,” she captioned the Instagram Reel. What exercises are helping her get strong and what other health habits does she practice? Here is everything you need to know.

1. Here Is Her Latest Workout

According to Kendra Gamble, HIT Fitness Training, Huntingdon Valley, PA, NPTI Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritional Consultant, Lindsey’s workout includes:

• Single leg hip thrust
• Standing abduction machine (can be done with a band)
• Lying hamstring curl
• Inverted row
• *Back extension
• *Side plank hip adduction
• TRX push up

2. She’s Training to Be “Lean and Fit” with Weight Training

Lindsey admits she has gotten "a lot leaner" after retiring from skiing. "I used to do things that were so sport specific, so I had to be bigger," she told New York Post's Alexa magazine. "But everyone is like, 'Oh my God, you're in the best shape of your life.' It's like — yes and no. I'm not training for my sport anymore, I am training to be lean and fit,” she said. She has dramatically decreased her body fat with the help of trainer Gunnar Peterson. "Different training. Different diet. Crazy!" Her workouts are no joke, and she trains three to four times a week. "Whatever you like doing is what you should be doing," she told Women’s Health. Her workouts are a combo of strength and weight training, using a lot of weighted balls, battle ropes, lifts, squats. You can check out another one of her workouts here

3. She Also Does Two Cardio Workouts a Week

Lindsey supplements her weight and strength training with two cardio workouts a week, but you won’t find her running on the treadmill. "I have a doctor's note that says I should never run again in my life, and I'm okay with that," she says. Instead she cycles or surfs.

4. She Also Walks After Dinner

"I have to go outside and walk the glucose off with my dog," Lindsey says about her post-dinner strolls. According to science, you should too. One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that walking at a brisk pace for about 30 minutes a day led to a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and death, compared with walking a similar number of steps but at a slower pace.

5. Her Diet Is “Clean”

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Lindsey no longer follows her “ski season” diet of “a lot of protein and carbs,” she told People. Phil Goglia revamped her diet when she retired, and it now involves a lot of water, eating clean food, and timing her meals. “I try not to eat too much in the morning before I work out,” she told Women’s Health. Post-workout Lindsey eats “egg white omelets with broccoli, chicken, and pepper, and stuff like that.” For lunch, she might have chicken or salmon with kale or cabbage. For dinner, her plate is filled with a mix of protein and veggies – like chicken salad with avocado or a zucchini pasta with bolognese meat sauce. Almonds, kiwis, and blueberries are go-to snacks. Overall she tries to eat a lot of plant-based foods. “Listen, the kitchen can be intimidating to anyone. But I’m here to tell you: You can do it. And with the new year, let’s do it better, together. I’ve got 14 places to help you start eating more plant-based foods,” she captioned a recent post, suggesting the Just Egg cookbook to her followers.

Michelle Kwan is rollerskating on her birthday. In a new social media post the professional ice skater celebrates her 44th by twirling in circles. “44 times around the sun! Appreciative to spend time with family and my mama visiting (it is her birthing-day after all!). Thanks for the birthday wishes #feelingloved 🥹❤️,” she captioned the post. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Sleep

"Sleep plenty, eat healthy and smile lots!" Michelle told USA Today about her strategy for a healthy life. "In a perfect world, I would get 8 hours of sleep a night. I make sure that I turn off my cellphones, computer, and TV before heading to bed, so I can concentrate on sleeping."

2. Managing Stress

Kwan also makes sure to manage stress. "Life can be overwhelming sometimes -- feeling like there's not enough time in the day to finish all that you need to do. The approach that helps me the most to reduce the stress level is to take one thing at a time. This mind-set helps me concentrate on the task at hand rather than to be bogged down by the anxiety of not being able to do it all,” she said.

3. A Moderate Diet

Michelle Kwan/Instagram

As for diet? "Everything in moderation,” suggests Kwan. "Eat your veggies, avoid fats and sugar and use portion control."

4. Exercising 5 Times a Week

Kwan makes exercise a priority. "I always make sure that I allot 1.5 hours of exercise five days a week. If I'm traveling I try to bring yoga DVDs with me and I definitely bring my sneakers so I can get in a quick run if there's no gym at the hotel,” she told USA Today.

5. Mixing Up Her Workouts

As for exercise, Kwan likes to "mix things up so I might rotate from running, rollerblading, swimming to practicing yoga. It depends on the particular mood that I'm in,” she told USA Today. "I also enjoy a number of winter and summer sports. You can find me playing beach volleyball in the summer and snowboarding in the winter," she added. "I still skate sometimes but not often, sadly only every few months."

In the world of figure skating, these remarkable women not only astound us with their grace on the ice but also inspire us with their dedication, resilience, and unique stories. From Olympic champions to rising stars, each skater possesses a captivating narrative that goes beyond the rink. Join us as we delve into the lives and experiences of these extraordinary athletes, discovering their training routines, personal struggles, and insights into maintaining their well-being. These are the incredible women who embody the spirit of figure skating, captivating audiences worldwide with their artistry and athleticism.

1. Evgenia Medvedeva

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Evgenia Medvedeva talked about the support she’s had in her career to Olympics.com. “Everybody in this life has to believe in themselves, [but] we’re not always in the power to do this,” she said. “So we have to have people around us who will believe in us even more than we are believing in ourselves. Sometimes you are in situations [where], I mean, really hands down, you don't know what to do. You just have to have at least one person who will sit in front of you and say, 'Look, you're loved; you're great. Yeah, it's hard time, but we will go through this and you will be amazing.’ So that's it.”

2. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva

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Elizaveta Tuktamysheva talked about her training process in an interview with RSport. “Skaters usually have a break for two or three weeks. Therefore, if it is possible to somehow train your vestibular apparatus on a spinner, for example, or to somehow spin at home, there will not be such a problem when an athlete will be back on the ice. At least, there will be some muscle memory left. It's not the same as if you are back on the ice after an illness or after 6 months long recovery from a surgery. During this period we all train at homes and understand that will be back on the ice pretty soon, our brain is already focusing on the fact that we can’t relax, we will need to return to a competitive shape rather soon. We already haven’t practiced for a very long time, and the brain understands that you can’t completely relax - you watch performances, watch figure skating - and it works. Well, of course, there will be a new season, everything will start from scratch.”

3. Mariah BellMariah Bell shared her workout secrets in and interview with NBC Olympics. “I train from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with several breaks throughout. I wake up at 7:30 a.m. I am training on ice until 3 and then off ice until 4 or 5. Besides being on the ice, I enjoy either riding bikes or just going for walks.”Gracie GoldGracie Gold notably spoke out about her mental health struggles. She talked about this decision at the International Athlete Forum. “At first I didn’t want to come out about (mental health) because of the stigma, which made me feel like I was the only one who wasn’t strong enough. But I got hundreds and hundreds of responses from athletes at all levels and in all sports, saying ‘me too.’”Karen ChenKaren Chen shared her go-to workouts with Women Fitness. “My strength and conditioning coach is in charge of giving me a workout card to follow and allowing me to make tweaks that I feel like would benefit me more. Most of the exercises involve just body weight or bands and usually target the core. As for my day off, I like to do some fun dance workouts and blogilates (Cassey Ho) videos on YouTube.”Mai MiharaMai Mihara notably did not qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics. However, she said in an interview that she’s not letting it get her down. “This was a big blow for me. Perhaps I wanted to go there too much and could not cope with my nerves. Of course, now my main goal is to get to the next Olympics; my dream is Milan 2026. But I try not to make that mistake again and not to think much about it. Now I go slowly, step by step, year after year.”Bradie TennellBradie Tennell shared her skincare secrets with Women Fitness. “I have super sensitive skin, so I have to be really careful with what I put on it. I really love Shaklee’s acne clarifying complex for stubborn breakouts. I just dab a bit of it on the blemish, and by the next morning it’s usually gone. As for my hair, I always have it in a bun for training because it is very thick. I try to find hair products that are paraben free and my absolute favourite ones are from Shaklee. It leaves my hair feeling so soft and shiny.”Mirai NagasuIn an essay for TODAY, Mirai Nagasu talked about her approach to wellness. “I’ve found that healthy route. I know I have to go to the gym a couple times a week to stay fit and be healthy so that I feel good about myself. I do have to watch what I eat because of my sport but also because of my health. But everybody's different. Everybody deserves a cheat day and sometimes I take that more often than necessary! At the end of the day, it’s all about loving who you are and our message to young people out there is: The sooner you learn to love yourself and the skin you’ve been given, the better life will become.”Tara LipinskiTara Lipinski shared her diet secrets in an interview with People. ​​“Since exercise and diet have been a part of my life since I was young, I know balance and moderation are key,” she said. “One of the biggest lessons I learned from my athletic career is that I must listen to my body to stay at peak performance levels. But when I need to splurge, I splurge. And then when I need to bring it back to greens and fruit, I do.”Michelle KwanMichelle Kwan shared her fitness secrets in an interview with Repeller. “I exercise in the morning at least five or six days a week, sometimes seven. It’s instilled in me and I love it. It makes me feel energized. I can’t wait until the evening to exercise or I get too tired, plus I don’t like having it hang over me throughout day. I usually rotate between pilates on the reformer or hot yoga or core power. When I’m traveling, I do my own routine — a combination of yoga, skating moves I can do on the floor, plyometrics, planks and stretching.”Kristi YamaguchiKristi Yamaguchi shared her workout secrets in an interview with Women Fitness. “I like to do 30 minutes of cardio a few times a week. Either the elliptical or walking or riding stationary bike. Then some exercises that incorporate my own body weight or very light free weights, as well as some pilates inspired moves.”Amber GlennIn 2019, Amber Glenn came out as bisexual, and talked about this in an interview with D Magazine. “It was a world of difference,” Glenn says. “I no longer felt like I was trying to convey myself as something I wasn’t. I felt like people were finally seeing me for who I was, both off the ice and on.” Nancy KerriganIn an interview with Yahoo Life, Nancy Kerrigan says that she makes sure to exercise on a regular basis. "It's definitely a challenge for me to face reality that I'm not 25 and I can't stretch as far as I used to and I can't move as easily," she says. "But if I stop moving, which I've done — I take time off and I don't do anything — I feel worse. I feel it's harder to move. Everything's a little more challenging. So it's important to keep going."Nica DigernessNica Digerness doesn’t just like to figure skate in the winter. She also likes to ski. Digerness shared this photo on Instagram of herself and her friends on a ski trip together. She captioned the post, “Fun ski day celebrating Mark's birthday!”Ashley WagnerAshley Wagner shared one of her favorite recipes with Us Weekly. She says that she likes to make quinoa bowls with broccoli and chicken. “It’s really customizable. That makes it fun for me. I can mix it up without getting bored of the recipe. You can trade out the quinoa for rice, or the broccoli for kale. It has all the nutrients I need as an athlete.”Danielle HarrisonIn addition to skating, Danielle Harrison likes to swim to stay in shape. She shares a lot of posts on Instagram of herself in the water. Harrison posted this photo of herself wading in a pool, captioning it, “Pool days & good vibes yes pls.” She also shared this photo of herself swimming in Mexico. Brooklee HanIn an interview with Edges of Glory, Brooklee Han shared how she recovered from her achilles surgery. “My recovery from my Achilles tendon rupture is still ongoing. I have more or less recovered my range of motion and stability, but I am still working on regaining my strength in that ankle. That being said, I am so shocked at how quickly I have recovered from this and am so grateful for everyone’s support during this incredibly challenging time.”Kaori SakomotoIn an interview, Kaori Sakomoto talked about her hopes for the figure skating community. "I think figure skating can be perceived differently by each viewer," Sakamoto stated. "So, I would be happy if each person who watches my performances can feel something in their own way. Whether it's positive or negative feedback, how they interpret it is up to them. In the midst of that, I believe it would be wonderful if the audience could empathize with and understand the feelings and messages I wanted to convey through my performances and programs."Rachael FlattIn an interview with Figure Skaters Online, Rachael Flatt talked about her decision to step away from the sport. “I left skating when I was emotionally ready and injury-free for the first time in almost eight years. Even though it wasn’t anywhere near my best, it was the right time for me. That made the transition to focus solely on my last year at school more manageable, and I am still proud of the decision I made.”Loena HendrickxIn an interview with Figure Skaters Online, Loena Hendrickx talked about how she prepared for the competitive season. “I really felt that the post-Olympic season training was much harder than training the year before, where everything was like easy. Last season, I struggled a lot mentally. I really had to train harder and it was harder for my body as well. So that’s also the thing that I’m most proud of because at Worlds, the mental part was there again. But it was there [at Worlds] that I enjoyed skating again. Before Worlds, it was just like, ‘I have to compete, I have to train’, and the love of the sport was disappearing a bit. And then I was talking with my mental coach [Eline Berings], and she said, like, ‘Why are you doing this? Because you love this, right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, sure. I do love this.’ But I lost the feeling of it. And because of her [Eline], I got the feeling back. And at Worlds, that was the first competition that I really enjoyed because I was there and I was proud of myself. I didn’t want to have any pressure on me. There were a lot of expectations (on me) and that was just something different that I had to learn to adjust to.”

Vanessa Lee, a driven track and field athlete, shares her fitness journey and race highlights with her followers on Instagram. Recently, she celebrated a 1-2 podium finish in a 10km race, posting her race experience and expressing gratitude for the support. "The entire race was rather enjoyable if not for the stitch I had from 7-9km and had to slow down,” she wrote, adding how a fellow runner’s pacing helped push her to the finish line. Lee’s dedication to fitness and balanced living shines through her commitment to training, healthy eating, and staying active, both on and off the track.

1. She Runs

Running is the main way Lee stays in shape. According to FloTrack, running has a lot of benefits. “Running releases endorphins, which then trigger a positive feeling in your body. The chemicals released after any exercise improve your mood and decrease anxiety and stress. You get a boost of energy and self-esteem and your sleep also improves. Running can set into motion a continuous cycle of improving different facets of your mental health.”

2. She Eats Vegetables

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Since she’s an athlete, Lee needs to eat a healthy diet. She tells Yahoo that one way she does so is by eating a lot of vegetables in her meals. “I just try to eat a serving of vegetables with every meal and make the healthier choice when given an option,” Lee said. “I just eat when I’m hungry!”

3. She Works Out On A Regular Basis

Lee also has to train and workout on a regular basis. She broke down her training schedule in her Yahoo interview. “I train almost every day, with a mix of easy runs, long runs, intervals and tempo runs,” Lee revealed. “The training regime is not fixed and will defer and be altered every few weeks.”

4. She Learned How To Find Good Friends

Lee revealed to Yahoo that learning how to find good close friends was one of the biggest lessons she had to learn. “I remember feeling insecure about my looks in secondary school, but hey, everyone was going through puberty back then. Being in a girls’ school, everyday conversations were mostly emphasised on people’s looks. I think I learned most of my personal lessons in secondary school, such as how to identify the good friends from the bad.”

5. She Cheers

In addition to running, Lee likes to cheer to stay in shape. She talked about her love of the sport in her Yahoo interview. “I tried out cheer during my first year of university when I entered Kent Ridge Hall (KR Steppers). It is a sport that is only available in universities. Cheerleading is uncommon and the stunts that cheerleaders can do is really impressive. Cheerleading shares the same challenges as any other sport, such as competitiveness between teammates and injuries that come with the sport.”