Beach Volleyball Player Marta Menegatti in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares "Olympic Memories"

Marta Menegatti is an accomplished professional beach volleyball player, celebrated for her athletic achievements that include sixteen World Tour medals (two gold, seven silver, and seven bronze) and accolades from the European Championships. With appearances at the Olympics and a dedication to her sport, Marta exemplifies commitment and excellence. In September, she shared a nostalgic photo from the 2024 Games on Instagram, captioning it, “Olympic memories.” Here’s a closer look at how Marta stays active, healthy, and at the top of her game.

1. She Plays Volleyball

Playing volleyball means that Menegatti is benefiting from the sport’s many health benefits. USA Volleyball states, “Participating in any sport has benefits, but volleyball offers the opportunity for lessons that few other sports can. The volleyball community is a place where everyone is welcome and you can find a lifetime of play and competition. Volleyball brings families together to play and learn and offers the opportunity to create lifelong friendships and bonds. From character-building skills such as leadership, teamwork, respect and communication to the physical benefits of staying healthy and active, here are some of the things you can expect to gain by playing volleyball.”

2. She Runs

Menegatti likes to run to keep herself in shape. She is seen doing so in this Instagram post of herself training. Valley Oaks Health states that running has a lot of benefits. “After going for a run, your body experiences a drop in the stress hormone cortisol. This reduction diminishes feelings of stress, allowing you to go about the rest of your day with less tension and anxiety. In addition to mitigating stress, running also invokes feelings of calmness. Following a run, your body releases chemicals called endocannabinoids. These chemicals flow through your bloodstream and into your brain, relaxing your mind and body.”

3. She Lifts Weights

Menegatti likes to lift weights to keep herself in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself using a barbell at the gym. ACE Fitness states that using weights has a lot of benefits. “Strength training with heavy weights improves muscle definition. Muscle definition occurs as the result of muscles remaining in a state of semi-contraction and heavy strength training recruits the larger type II muscle fibers responsible for a muscle’s appearance.”

4. She Hikes

Menegatti likes to hike to keep herself in shape. She shares a lot of hiking photos on Instagram. Menegatti shared this photo of herself hiking by the ocean, and this photo of herself on a trail. Piedmont states that hiking has a lot of benefits. “Hiking is a weight-bearing exercise that builds muscle mass and helps prevent osteoporosis. Hiking can help you manage your weight. It is a joint-friendly form of exercise that can keep arthritis sufferers more limber and mobile.”

5. She Does Yoga

Menegatti shared this video on Instagram of herself doing yoga. Harvard Health states that yoga has a lot of benefits. “Yoga develops inner awareness. It focuses your attention on your body's abilities at the present moment. It helps develop breath and strength of mind and body. It's not about physical appearance. Yoga studios typically don't have mirrors. This is so people can focus their awareness inward rather than how a pose — or the people around them — looks. Surveys have found that those who practiced yoga were more aware of their bodies than people who didn't practice yoga. They were also more satisfied with and less critical of their bodies. For these reasons, yoga has become an integral part in the treatment of eating disorders and programs that promote positive body image and self-esteem.”

Beach volleyball champion Sara Hughes has been playing since she was eight years old, and was even mentored by Misty May-Treanor. Now Hughes, 29, is heading for Paris in June, and is doing everything she can to prepare for the big event. The athlete shared a video of herself wearing Nike shorts and a sports bra, lowering herself into an ice bath and then breathing through the initial cold shock. “It’s gotta feel so good on that shoulder 💪🏻,” a fan commented. Here’s how Hughes stays fit, focused, and ready for Olympic gold.

1. Strength Training

Hughes frequently posts videos of herself doing strength training workouts with a personal trainer. She also uses resistance bands to build muscle, endurance, and burn fat. “My favorite place this pre-season! Couldn’t do it without @mykelshannonjenkins & @officialbrycejenkins 💪🏼,” she captioned an Instagram post.

2. Box Jumps

Hughes is a big fan of box jumps, a plyometric exercise. “This exercise trains triple extension and flexion of the key joints – hips, knees, and ankles – and related muscles – quads, hamstrings, quads and calves – used in running,” UK Athletics Level 3 performance coach Graeme Woodward tells Runner’s World. “And also requires a significant neuromuscular contribution which benefits speed qualities.’

3. Misty May-Treanor Mentor

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Hughes grew up watching Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor train at the beach. “For a long time, I was terrified to talk to her,” Hughes told The Athletic. “Having her so close, it was crazy.” May-Treanor noticed the young athlete and became her mentor. “I grew up putting my name on a paper on a pole and playing to stay on the court, and Sara hit the tail end of that,” May-Treanor said. “Bill [Lovelace] had those little kids doing drills and playing alongside adults and in four-on-four tournaments. She’s one of the last of that breed. We all know each other. As an older athlete, you want to take the sport under your wing. I was in her shoes once.”

4. Paris 2024 Dreams

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Hughes has high hopes for Paris 2024. "It would probably be the best feeling in the world," she told Olympics.com. "It's my number one goal, and to get to do it with Kelly [Cheng] is even more special. So we just got to keep moving forward and keep doing well in tournaments and hope we'll stay on track to get there."

5. Ice Baths

Hughes regularly incorporated ice baths into her recovery routine. Studies show ice baths can help with pain and inflammation after training. “Some patients who have swelling and inflammation find great relief from soaking in an ice bath,” sports medicine physician Dominic King, DO, tells Cleveland Clinic. “Start low and go slow. Don’t go too cold and don’t go for more than five minutes, just to make sure you can tolerate it. There is some research that shows that after two to three minutes, additional benefits taper off."

Professional volleyball player Alix Klineman is showing fans what a typical workout looks like for the athlete. Klineman, 34, shared a video of herself wearing blue leggings and a white shirt, using a kettlebell and resistance bands. “Thought I’d share a workout of mine that requires no crazy machines/equipment! Here, we’re working on power without loading my back, rotational strength, knee mechanics/glute strength, landing + triple extension, shoulder stability, and core strength. A lot of it transfers directly to volleyball (by design), but I think a lot of you would enjoy this workout regardless of if you play vb or not! Anyway, my rant is over 😅 let me know if you decide to try any of these exercises, they got me feeling 👌🏼,” she captioned the post. Here’s how this Olympic gold medalist stays strong, focused, and happy.

1. Olympic Training

Klineman’s training schedule is as strenuous as you’d expect. “We train about five days a week,” she told The Zoe Report. “We have practice for a few hours a day, we lift weights for a couple hours, I see [a physical therapist] for my body and movement training, so that’s another hour of therapy or deep tissue massage. So, it can add up to four to seven hours of commitment [a day]. But, because a lot of these things are very physical, it can be very taxing.”

2. Mental Health Awareness

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Klineman had surgery in 2022 for a rotator cuff tear, and the experience was harder than she expected. “I never realized just how good getting outside and moving every day was for my mental health,” she told KT Tape. “It was just part of my daily routine, and I never knew anything different. And so the first couple months after surgery I had “cabin fever” for sure. I was restless, anxious, and generally less happy. The lack of routine definitely took a toll on me.”

3. Cooking and Beach Time

Klineman relaxes by cooking and hitting the beach. “I love cooking and the creative aspect involved, so I always try to carve out time for that,” she told The Zoe Report. “I live close to the beach, so you’ll find me there on the weekends. Although, I’m one of those people who, on my off time, will never be caught playing volleyball. When I play, it’s really hard for me to do it leisurely, and just relax and have fun [with it] without worrying about winning. So, [if my friends are playing] I’m the one who sits on the towel on the sidelines.”

4. New Perspective

Klineman has a newfound appreciation for her career and her health. “Now I go to the beach, so grateful I get to do something I love while getting a workout in at the same time, and head back home energized, fulfilled, and happy from the hard work I just put in,” she told KT Tape. “Understanding the balance and correlation between physical and mental health has been the biggest lesson for me during this time, and just the perspective I needed to get back out on the court."

5. Injury and Recovery

Klineman is taking a different approach to injury and recovery these days. “One thing I’ve dealt with my whole career is a lot of injuries,” she told The Zoe Report. “This year, I finally broke off and found a place that, instead of giving you a few rehab exercises or referring you to a doctor, analyzes your movements and finds out where the mechanical breakdown is, what’s actually causing your injury. They’re determined to rewire your body and fix your mechanical issue so they’re treating the cause as opposed to just the pain. So, that’s been a really fulfilling and rewarding workout I’ve been doing. I really feel like I’m healing my body.”

Marta Kostyuk is hitting tennis balls – in her two-piece set. In a new social media post the tennis star shows off her amazing body in her tennis whites, throwing her fans into a frenzy. “It’s just amazing how absolutely fit Marta is!!,” writes one of her followers. “Totally toned muscle 💪.. and very beautiful too.” Another added: “Marta Kostyuk looks very strong.” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. How She Got Into Tennis

Marta explains how she became a tennis player. “My mom was working a lot when I was small and, I don't remember it, but my mom told me that I wanted to play tennis so much so I could see her. I have two more sisters, one older and one younger. I was in the middle but it was the period when my mom was working so much as a coach. I didn't see mom that much. I wanted to see her a lot, so I was practicing. In the summer I was on the court from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening, from when I was 4 or 5. At the same time I was doing pairs acrobatics, from 5 to 11. We finished fourth place in the national championships,” she told WTA Tour. “Tennis was the main goal, so I decided to stop acrobatics. I had to be so careful with my weight and it was so much stress. Evey day I was coming from school worrying about my weight. When I was 11, I decided to stop.”

2. Swimming

Marta enjoys swimming. Swimming is a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity, according to the CDC. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling, or running, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses. In addition to the many physical benefits, there are multiple studies supporting the mental health benefits of swimming as well.

3. Stand Up Paddleboarding

Marta also enjoys stand up paddleboarding. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) agrees that paddle boarding is great for the core and also a great form of cardio. The water sport can burn an average of 385 calories for a 140 pound male and 436 for a female the same size, per a study conducted by Arizona State University.

4. Strength Training

To get her body ready for the court, Marta spends time in the gym strength training. “Warmed up? Yeah, dead,” she captioned a post. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:

• Develop strong bones
• Manage your weight
• Enhance your quality of life
• Manage chronic conditions
• Sharpen your thinking skills

5. Surfing

Another stay-fit in the water activity of Marta’s? Surfing. According to the Australian government’s Better Health, surfing provides many health benefits including cardiovascular fitness from paddling, shoulder and back strength, which also strengthens from the paddling, and leg and core strength. “Once you’re standing up on the board, strong legs and a strong core will keep you up,” they say.