Pole Vault Olympic Champion Katerina Stefanidi in Two-Piece Workout Gear is a "Nature Lover"

Katerina Stefanidi is a world-class pole vaulter with an impressive resume that includes gold at the 2016 Olympics, multiple medals from the European Athletics Championships, and the title of 2017 European Indoor Champion. A three-time Olympian, Stefanidi has proven herself to be a dominant force in her sport. Off the field, she maintains her fitness with a variety of outdoor and gym activities. Recently, she shared photos from a hike on Instagram, captioning the post, “I ♥️ 🌳 And those were some really large and really old trees 😍.” From hiking to strength training, here’s how she stays in peak condition.

1. She Hikes

As you can see from her Instagram post, Stefanidi likes to go for hikes. Harvard Health states that hiking is very beneficial. “Navigating a winding, wooded trail can help your body build endurance, strength, and coordination, says Dr. Edward Phillips, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. Hiking over uneven terrain requires more energy than walking on a level surface, so it burns more calories. If you are hiking uphill, your body has to work even harder, he says. A rigorous hike may offer many of the same physical benefits as interval training, which alternates low- and high-intensity exercise to increase cardiovascular fitness. During a hike, your heart rate goes up as you move up an incline and drops when you head downhill.”

2. She Skis

Stefanidi likes to go skiing to keep herself in shape. She shared this post on Instagram of herself skiing in the Rocky Mountains. Stefanidi captioned the post, “First day out in 20 years 😅 a little tight and very scared 😂 with @adidasterrex supporting my extracurricular activities!” According to The University Of Rochester, skiing has a lot of benefits. “Skiing and snowboarding are thrilling activities and great workouts. Both sports are excellent cardiovascular exercises that strengthen the heart. They are also weight-bearing exercises. So hey strengthen your bones as they tone your muscles.”

3. She Bikes

Stefanidi likes to bike ride to keep herself in shape. She shares a lot of posts on Instagram of herself on a ride. Stefanidi shared these videos and one photo of herself biking in the woods of Colorado. She captioned it, “Me pretending fall training doesn’t start next week 🫠” Stefanidi also shared this video of herself biking on her account. She captioned that post, “Some trails feel like I barely escaped death while others feel like I was accidentally transported into a fairy tale 🧚”

4. She Runs

Another thing that Stefanidi does to keep herself in shape is going for runs. She shared this video on Instagram of herself running. Stefanidi captioned the post, “Discipline - the practice of doing what you know you need to do even when you don’t want to do it.” FloTrack states that running has a lot of benefits. “Running has proved to increase your bone mass and prevent age-related bone loss. This exercise helps build up your bones and joints. While the repeated contact between the ground can be harder on some people’s knees, running has been proved to assist in knee strength as well.”

5. She Strength Trains

Stefanidi does a lot of strength training to keep herself in shape. She shared this video on Instagram of herself working out in the gym. In it, she is seen using a weighted ball and a circle weight. Stedanidi captioned the post, “The people that know me know there are two Katerinas. The Katerina that gives everything she has and more, and the Katerina that needs to rest and sleep for a week afterwards 🤣”