Skier Mikaela Shiffrin in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares "Plot Twist"

Mikaela Shiffrin, one of the world’s top alpine skiers, continues to stay active and adventurous even off the slopes. With a record-breaking three Olympic medals and the highest World Cup wins, Shiffrin’s commitment to fitness is clear. Recently, she shared glimpses of her hiking routine on Instagram, capturing her journey through nature with the thought-provoking caption, “Plot twist…what if the journey IS the destination?” Her workout routine reveals a dedication to building strength and endurance, keeping her primed for skiing’s physical demands.

1. She Hikes

As you can see from her Instagram post, Shiffrin likes to hike to keep herself in shape. Harvard Health states that hiking has a lot of benefits. “Walking is great exercise, but sometimes you need a break from your usual neighborhood loop or the monotony of the basement treadmill. Head out for a hike instead. It's similar to walking but can give you a fitness boost along with a dose of novelty and adventure. And not only is hiking great exercise, it doesn't require much equipment. 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.”

2. She Skis

Skiing is one of the main things that Shiffrin does to keep herself in shape. Skiing has a lot of health benefits. The University of Rochester states, “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. Cardiovascular or aerobic exercises also work to reduce your risk for ongoing (chronic) diseases. They lower your blood pressure. And they help you maintain a healthy body weight. Through regular aerobic exercise like skiing and snowboarding, you lower your risk of developing conditions like diabetes and heart disease, having a stroke, and perhaps even getting cancer.”

3. She Does RDLs

Shiffrin shared some of her favorite workouts in this Instagram video. One exercise she is seen doing is RDLs with a barbell. Shiffrin captioned the post, “Spilled a bit of my sandwich on my nearly-white leggings in the car and then went and rolled around in the gym for a bit. Feelin’ wonderful and productive! 🤣🙃😜” ACE Fitness states that RDLs have a lot of benefits. “The most important benefit of the RDL is that it teaches the proper movement and biomechanics of standing hip flexion and extension. This is the foundational movement for squatting, whether the movement is performed with a weight in the gym or while bending over to pick an object up from the floor.”

4. She Strength Trains

Mikaela Shiffrin/Instagram

Shiffrin does a lot of strength training. In the previous Instagram video, she is seen doing RDLs and lifting a weight with her legs. Strength training is very beneficial. The Mayo Clinic states, “Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age.”

5. She Uses A Treadmill

Shiffrin shared another workout video in this Instagram video. One thing she is seen doing is walking and running on a treadmill. Healthy Talbot states that this has a lot of benefits. “Treadmills provide outstanding cardiovascular exercises, which can significantly enhance your heart health. Thanks to their ability to maintain constant heart rates throughout the exercise. If you’ve high cholesterol or cardiovascular issues, this can be very beneficial. They can help to diagnose cardiac issues like heart disease and artery blockages. Under normal circumstances, your body may not exhibit symptoms of these heart conditions. However, when put under pressure through a workout, those symptoms will be displayed.”

Professional skier and snowboarder Ester Ledecká isn’t content with being a double threat—she wants to add ice hockey to that list, too. Ledecká, 29, shared a funny video of herself wearing black joggers and a blue and white sweatshirt, pretending to play hockey while cleaning up a cow barn with a broom. “I'm still working on the farm and waiting for a call from @nhlbruins 😁,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the Olympian focuses on her many sports, and lives her best life.

1. Skiing and Snowboarding Training

Ledecká worked hard to excel at both skiing and snowboarding but admits it’s difficult. “Inside, I still feel like [I am] half snowboarder and half skier,” she told Olympics.com. “The thing is that we wanted to see what is possible for me in the overall rankings in skiing... But the problem is that when I want to try it, it's even more difficult to fit the snowboard racing schedule because it's at the same time. And if I want to compete in both, then I have to cancel some ski races, and that means that I lose a lot of points in the overall rankings.”

2. Double Threat

Ledecká can’t decide between snowboarding and skiing. "Inside, I still feel like [I am] half snowboarder and half skier," she told Olympics.com. “I can still do a triple or even a quadruple. There is still a lot of space for improvement… It depends on my feeling in that exact time of the season. And if I just feel that if I want to go snowboarding, I go snowboarding and nothing is going to stop me. And it's also the other way around!"

3. Mikaela Shiffrin Is a Fan

World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin is a big fan of Ledecká. “She’s an incredible athlete—obviously she has to be to compete in both sports so well,” Shiffrin told Powder. “I think she has a really natural feeling for speed and really great technique. Watching her ski, I wonder what everyone else is doing.”

4. Friendly Competition

Ledecká jokes about the competition between skiers and snowboarders. “As long as I’m having fun and doing it for myself, I think I’m in a good way,” she told Powder. “Sometimes, I want to stay in bed (in the morning), but as long as I’m on the hill, I feel like I’m at home.”

5. Always Improving

Ledecká is improving with every single training session. “It's not like going to the top and then back, like that one race in South Korea,” she told Olympics.com. “But when you see [all of the results], I was improving that season too. I just wasn't on that level that I would be able to reach [the podium] more than once through the season. Then the next season, I [took] a step a little [further] and then more, and more. So, I feel I'm going in [the] right direction, for sure. Even though I am now a much better skier, and I have much more experience, I still [don't have the] experience, which I would consider is enough for me to be able to win every race.”

Alpine skier Isabella Wright is recovering from injuries and grateful for her team. Wright, 27, shared a picture of herself wearing black shorts and a tank top, her left arm in a sling. “Well, it wasn’t an easy one ❤️‍🩹but i learned a lot, I pushed through a lot, and I got to do it with a lot of good people by my side! it’s time to let the mind and body fully heal up 🍋A HUGE thank you to all my sponsors and my Team for the support through the ups and downs! it really does take a big support system and I’m surrounded by something much bigger than myself and i’ll be forever grateful for that 🫶🏽 thank you,” she captioned the post. Here’s what Wright’s training regimen looks like.

1. Snowbird, Utah

Wright grew up racing at Snowbird, Utah. “Skiing started out as a family activity—it was the best daycare for my parents,” she told Ski Magazine. That’s what sparked it—the mountains and the people and being a part of the Snowbird program. Snowbird’s program is the perfect mix. Most of the time training was too soft, so we would go and free-ski and huck cliffs. It was a huge part of the program, which is why I think so many great skiers in general come out of Snowbird, and why I loved it so much.”

2. Project Rock

Wright is thrilled to be part of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Project Rock. “He has built a platform and a brand for the #hardestworkersintheroom that gives people the opportunity to put on a Project Rock uniform, do the work, and have a fresh start everyday. Everyone has their own story, it’s what you do with what you have that speaks volumes. And that’s what makes him and this brand so special. He works to be his best self every day. Something I try to emulate both him and @lindseyvonn,” she captioned a post.

3. Slalom vs. Super-G

Wright loves the adrenaline high from skiing. “Snowbird is more of a slalom hill, so I grew up a slalom skier,” she told Ski Magazine. “But as I grew older, once I had my first taste of super-G and downhill, feeling those G-forces, it really sparked a need for speed. Speed skiers have this edge and mindset; you have to want to put yourself in a scary, risky situation. You’re going 80-plus miles an hour down this icy pitch and there’s so much adrenaline. Super-G is my favorite because it’s really fast but there are a lot of technical elements, too.”

4. Strength Training

Wright frequently posts videos of herself doing strength training at the gym. “Puttin in werkkk at my favorite gym🏋🏽‍♀️💪🏽 #usanacenterofexcellence. I wish my muscles would grow as fast as my calluses🥴 hehe! thankful to have so many people around me to push the limits each day,” she captioned a post.

5. Ski Family

Wright says her team is her family. “The difference is that your family on the road, they understand a part of the sport that no one else can understand because they’re doing it with you,” she told Ski Magazine. “The emotions, pressure, gratitude, and horrible days—no one knows those feelings better than your teammates. The bond is that you understand that person sometimes better than they understand themselves. You feel for them because you feel that you are them; it’s an unbreakable bond.”