World Surf League champion Stephanie Gilmore enjoyed an incredible trip to Jeffreys Bay, South Africa, where she got to experience what’s considered the best surf in the country. Gilmore, 36, shared a video of herself wearing a full-body wetsuit, hitting the waves with a bright yellow surfboard. “Jbay🇿🇦,” she captioned the post. “The Queen 🏄♀️,” a fan commented. Here’s how the Australian athlete stays fit, strong, and happy.
1. Yoga and Surfing
Gilmore starts her day with what she calls an activation routine. “A little yoga mixed with some breathing, just kind of waking up so that I’m not just looking into my phone for an hour, trying to get the body to know it’s daytime and let’s go—and that’s before I’m eating anything,” she told Vogue. “Then we’ll go surfing. It depends what the surf’s like, but the surfing will be a good hour and a half, at least where I’m paddling heaps, catching as many waves as I can, and it’s actually a great workout. I think that the best training for surfing is just to go surfing.”
2. Balanced Diet
Gilmore enjoys a healthy, balanced diet. “I start the day with a smoothie, greens, banana, coconut water, dates… that kind of thing,” she told Body+Soul. “Then after a surf, I’ll have eggs and avocado on sourdough or with quinoa. Lunch I try to have a salad with protein, something fresh and colorful. And dinner is sautéed veggies, rice and a nice piece of freshly seasoned salmon. Something like this. I snack throughout the day with nuts and yogurt, or crudités and hummus. I also love a small double shot cappuccino in the morning and a glass of red wine or dark chocolate at night. Always striving for balance.”
3. Boxing and Pilates
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Gilmore loves doing Pilates and boxing. “I’ve done a little bit more boxing lately, and just like the cardio of boxing is insane, and the mix between Pilates and boxing is really great in terms of cardio and strength,” she told Vogue. “I really enjoy just swimming, bodysurfing, walking, hiking. I think the most important thing is to mix it up, keep yourself interested and keep it fun when you’re trying to train.”
4. Fun With Friends
Gilmore relaxes by spending quality time with friends. “I travel a lot for events and surf trips, so when I get a chance to spend a couple of weeks in one location (home or elsewhere) I love to keep it minimal,” she told Body+Soul. “Hang with friends, dine out, surf, play music, basic day-to-day stuff but hopefully with funny people around.”
5. Keep it Exciting
Gilmore tries to keep her exercise fun. “I think it’s really important for everyone to do things that just keep your brain switch on and put yourself into something new and exciting and gets you out of your comfort zone a bit,” she told Vogue. “I started six-a-side soccer when I was at home, and I was playing soccer with a team, which was so much fun. It’s like two 20-minute halves, you get your heart rate up, you’re running around and just doing something new. Keeping it fresh is important.”
