Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner welcomed her first baby in September 2023, and is working hard to be her healthiest postpartum self. Skinner, 27, shared a video of herself doing an intense cardio workout with friends, wearing brown leggings and a white sports bra. “Don’t worry we’re actually both trying our best 😂 @mykaylaskinner2016 is killing it 3 months postpartum 😮💨 ,” the Instagram caption reads. Here’s how Skinner stays fit and happy.
1. Trainer Sessions
Skinner was forced to take a step back after getting COVID and recovering from a bone spur in her foot. “I was out of the gym for a little over a month in total,” she previously told ELLE. “For a gymnast, that’s a lifetime. It has definitely set me back, which sucks. But it did give me extra time for my foot to heal. Right now I’m training in the gym for five and a half hours every day, with Wednesdays and Sundays off. I also go to a trainer twice a week, and physical therapy twice a week.”
2. Gymnastics Foundation
Skinner loves trying new sports and workout routines. “I feel like gymnastics really makes you good at any sport,” she told Bustle. It will be fun to try different things and see what else that I'm good at. In Arizona, pickleball has become a trend, so I'm excited to be done with gymnastics and really get into it. I would also love to explore and go hiking.”
3. Gluten on the Weekends
Skinner avoids caffeine and gluten. "[I'm] always trying my best to stay hydrated, but it never seems good enough,” she told Delish. “I drink my 32-ounce water bottle for gym time and sometimes a bit more. Whenever I go out to eat, I drink water. So, yeah, [I don't drink] that much. But I’m getting better since water helps with recovery… I used to eat whatever I wanted. I’m now gluten-free except for the weekends.”
4. Positive Mindset
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Skinner went through periods where she felt self-doubt, something that led to her changing her overall mindset for the better. “It's hard being a high-level athlete because there are so many times you get really down on yourself,” she previously told Bustle. “For me, if I'm not perfect, after a meet I'll text my husband and say, ‘I'm going to quit. I'm done. I suck.’ But then I'm like, wait a second—if I suck I wouldn't be here. Now I have a mental trainer that I talk to in order to change that mindset.”
5. Excited For the Future
Skinner is excited for the future, and showing her daughter what her mother once did. “"I'm so excited. I hope I can be that mom — that cool mom," she told PEOPLE. "Just to be able to compete at the Olympic Games and to hit four events, do the best that I did was something that will last for me forever. It'll just be cool to be able to tell my kids one day that I went to the Olympics."