7 Fitness Tips From Serena Williams to Serve Up a Winning Body

Serena Williams is sharing her basic, everyday beauty look with her 17.2 million Instagram followers—and it’s refreshingly simple. Williams, 42, posted a picture of herself wearing a blue Nike workout jacket, showing off her beautiful less-is-more makeup style with glowing skin and gorgeous eyebrows. “Eyebrows and tinted moisturizer completes my natural ‘on the run’ day look,” she captioned the post. “Your brows omgggg,” a fan commented. Here’s how Williams stays fit and fabulous both on the court and off.

1. Cardio Queen

Williams needs to do some form of cardio every day, with running being her favorite. “My at-home fitness routine right now is just a lot of cardio,” she told Vogue. “I do HIIT workouts (high-intensity interval training), a little stretching, a little strength training, but mostly cardio training. I do the cardio exercises on Tonal, which is really helpful for me just to get my body back and used to calisthenics.”

2. Eat To Live

Williams enjoys eating but tries to keep it as healthy as possible. "My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat," she told Women's Health. "I want to have a healthy lifestyle and, so you know, [I'm eating] a lot of greens and mostly plant-based lately, just super healthy stuff... You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

3. Moody Eater

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Williams rarely eats in the mornings, and changes up her diet depending on her moods. "The only time I eat pasta is when I'm playing/training,” she told Women’s Health. “Usually, you'll never see me eating pasta otherwise. 'Cause I feel like I've had to eat it so much in my career. It's just like, I never want to see pasta again… I can have a smoothie for six months," she says. "And then I'll be like, I never want to see a smoothie again for the next six months. And then I'll be like, okay, I'm back on the smoothie. My eating is very moody."

4. Strength Is Beauty

Williams has come to be proud of her strong, beautiful physique. “My view of strength has definitely evolved over the course of my life and the course of my career,” she told Tonal. “I feel like, at the beginning of my career, I didn’t embrace strength. I felt like I had it, looked it, I felt it, and I was it. But I didn’t embrace it… I think once I embraced it and didn’t really care about what other people said or what people thought, people started to realize that strength is beauty, and there’s something amazing and beautiful about being strong.”

5. Meditation and Prayer

Williams protects her spiritual health as well as the physical. “I'm working on practicing meditation,” she told Vogue. “I feel like I need to do it regularly. Do I? No. But I'm getting there! I also understand that prayer is a form of meditation. My motto is: Any time, any day, we can pray. It’s not like I have to pray at a particular time; it's just any time I feel I’m feeling stressed or misguided, I just say a prayer.”

Venus and Serena Williams are Harper’s Bazaar covergirls! The tennis phenoms are featured on the March 2022 issue of the fashion magazine. In their spread, they model a variety of sizzling spring and summer looks—including swimsuits. How do the girls keep themselves so incredibly fit and strong? Read on to see 8 ways Serena and Venus Williams stay in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bathing Suit Photos!

1. They Go on Family Health Retreats

The family that goes on health retreats together, stays together. “I’m an unbelievable planner,” Venus boasts. “I usually plan the health retreats,” she said.

2. The Family Eats a Plant-Based Diet

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The family also eats a similar diet. “We’ve always been focused on health,” Venus said. After she was diagnosed with autoimmune disease, Sjögren’s syndrome in 2011 the family all modified their lifestyle. “When I started to have issues with my health my whole family, from my dad down, all joined into living a more plant-based lifestyle. The support is always there.”

3. Serena Views Food As Fuel

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"My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat,” Serena revealed to Women's Health. "You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

4. Venus Has Her Own Vegan Protein Brand

Venus launched her own vegan protein brand, Happy Viking, in 2020. "I need to refuel and provide protein to my muscles quickly after I work out for recovery and to maintain muscle," she told Insider in 2021. "So Happy Viking was created to fuel your inner fighter, your inner Viking, while feeling happy and satisfied about what you put in your body."

5. Serena Is a “Moody” Eater

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Serena eats to suit her personality. "I can have a smoothie for six months. And then I'll be like, I never want to see a smoothie again for the next six months. And then I'll be like, okay, I'm back on the smoothie. My eating is very moody,” she told Women’s Health.

6. Venus Is a “Junk Food Junkie”

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Venus dubs herself "junk food junkie." Some of her favorites include donuts and apple pie. "I've never met a French fry that wasn't vegan," she points out. "I'm definitely not a robot. You can reward yourself and have fun eating as well. There are so many more athletes doing it and sometimes they ask me how to do it. So, I tell them, 'Hey, sometimes you just have to have some pie.'"

7. Serena Works Out with Tonal

Serena is such a fan of Tonal equipment that she recently partnered with the brand. “Never be afraid of your strength because your body is capable of amazing things. Show the world what you can accomplish when you own your strength,” she captioned a recent workout video.

8. Venus Does “Stretch and Flow” Exercises

Venus recently shared a 10-minute workout video demonstrating some of her favorite moves to deal with back pain. “Easy stretch and flow to prevent and erase back pain! I recommend putting these in your warm up or cool down routine for back maintenance!” she captioned it.

Venus Williams is sharing a great hamstring workout video with her 2 million Instagram followers. Williams, 43, posted a video of herself wearing a pink two-piece workout outfit, encouraging fans to sign up for the exercises. “Looking for a way to level up your fitness? Here is Part 2 of strengthening and stretching your hamstrings for a better workout🔥 I want to help you not only improve your fitness, but also learn some of the fundamentals of tennis👀🎾 Link in bio for the full video!” she captioned the video. Here’s how Williams stays fit, healthy, and on top of her game.

1. Cardio Workouts

Williams does lots of cardio as part of her training. “My daily routine, all my life, has been all about workouts,” she told Glamour. “I wake up, go play tennis for a few hours, then I go to the gym, and I do a few muscle groups. I do cardio, ride the bike, run, do plyometrics or a field workout where I'm just sprinting on the field, or interval training, so there's a lot of different options. I try to stay longer than two hours because that's when I start to get tired. Not really longer than two hours, but I can be there for two and a half. There's so many things you can do.”

2. Mostly Plant-Based

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Williams started exploring a plant-based diet after being diagnosed with autoimmune disorder Sjögren's syndrome in 2011. “I’ve stuck to a plant-based diet for over a decade now and have never felt better,” she told The Beet. “It gives me the energy to perform my best throughout the day and keeps me feeling at the top of my game because I make healthier choices all around. Now, ten years later, I have finally discovered a healthy balance. I still eat mostly plant-based foods like vegetables and plant-based protein, but I'm not always perfect. It's important to treat yourself from time to time!”

3. Quick and Tasty

Williams enjoys veggie burgers with plenty of seasoning. “Whenever I cook, I aim for something quick yet tasty because I'm so tired at the end of the day, so I don't want to spend much time in the kitchen!” she told The Beet. “But I do like to experiment with different plant-based foods. Sometimes I cook a veggie or lentil burger and season the patty with pink sea salt and garlic powder – two seasonings I can't live without. Or I throw whatever I have from the fridge on top of the burger such as lettuce, onions, and tomatoes, and pair my meal with a Happy Viking protein shake. I love to have the chocolate flavor at night because it tastes like dessert.”

4. Training On and Off the Court

Williams considers gym time to be as important as court time for her training. “It’s my job to be healthy, so it’s something that’s always in the forefront for me,” she told PEOPLE. “I’ve been doing this for quite a while, so it’s easy to be in a routine of what I need to eat and what I need to do to perform at my best level… If it’s two weeks out, it’s a different routine than the day or two days before. Two weeks out I’m training as hard as I can, and then the day before it’s all about just easing your way into the match. I usually do an equal amount of time on the court and time in the gym. Half the battle is in the gym.”

5. Good Advice

Williams advises anyone getting into fitness to start slow. “You have to build up to working out all day,” she told Glamour. “I think you start realistically. If you begin with 20 minutes, that's a start. When that starts to feel easier, you build up on it. The way to avoid injury is to warm up, cool down, and not to go from 0 to 100 right away on your first start. Being injured is not fun. It just leads to more setbacks. Don't expect yourself to be perfect; don't expect yourself to work out seven days a week for the rest of your life. Make realistic goals, just keep reevaluating, and be consistent.”

Serena Williams is enjoying a tropical getaway! The tennis pro recently jetted off to an island destination, indulging in walks on the beach and taking some much-needed “me” time. “I have been reflecting on my life, and came to the realization that I’m exactly where I am supposed to be,” she captioned a series of photos of herself, looking absolutely gorgeous and fit in a swimsuit and coverup. How does the 39-year-old multi-tasker put her health first? Read on to see 7 ways Serena Williams stays in shape and the photos that prove they work—and to get beach-ready yourself, don't miss these essential 30 Best-Ever Celebrity Bikini Photos!

1. Food Is Her Fuel

Serena’s body is her vehicle and food is her fuel. "My philosophy is eat to live. Don't live to eat,” she told Women's Health. "You need it to survive. And [that's] very hard to live by, cause I definitely love to snack, but this is what I want. These are my goals."

2. She Isn’t a Breakfast Person

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Serena rarely starts her morning off with a meal. "I often don't make breakfast because I just forget or I'm running around getting Olympia ready. And then I go work out,” she told Women’s Health. "When I roll out of bed, I'm just not hungry."

3. Her Diet Is Mostly Plant-Based

Serena tries to eat as vegan as possible. “I want to have a healthy lifestyle and, so you know, [I'm eating] a lot of greens and mostly plant-based lately, just super healthy stuff,”she told Women’s Health. "I had a bean burger the other day today…[Today] I had a gluten-free bean burrito.”

4. She Only Eats Pasta When She Is Training

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Serena saves complex carbs for when she needs them to fuel her body. "The only time I eat pasta is when I'm playing/training. Usually, you'll never see me eating pasta otherwise," she told Women’s Health. "I usually like to have lots of greens before my match and then fruit actually, and a little carbs and some sort of a protein.”

5. She Has a Cheat Food

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Serena has one go-to cheat meal. "I love Moon Pies. If 'Moon Pie' sponsored me, I'd be bigger than any house on this planet!" she joked.

6. She Is a “Moody” Eater

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Serena explains that her diet varies by her personality. "I can have a smoothie for six months. And then I'll be like, I never want to see a smoothie again for the next six months. And then I'll be like, okay, I'm back on the smoothie. My eating is very moody,” she told Women’s Health.

7. She Trains Like a Boss

When Serena trains, she goes hard, which is no surprise considering her record on the court. "When I was a kid I trained really, really, really hard," she said on Masterclass. "And I think that's so important for kids out there that want to grow up and be the best. Ask any professional player. You train really hard. You train for hours. I remember in the summer, we would train from, I think it was from like 9:00 to 11:00 and then 1:00 to 6:00. And then on Saturdays, we would train from 9:00 to 12:00. And then we would have Sundays off. So we trained a lot."