Stanford Volleyball Star Elena Oglivie Shares Swimsuit Picture From Turkey

Stanford University volleyball player Elena Oglivie took full advantage of her summer free from sports and studies by traveling to beautiful Turkey. Oglivie shared highlights of her trip, including a gorgeous picture of her posing on a boat in a lilac bikini, against a background of ocean and skies. She also included a video of herself jumping off the boat into the ocean with a group of friends. “When in Turkey 🦃,” she captioned the post. “I was waiting for this one,” a friend commented. Here is Oglivie’s approach to work, life, and relaxation.

1. Started Playing At 6 Years Old

Oglivie has been playing volleyball since she was a child. “I love this game,” she says. “I started playing volleyball when I was 6 and had a lot of opportunities to play different positions, but it wasn’t until I started playing with Ku’ikahi (Volleyball Club) that I switched over to outside hitter. That foundation has enabled me to be a better all around player. My coaches have always emphasized preparation, effort, a good attitude, and hard work can never be substituted.”

2. Strength Training and Team Bonding

Oglivie knows how important strength and muscle is for athletes. “I have strength and agility training on weekdays for my conditioning,” she says. “I will admit I do find myself daily either playing, watching or thinking about volleyball. I balance it out by spending time with friends and family. I grew up playing multiple sports to include soccer, basketball, track and volleyball. I encourage others to try different things. I found that I love volleyball and it’s an important part of my life. One of the best parts I enjoy about volleyball is bonding with my team and the trust we build from it. It has helped tremendously on the court.”

3. Rest Days

Oglivie’s pre-match rituals are usually listening to music and dancing to hype herself up. On her days off, she likes spending time with her friends watching movies. “Some people believe that taking a day off from exercise or any strenuous physical activity is akin to being lazy, but that simply isn’t true,” says Pete McCall, MS, CSCS. “While it is important to be physically active most days of the week, it is equally as important to give yourself and your body a break by making sure to schedule at least one day of complete rest from demanding physical activity every seven to 10 days.”

4. Favorite Snack

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Oglivie enjoys salami for a quick snack. "My favorite snack at home is salami and balsamic vinegar from Trader Joe’s," she says. "It comes in a bottle and you pour it on the salami. I had it maybe two days ago. When we run out, I have to wait until we go back to the mainland. My go-to food places are Kozo Sushi (for) spicy ahi donburi, and Chili’s explosion salad."

5. School Pride

Oglivie thrived at Stanford. “I was most surprised about the amount of support there is for all athletes,” she says. “Whether it's on the court, in the weight room, laundry room, or our academics advisors. The prestigious academics and competitive athletics really attracted me to Stanford. I wanted to be a part of a school and program with family values and diversity.”

UCLA volleyball star Audrey Pak had a beautiful summer in Honolulu, Hawaii, getting plenty of rest before the season kicked off. Pak shared pictures from the vacation, including one of her wearing a brown bikini, taking a selfie in the ocean with friends and family. “So much to be grateful for,” she captioned the Instagram post. “Okay Audreyyy🙌🔥😍,” commented teammate Katerina Lutz. Here’s what Pak’s approach to health and fitness looks like, according to her social media.

1. Korean Rice Bowls

Pak loves Korean rice bowls from her favorite Westwood restaurant Gogobop, near the UCLA campus. “White rice typically has lower amounts of arsenic than brown rice,” says Devon Wagner, MS, RD. “That’s because the bran, or the outer layers of brown rice, and the germ are removed to make white rice, which decreases the amount of arsenic. Still, switching to white rice is probably not a good idea because white rice has very little nutritional value despite being lower in arsenic.”

2. Red Wine

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Pak fully embraced the food and culture during a trip to Croatia, sharing large carafes of red wine with friends. “If you enjoy red wine, be sure to limit yourself to moderate amounts,” say the experts at Harvard Health. “Measure out 5 ounces (which equals one serving) in the glass you typically use. Five ounces appears smaller in a large goblet than in a standard wine glass.”

3. Swimming, Of Course

Pak is a confident swimmer, both in the pool and in the ocean. “Swimmers have about half the risk of death compared with inactive people,” says the CDC. “People report enjoying water-based exercise more than exercising on land. They can also exercise longer in water than on land without increased effort or joint or muscle pain.”

4. Volunteer Work

Pak has spent at least three trips volunteering in Mexico. Spring break’s looking a little different this year, but here’s to the past 3 spent in such a special place. God, thank you for all you’ve let me experience through my times in Mexico and the people you’ve placed beside me. Praying we choose joy & trust in You even in these crazy times,” she captioned an Instagram post.

5. She’s On the Move

Pak loves to travel, which research shows offers many benefits beyond just being fun. “Traveling for pleasure can contribute to subjective well-being because people have more opportunities to detach from their work environment, to experience new things, and to control what they want to do during vacations,” says Paul Simeone, PhD, Vice President and Medical Director of Behavioral Health with Lee Health. “There’s ample research to support that positive travel experiences can make a person healthier, can strengthen their relationships, and benefits their overall wellness.”

California Golden Bears basketball star Mia Mastrov is using her well-earned down time to get some rest and relaxation in Tulum, Mexico. Mastrov shared a picture of herself posing in a dark blue bikini in front of a pool, against a background of lush ferns. “Swipe for a kiss 💋,” she playfully captioned the post. Mastrov is a student, an athlete, and a social media influencer. Here’s how she makes it work.

1. Social Media Influencers

Mastrov became a social media influencer seemingly by accident. “I honestly was just doing it for fun,” she says. “I remember in high school just putting some things on there, there wasn’t any pattern as to what would go viral per se. My teammates who aren’t necessarily wanting to build up their socials and start out I always tell them, I’m always on their heads like ‘why aren’t you posting more, why aren’t you posting more,’ like why not?”

2. Pickleball Player

Mastrov enjoys playing pickleball for a fun workout. “Since pickleball is a low-impact sport and easy on the body, it’s a great way to get movement in and maintain healthy bones, joints and muscles,” says Kaitlyn Jacobson, Physician Assistant at Renown Urgent Care – Ryland. “By playing pickleball, you’ll reduce the rate of bone loss and help conserve bone tissue.”

3. Careful Partnerships

Mastrov is thoughtful about the brands she teams up with. “I try to stay true to myself in that sense, and pair and partner with brands that I think reflect my beliefs as a student-athlete, as a woman, as an entrepreneur,” she says. “It’s tough to figure out which brands I want to work with because it could be in other people’s eyes, a great brand or great company, but because it doesn’t match me and my brand, it’s something that I might have to pass up.”

4. Outdoor Running

Mastrov loves running outdoors on hiking trails. "I tell patients that I'd much rather you wear out your knees than wear out your heart and lungs, because your knees are much easier to replace than your vital organs," says Dr. Carlos Uquillas, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in injury prevention at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute. "If you really love running and you can't imagine not doing it, then it's obvious the benefit outweighs the risk.”

5. Getting the Right Balance

Mastrov works hard to balance her work and student life. “There’s times when I’m up super late just finishing a homework assignment or forgetting that I had content due that my agency’s reminding me about,” she says. “So I’m still figuring it out, and I think every student-athlete is going through it just trying to figure it out together, so we’re kind of all in the same boat just navigating it since it’s still so recent and new.”

Track and Field Star Clara Fernández, master of the pole vault, shared some amazing swimsuit images over the past few days. “Mi isla favorita con @calallongahotel tenéis un código de descuento con mi código CLARACLL23 🫶🏻,” she captioned one video montage. She also shared a gorgeous photo of herself on a scenic rock from Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain. The athlete, who is also a skilled triathlon participant who cycles swims, and runs long distances, knows exactly how to stay fit. Here's what she does to maintain her figure and how she shows it off.

1. She Pole Vaults

“Even if you’re unlikely to start flinging your body to amazing heights anytime soon, there’s plenty to learn from watching Olympic pole-vaulters,” says Adventist Health, which interviewed Dr. Gail Jones, a cardiologist at Northwest Regional Heart & Vascular and former pole vaulter. “Dr. Jones suggests watching the incredible core and upper body strength of vaulters, as well as their unique running style and power,” says the website. “This is very different from distance runners or sprinters, but no less athletic,” she told Adventist Health.

2. She Had Paddled

“Kayaking’s fluid paddling motion also provides a low-impact form of aerobic exercise improving strength and flexibility without the wear-and-tear on your joints like many other exercises. While you’ll quickly notice the workout on your upper body, proper paddling technique will tone and strengthen your back and chest as well. Like any aerobic exercise, kayaking can improve lung strength, while lowering blood pressure and a regulating of cholesterol, and Men’s Journal has even heralded kayaking one of the best workouts for a healthy heart,” says Visit NH.

3. She Stretches

“Research has shown that stretching can help improve flexibility, and, as a result, the range of motion of your joints,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Better flexibility may:

• Improve your performance in physical activities
• Decrease your risk of injuries
• Help your joints move through their full range of motion
• Increase muscle blood flow
• Enable your muscles to work most effectively
• Improve your ability to do daily activities

You may learn to enjoy the ritual of stretching before or after hitting the trail, ballet floor or soccer field.”

4. She Gets Vitamin D

“Vitamin D plays a big role in bone health and low Vitamin D levels have been linked to rickets in children and bone diseases like osteoporosis. So how much sun do you need to get enough Vitamin D? It only takes 5-15 minutes of sunlight exposure on your arms, hands and face to get your daily value,” says SCL Health. “The darker your complexion, the more time in the sun. Forget choking down a chalky vitamin every morning, just get outside for a bit and let the sun do its thing.”

5. She Swims

“The enjoyment in activity is extremely important in terms of continuing to engage in those activities,” says Hirofumi Tanaka, a professor in the University of Texas’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, told US Masters Swimming. “Tanaka points to a study of minimally to moderately obese young women done by Grant Gwinup and published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine in 1987. Participants reported that they enjoyed swimming much more than running and cycling,” says US Masters Swimming. “Swimming is also the third-most popular exercise, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, meaning you’ll have someone to work out with.”

Manuela Alvarez Hernandez is one of the hot new models right now. In 2019, she was one of Sports Illustrated’s SI Swim Search winners. And her recent Instagram post proves why she got the job. Hernandez shared a set of photos from the beach. She wore a bunch of different swimsuits, including one in yellow, one in orange, and one in black. Hernandez captioned the post, “Leaving these here just before summer ends.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Manuela Alvarez Hernandez stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Wants To Inspire Others

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Hernandez wants to be an inspiration for other Latina models. She talked about this in an interview with HOLA USA, after winning the SI Swim Search. “It’s an honor,” she said. “And for me, it’s huge because coming from Medellin and moving to the U.S., I didn’t really think that my life was going to take this direction. The fact that I’m following my dreams, and I get to be myself and represent Latinas is truly an honor.”

2. She Changed Her Diet and Exercise

Hernandez talked about how she prepped for the SI shoot to HOLA USA. “I knew that the day of the shoot I wanted to feel my best and feel confident,” she said. “A few weeks before, I did work out a lot. I would go to the gym once or twice a day every single day. I tried to cut out dairy, meat and tried to have mainly a plant-based diet. It was really hard for me just because I love food. I love pizza; I love carbs. It really did take a lot for me to restrain myself from eating meat and all the fried foods and all the good stuff. That’s probably the best shape I’ve been in in my life.”

3. She Prioritized Education

At the 2019 SI Swimsuit On Location event in Miami, Hernandez revealed to a reporter that she put school ahead of her modeling dreams. “It honestly feels like a crazy dream,” Hernandez said. “It’s insane to see that it’s becoming a reality and I’m living it. Honestly, I’m really glad that I went to school and got my degree and that now I have the chance to do modeling all the time. Now I’m in LA, so it’s honestly just been amazing.”

4. She Swims

As you can see from her recent Instagram post, Hernandez likes to go to the beach. One thing she likes to do there is swim. She shared this video on Instagram of herself running into the water. Hernandez captioned the post, “I love this feeling.” Better Health states that, “Swimming is a great recreational activity for people of all ages. Recreational swimming can provide you with a low-impact workout and it's a good way to relax and feel good.”

5. She Skis

Swimming isn’t the only outdoor workout Hernandez likes to do. She also enjoys going skiing. Hernandez shared this set of photos and videos of herself on the slopes of Big Bear Mountain. She captioned the post, “A fun day on the mountain.” SkiCanada.org states, “It’s well documented that skiing and snowboarding benefits cardiovascular health, overall fitness, strength, coordination, balance and more. Regardless of your health and fitness goals, strapping on a pair of skis or a snowboard is sure to fulfill some of them. Due to the versatility of skiing and snowboarding, it can encompass the benefits of a cardio workout, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session, and strength training session, all in one fun activity.”