Nastia Liukin may no longer be doing somersaults or cartwheels on the mat but the retired gymnast is as active as ever. Although she ended her athletic career 10 years ago, the Olympic gold medalist knows the importance of staying healthy and still follows a strict exercise routine every day.
“You don’t have to be training for the Olympics, just do something active! Make it fun!” she told Hollywood Life. “It doesn’t matter where you are, just get your body moving.”
Liukin’s active lifestyle has amazing effects on her physique, too. So what exactly does she do to achieve that lithe figure?
“I try to work out almost every day,” she said. “I love pilates, I love hot yoga, SoulCycle, just going for a run. If I can’t get out to do a class, in my house, I do squats, pushups, a little circuit.”
And she’s not choosy about where she works out, either, saying, “There’s really no excuse. There is no, ‘I don’t have access to a gym’ — go for a run or a walk outside, do squats in your living room. It’s really important to stay young, to stay healthy.”
Hint: It's Not An Overall!
The Olympian-turned-influencer revealed to Today her favorite time to exercise. “I’m a little pressed for time in the mornings, but always feel much better when I get in a morning workout, so I try to do something quick but effective that targets all areas,” she said.
Her typical morning routine includes a 20-minute or two- to three-mile run on the treadmill, core exercises like Russian twists and pike-ups on an exercise ball, leg-strengthening lunges, and around-the-world pushups to tone her arms.
Liukin’s whole-body routine explains why she looks so fit from head to toe, but she believes exercising alone is not enough. She also keeps a healthy diet, which she detailed to Today.
“I wake up at 5 a.m.,” she said. “I start the day with hot water and lemon. Then I make an almond milk latte with my espresso machine.”
She then checks her email while sipping coffee, after which she makes breakfast.
Breakfast is “either a shake or eggs with gluten-free bread, topped with sliced avocado,” Liukin shared. “I’m typically not a huge breakfast person, especially so early in the morning, but it is important to put something nutritious into your body before a workout. A smoothie is quick, easy and tastes great.”
However, she doesn’t deprive herself of a sweet treat once in a while, saying, “Life is short and you don’t want to be miserable. Indulge, but maybe not every single day!”
