Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin is thrilled summer is over and fall is on the way. Liukin, 33, shared an Instagram reel of herself getting into the right mood for the spooky season, even taking a dip in a cold bath while wearing a pink bikini. “Happy September! Always been a Monday + first day of the month girlie! Anyone else? Always just feels like a fresh start! The best season is almost here!!! 🍂🤎☕️🧸,” she captioned the post. How does this athlete stay fit in her retirement? Here are 5 ways lives her best life.
Liukin starts the day with a brisk walk before enjoying a healthy breakfast. “I’ve been into overnight oats, eggs with avocado and everything but the bagel seasoning, or a smoothie,” she says. “This is when I’ve been having my coffee lately, too. It’s made such a difference to push it to a bit later in the morning… Around 9:00 AM, I’ll head into my office, but before I open my laptop or my phone, I’ll get out my journal and just write. Free flowing, whatever comes to the mind. Something I’m grateful for, any mantras that come to mind, any dreams that I’m working toward, or crazy ideas I dreamt up the night before. After that, it’s time to begin the day!”
Liukin’s mother Anna Liukin is also a gymnastics champion and helped train her daughter. “We eat lots of vegetables and fruits and drink a lot of water,” Anna said. “We love fresh juice, and we squeeze it ourselves at home. I always tell Nastia: ‘Your body is like a car. The fuel you put in is the performance you will get.’ When she was small, we used to Rollerblade at the park a few times a week as a family. We also try to set a good example by doing our own individual exercises. My husband, he loves fly fishing. I enjoy jogging and Pilates and yoga.”
Liukin likes mixing up her exercise routine to help prevent complacency and boredom. “Some days that’s just getting in 20 minutes of some kind of workout, maybe it’s in my hotel room or my apartment or going for a quick jog,” she says. “But for the most part I love changing it up. I also think that my body responds to that best. When you do the same thing over and over your body just gets used to it. I love boxing with my trainer. I love barre classes and hot yoga. I love Pilates. That really elongates you, but it’s also important to do some kind of cardio and now that the weather’s nice I love running along the West Side. It’s a beautiful view. I take spinning classes, too.”
Liukin knows the importance of taking time to recuperate from training and/or injuries. “I’m loving this new wave of recovery-focused training,” she says. “Being intuitive and listening to your body will get you far. There’s no doubt that a healthy dose of ‘pushing yourself’ is imperative to achieve a certain level of greatness, but not to the extent of injury.”
Liukin swears by an evening routine for optimum health and wellness. “My days are long, so a consistent evening routine is super helpful for winding down,” she says. “I like to do no phones in the evening—especially past 8:00 PM—to distance my brain from the energizing effects of blue light. I’ve also been cooking a lot, especially when I’m in Detroit, which I find cathartic for the evenings. I’ll sip on some sleepy tea (the main ingredient being valerian root) or make a Pink Moon Milk Latte with the Poosh x Vital Proteins collab (so delicious and calming).”