WWE star Carmella (real name Leah Van Dale) made an effort to be active just three weeks after giving birth to her son in November 2023, and shared her sensible routine on social media. Carmella posted a video of herself wearing white sweatpants and a sports bra, doing gentle stretching exercises at home. “I ‘m working on giving my body the opportunity to slow down and recover from both pregnancy and labor/delivery and finding windows to stretch and move. I’m enjoying being able to reconnect with my body while respecting the fact that it’s going to take time to heal properly,” she captioned the post. Here’s what the wrestler’s health and wellness routine looks like.
Carmella’s workout routine depends on her wrestling schedule and travel plans. “When I’m on the road, I do 30 minutes of empty stomach cardio on the bike or treadmill in the morning,” she told Parade. “I try to weight train 4-5 days a week. When I’m home, I train with my personal trainer and really try to ramp up my workouts because it’s hard to get them in on the road and really push myself when I’m alone and tired.”
Carmella welcomed her son in November 2023, and is taking her time getting back to wrestling. “You hear about morning sickness, you hear you get tired and things like that, but I had no idea how debilitating it would be until it was happening to me,” she told PEOPLE. “I for sure plan to come back. I think it’s important to show you can have a baby and still have a career, especially a very physical one at that, but I’m not going to rush.”
Carmella doesn’t follow restrictive diets but is sensible about nutrition. “I don’t follow a specific diet. I try to eat clean 70% of the time; fruits, veggies, nuts etc,” she told Parade. “The other 30% of the time I eat what I want. It’s important not to deprive yourself because then you overindulge when you give in. At least that’s how it works for me. So now I’m finally at a point in my life where if I want to eat something, I will. When I’m in a pinch, I rely on egg white bites from Starbucks. One of my favorite go-to snacks is fresh fruit. When I have time, I love to cook! My mom has the best lasagna recipe, so I love cooking anything Italian. I also make some mean buffalo cauliflower wings.”
Carmella struggled with self-image in the past and refuses to be so self-critical again. “I look back and I kind of laugh at it because at the point I’m at now I do it for all the right reasons and not because I want people to perceive me a certain way,” she told Yahoo! Life. “At this point in my life, I never weigh myself anymore. I do not care about that. I’ve finally gotten to a point where I don’t want to restrict my diet. I don’t want to tell myself I can’t have something. And I feel like now this is the best I’ve ever looked and the best I’ve ever felt because I just am doing what’s right for me and eating intuitively.”
Carmella enjoys red wine in moderation. “I grew up in a big Italian family with everyone getting together weekly for Sunday dinner,” she told Parade. “Everyone drank red wine with dinner, even as children. I love the Italian culture and it always reminds me of my childhood. I love to unwind after a big show or match with a glass of red wine; it just makes me so happy. My grandmother who is a retired nurse drinks red wine every day and she’s 84 years young and looks incredible. All good things are ok in moderation!”