Julie Ertz enjoyed the Olympics – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the retired soccer star shows off her amazingly fit figure while sitting in the Olympic rings. “Olympic time is the best time! Go Team USA!!!” she captioned the Instagram post. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
Julie focuses on strengthening her abs. “I think core is really important cause it’s the center of your body,” she told Prevention. “Core machines are great but I do everything on the floor.” Some “basic” ab moves she does are bicycles, toe touches, and crunches. “If I’m doing a plank, I like to do step outs with my feet. I like to elevate even a little more.”
Lower body work is also essential for the athelte. “I’ve been into the single leg workouts so I can work on stabilizing because it adds in your core,” she said. “It’s great for my lower half.” She also trains smaller muscles. “It’s as simple as single leg squats and stabilizing on a ball to really get the small muscles moving and be put in the circumstances where you’re okay if you go into the weird tackle,” she said.
Julie and her NFL star husband Zach Ertz understand the importance of healthy eating. “Nutrition is one of the most important things in our careers,” she said. “We love to cook and we want to make sure we have the healthiest choices for us. We train all day, every day. I like to plan ahead of what I like to eat because it’s easy to make an unhealthy choice.”
For breakfast she has quinoa porridge and smoothies or oatmeal with almonds. “It’s easy to throw a lot of things on there so I can get a bunch of protein or fiber,” she said. She also likes salads with kale and mixed greens topped with fruits and extra veggies. “Whatever you have around the house you throw in,” she said. “I can change up the type of salad I’m making and use everything in the fridge.”
Julie practices “me-time” every single day. “It’s important to create a dedicated, comfortable space for myself to stay in tune with my self-awareness and keep my priorities top of mind,” she added. “I’ll often light a candle, read, or listen to music to give myself space to focus.