Former competitive skater Michelle Kwan isn’t quite ready to hang her skates up just yet—so she finds fun alternatives to relive her Olympic glory days. Kwan, 43, shared an Instagram video of herself wearing black leggings and a strappy tank top, skillfully rollerblading in her yard. “My version of running laps 🤷🏻♀️,” she captioned the post. Kwan is now a diplomat, mother, and ageless role model—here’s what her health and fitness routine looks like.
Kwan keeps busy as a diplomat serving as United States Ambassador to Belize, but never skips her workouts. “Work hard. Play hard,” she told Shondaland. “Play is important. I like to work out no matter what. I do yoga. I do Pilates. And getting enough sleep is also important. Since I arrived [in Belize], I actually go to bed earlier. It’s been a game changer. Kalista goes to bed at 9:30 [p.m.], which is late for a little one, but she’s sleeping throughout the night, so I go to bed soon after.
Kwan balances her work life and motherhood like a pro. “Being a new mom arriving at post was a little frightening at first,” she told Tufts Now. “How am I going to do this? All the questions you can imagine, they all surfaced. Luckily, as people say, it takes a village, and I’m thankful and very fortunate to have that village. One surprise is how fun it is—how enjoyable it is to be serving alongside career diplomats. I can’t stress enough how rewarding it is to be here.”
Kwan swears by good sleep and exercise for health and happiness. “In a perfect world, I would get 8 hours of sleep a night,” she told USA Today. “I make sure that I turn off my cell phones, computer, and TV before heading to bed, so I can concentrate on sleeping. I always make sure that I allot 1.5 hours of exercise five days a week. If I’m traveling I try to bring yoga DVDs with me and I definitely bring my sneakers so I can get in a quick run if there’s no gym at the hotel. Everything in moderation… Eat your veggies, avoid fats and sugar and use portion control.”
Kwan doesn’t let stress overtake her life. “Life can be overwhelming sometimes — feeling like there’s not enough time in the day to finish all that you need to do,” she told USA Today. “The approach that helps me the most to reduce the stress level is to take one thing at a time. This mind-set helps me concentrate on the task at hand rather than to be bogged down by the anxiety of not being able to do it all.”
Kwan knows many young people look up to her as a role model. “Over the years, I have met a lot of young kids that looked up to me wanting to be an Olympian,” she told Shondaland. “I love that sense of hope and dreams and that kind of aspiration because I find it so beautiful. We need good people in politics. We need more people in service. I always encourage young people, whatever their wishes or their aspirations might be, just to continue.”