Ibtihaj Muhammad is a very successful Olympic fencer. She is the first athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab. Muhammad met up with fellow Olympian, Michelle Kwan, for a hike in Belize a few weeks ago. She shared some highlights from the trip on Instagram, captioning it, “From sports icon to U.S. Ambassador to Belize, @MichellewKwan will always be that girl đđ§đż Thanks Michelle for hosting me in Belize. From Placencia to Xunantunich to Belmopan, I loved every second of it. Can’t wait for our next adventure â„ïž ily.”
As you can see from her Instagram post, Muhammad likes to hike to stay in shape. Harvard Health reports that hiking is very beneficial. “Like brisk walking, hiking is a good way to improve your cardiovascular fitness, particularly if your route includes some hills, which will force your heart to work harder. Taking a hike on the slightly uneven surface of a trail also provides a natural way to engage the core muscles in your torso and to hone your balance skills.”
Muhammad struggles with anxiety, and shares how she helps manage it with Glamour. She says that she practices meditation. “Every morning I’d spend 15 minutes in prayer and meditation, which helped me start my day from a calm, centered place,” she said. “On competition days I’d take another 15 minutes to focus on my breathing and my thoughts. I would repeat to myself over and over, ‘I’m ready. I’m prepared. I’m strong. I’m capable. I’m a champion.'”
Muhammad tells Glamour that self-care is extremely important to her. “Self-care is important. It is not a sign of weakness to seek help when you need it. In fact, it’s brave. I turned damaging thoughts into thoughts of success and positive mantras. It’s truly amazing what the mind can do when directed in the right way. I hope readers are reminded that we all face obstacles and challengesâand that anything is possible with hard work and a dream.”
Muhammad tells Glamour that she makes sure to have confidence in herself. “It’s important to believe in your abilities, the work you’ve put in, and to have fun in a competitive atmosphere. And please, please don’t be afraid to ask for help from a trusted friend or family member if you lack the resources I was afforded on the national team. We can all learn to be our own best cheerleader, sending ourselves only positive and encouraging words along the way. You are capable. You are strong. You got this!”
Another sport that Muhammad enjoys is tennis. She shared this photo of herself and a friend on the court on Instagram. The Columbia Association states that tennis has a lot of benefits. “Tennis is an excellent full-body workout that releases feel-good endorphins to help you relax and relieve tension. Its low-impact nature also means your joints and bones will thank you. Because tennis includes short bursts of activity, it offers the same conditioning benefits of interval training, which has an unparalleled positive effect on the heart and lungs, slashing your risk of heart disease by 56% (!). Just an hour of play burns between 400 to 600 calories.”