Professional soccer player Christen Press missed out on the 2023 World Cup due to an ACL injury—but fans will be glad to know the athlete is clearly on the mend. Press, 35, shared a video of herself wearing shorts and a jacket, doing exercises out on the pitch. “Look out world she’s on the move!” she captioned the post. “I will cry when you get back on the pitch bc I know how hard you worked to get there. Can’t wait, We are rooting for you ❤️,” commented a fan. Here’s what Press’ diet, exercise, and wellness routine looks like.
Press uses her yoga practice to support her soccer skills. “The most important poses in my practice for training purposes are hip openers, shoulder openers, and hamstring lengtheners,” she told Yoga Journal. “These poses help me release some of the tension in my back. I enjoy balancing sequences with Tree Pose, Warrior III, and Half Moon Pose. And Rabbit Pose is a new addition that really helps release my neck.”
Press does Vedic meditation twice a day. “Practicing yoga makes me a happier soccer player,” she told Yoga Journal. “Sometimes, thoughts freeze you. When I’m able to play thought-free, I am more dynamic and natural. This thoughtlessness is something that yoga and meditation instilled in me. There is also a core group of the national team that regularly practices yoga together during camp.”
Press focuses on protein for a healthy, balanced diet. “The most essential nutritional need is just finding the right balance,” she told Healthy Living. “I, personally, have a hard time getting enough protein, so I focus on that. I take quite a few supplements, especially during high intensity periods of my life. And I try to find as many nutrients in whole foods and in my daily diet as possible.”
Press says fitness should be fun—so find an activity you actually enjoy doing. “Find something active that you love,” she told Healthy Living. “It doesn’t have to be a struggle. Join a team! Kickbox! Being active feels awesome. The more you do it, the more you’ll love it. Respect and give love to your body. It carries you around all day; it deserves to be cherished. Who better to do that than you? In my life, there is a balance between being so disciplined (with diet, free time) that you become deprived. I like to recognize how feeding my soul with healthy but fun things actually helps me be my best!”
Press is passionate about making soccer accessible to more women of color. “I feel really, really lucky for the trajectory that I’ve been on in all of the amazing skills and tools that soccer has given me,” she told Popsugar. “When I think about my identity and my personality, soccer has cultivated so many of the skills and assets that I am so grateful to have now as a business leader, as a professional player, as someone who’s fought for equality on behalf of a lot of different marginalized groups. So much of that strength has come from what I’ve learned on the field, and I think that that’s what makes it so important to continue to ensure that there is inclusivity, so that more people can have that type of experience.”