This year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup was out of this world. Being in the stadium, taking in the cheers of 53,314 attendees, and literally crying when my girl Carli Lloyd hit her hat trick were all moments to remember. However, there was more to it, like being a Nike Women’s MVP Influencer and doing three workouts over the course of two days. What that means is I’m a health and fitness enthusiast—clearly—and as an Influencer, you’re always pushing yourself to go the extra mile.
Led by the amazing master trainers Eva Redpath and Em Hutchins, all of us seven Influencers, along with other women attending the game, did a soccer-inspired workout. Now, since I’ve always wanted to play football as a child—I was stuck playing tennis for about ten years—I was super stoked. To honor the amazing women of the USWNT, here are four of my favorite players along with some exercises to get you looking and feeling your best!
ABS:
Lay down on your back on the floor/mat. Either bring your hands behind your head, keep them alongside your body, or cross them in front of your chest. On an inhale, pike your legs up at the same time to a 90 degree angle. On the exhale, lower them back down.
Do three sets of ten.
Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your hands placed behind you, fingers pointing forward. On the inhale, use your arms to push your weight back and straighten your legs two inches off the ground. On the exhale, bring everything back to starting position.
Do three sets of ten.
For this, you’ll need a partner. While laying down on the floor, grab hold of your partners’ ankles (they should be standing with their feet next to either side of your head). While you inhale, raise your legs ups. Exhale and have your partner throw your legs back down to the ground.
Do three sets of ten.
LEGS:
Go to your nearest basketball or tennis court and sprint from line to line. Sprint to the lines, then jog back to your starting position.
Do one set.
Start in a split stance with the right leg in front. Inhale and jump up. As you exhale, land with the left leg in front.
Do three sets of ten.
For 30 seconds straight, run in place as fast as you can. Recover for ten seconds. Then repeat.
Do three sets.
