Aly Raisman is a 6X Olympic Medalist and 2012, 2016 USA Women’s Gymnastics Team Captain. She defied expectations by winning three medals in Rio when she was considered the “Grandma” at 22 years of age. Now she’s already a favorite for the women’s team in Tokyo 2020. Aly trains for more than 35 hours a week prepping for Olympic games, and below is a sample day:
Aly’s Daily Routine:
- 7AM – Wake Up, Skincare & Breakfast
- 740AM – Drive to Brestyan’s American Gymnastics
- 830AM – Gymnastics Practice
- 1130AM – Lunch
- 1230PM – Relax, Bath & Nap
- 3PM – Healthy Snack
- 5PM – Gymnastics Practice
- 940PM – Post-workout Dinner
- 10PM – Ice, Cool Down
- 1015PM – Shower, Brush Teeth, Skincare & Sleep
Clean Eats
Aly’s daily diet is high in fruits, vegetables and lean protein.
For breakfast she takes hot water with lemon or coffee, and two pieces of whole wheat toast or cereal with skim milk.
For lunch it’s dinner leftovers from the night before… and dinner usually consists of chicken or fish with brown rice, fruits and veggies. Sometimes pasta or sushi.
Her late afternoon pre-workout snack consists of fruit (favorites are banana and watermelon), Greek yogurt and dried cereal.
I always make sure that I drink a lot of water. I love having hot water with lemon. That’s really good for your metabolism…
I eat really, really healthy… Everything that I put into my body is for the purpose of gymnastics.
Rest & Relaxation
A big part of Aly’s day is dedicated to rest and recovery. Skin treatments first thing in the morning and last thing before bedtime is a form of self-care that Aly loves, ”It’s therapeutic for me; I am obsessed with skin products.”
In the early afternoon, she’ll recover from her AM workout with a bath, use a NormaTec machine – “a system meant to reduce soreness and increase circulation,” according to Boston Magazine, and roll out her muscles on a foam roller. She’ll then head into a nap for anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour and a half.
At 10PM before heading to bed, she’ll take another ice bath and cool down from her second practice…
I don’t finish workouts most nights until 9 p.m., so I try to get home as quickly as I can. By the time I shower and everything, probably around 10:30-11, which is when I kind of wind down, because after a four-hour workout it takes me a bit to get myself to fall asleep sometimes…
With more than 30 hours a week of training, my body gets tired by the time Sunday rolls around, and while I try to sleep in, it’s hard because I’m so used to waking up at 7 a.m. I think resting, relaxation, and clearing your mind is one of the healthiest things you can do.