Here’s How Nastia Liukin Maintains Her Enviable Physique

According to The Cut, the 32-year-old influencer has always followed a strict exercise routine to stay in shape.

And for this purpose, she prefers working out first thing in the morning. In fact, she followed the same strict workout routine for 22 years.

“I wake up around 5 or 5:30 and work out. For me, it’s really important to get a workout in as soon as I wake up because if I don’t do it then I feel like I’m not going to have a chance to do it. I try to get four to five days a week,” she told the publication.

After following a tough exercise schedule for more than two decades, Liukin — who graduated from New York University with a degree in sports management — now prefers to perform different exercises.

Speaking to The Cut, she said that some days, she only works out for 20 minutes or prefers going for a walk or jog, but she loves to change things up.

“For the most part, I love changing it up. I also think that my body responds to that best. When you do the same thing over and over your body just gets used to it,” she said.

After retiring from gymnastics, Liukin gained up to 20 pounds because she stopped following her strict workout routine. However, with time, she found her rhythm again.

Speaking to The Cut, she revealed that since her father was her coach throughout her career, she became used to following a plan. So, when she joined a gym after retirement, she had no idea what to do with the equipment there.

In the absence of her coach, she started learning things on her own and gradually got back on track.

“It was really up to me to kind of figure it out,” she said.

Regarding her eating habits, Liukin follows what her mom told her when she was a kid: “Treat your body like an expensive car. What kind of fuel are you putting into that expensive car?”

While the Russian-born American admitted to eating junk food once in a while when she was a kid, her focus always remained on healthy eating options.

“[I try to ] eat more protein and vegetables, but obviously making sure it’s a well-balanced diet of having some carbs in there, too — brown rice, sweet potatoes, those kinds of things,” she told The Cut.

Speaking about food cravings, she said that if one is craving a cookie, for instance, they should have a cookie without feeling guilty.

“It’s all about having that balance and not getting too crazy about it because that’s definitely not good for anybody.”