Professional athletes spend their careers making sure their bodies are in peak physical condition. But what happens after they retire? Two-time Grand Slam winner Tracy Austin, 45, a mother of three boys and one of the faces of the cosmetic filler Juvéderm, shares her secrets to staying healthy. Hint: She has a 100-sit-ups-a-day habit.
What do you do to stay in shape?
Actually my favorite is to play tennis. I play tennis on Tuesday and Thursday. It’s like a cardio tennis class for an hour and a half. That’s really what keeps me probably the most fit. The other days I randomly mix in walking in the morning before the kids go to school for 40 or 45 minutes, or I have a trampoline downstairs in the gym.
What do you do on the trampoline?
I just mix it up. Sometimes it’s double jumps, sometimes it’s one leg and then the other leg, sometimes twisting. I’ve got the TV on, so I just do different things. It’s nothing set it stone, it’s just whatever I feel like. And you know what? For years it was all about keeping track, and how many of this and how many of that. So I’m much more lenient on myself and I just go for it.
How long do you usually jump?
What I like is that I don’t really know the answer to that. Probably half an hour. I was so regimented my whole life, so I’m not too hard on myself. But I’m pretty disciplined.
What else do you do?
My favorite thing to do in the summer is water aerobics. I’m in the pool with my kids, but I have the aqua belt around my stomach, so you’re working everything. I can work on my arms, my core, my legs. And you’re not looking at the time as much because you’re enjoying yourself. So that’s one of my favorite exercises. I’ll also do the treadmill at the club. If my kids are taking lessons and I’m going to be there for a while I’ll do that. I do band work downstairs in the gym.
What do you focus on strengthening with the bands?
More on my arms probably because I just feel like they need it the most. I tore a ligament in my wrist a couple of years ago so I definitely have to keep my forearm strong and then I don’t have a problem. So I do the band work for my wrists as well.
Are you into stretching?
I do yoga sometimes. My girlfriend across the street, for about three years we did yoga every week on Mondays. But we’re not as religious about that anymore. It was so healthy for my body, I found that I was so much more flexible, I was way looser for the next few days. I do stretch before I play every single time, so I probably stretch 3–4 times a week. I will not step on a tennis court without warming up first, doing my stretches, and taping my left wrist.
What else are you religious about when it comes to fitness?
I’m really religious about doing at least 100 sit-ups every day. It might be I’m at the club and I have 10 minutes until my kid’s lesson starts and I get on the floor and do my 100 sit-ups. Or if it’s at night and I haven’t done them, I’ll do 100 sit-ups in bed. There are definitely days that go by when I don’t do it, but I’m pretty good about getting it done.
Do you eat differently than when you were on tour?
I eat kind of the same as when I played. Probably we weren’t as into eating specifically then as they are now. But I think I ate healthy then and I eat healthy now. I mean, when I say eat healthy, if I want a small bag of potato chips, I’ll have a small bag of potato chips. To me it’s all about portions. If I’m really dying for it, yes, I’ll have a scoop of ice cream. It’s three scoops [that’s a problem]. I’m pretty disciplined. But I also believe in balance in life.
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