Olympic track star Allyson Felix. Image: Harrison Boyce.
The decorated Olympian walks us through her at-home core routine.
Allyson Felix is known to most as the most decorated female track athlete in history. Although the USC graduate officially retired from the sport in 2022, she’s now dominating in her other roles—businesswoman, wife and mom. As the mother to an adorable daughter named Camryn, the Olympic sprinter now spends her time showing and teaching her little one that women can absolutely do anything they put their mind to.
But, as a busy mom, how does she stay fit while also keeping her family healthy and germ free—especially during cold and flu season? According to Felix, it’s all about preparing ahead.
“There’s so much going around and at times it can feel overwhelming. Rather than wait for someone to get sick, I disinfect ahead of time,” Felix says. “I love using my Clorox wipes and disinfecting mist. We spray down all of my daughter’s things as soon as she comes home from school. We have what we call a drop zone, where we drop her things near the door to be cleaned. I’m also just making sure I’m teaching her good hygiene practices like washing her hands. We have fun with it by singing the ABCs song while we wash our hands.”
When it comes to balancing motherhood and also staying fit, surprisingly, the 11-time Olympic medalist says that it’s gotten harder now that she’s moved away from track to focus on her business ventures.
“I’m used to my job being working out and having that time in the day. Now, it’s about finding time. I have to really make the commitment, even if it’s at home. Also, exercising with my daughter and making it a family process. Whether we go for a hike or even going out for a run. We just make it fun.”
One of Felix’s favorite—and recommended—workouts as a busy mom is a core circuit, which she does in the comfort of her home. Below, she walks us though her routine for all to try at home.
Allyson Felix’s At-Home Core Circuit
“Core is a great thing to do at home because it can be very effective in a short amount of time,” Felix says.
Toe Touches: Lay flat on the floor on your back. Lift legs to a 90-degree angle. Perform a crunch, aiming hands to touch toes. Perform 15–20 reps.
Planks: Lay flat on stomach. Place hands flat on the floor between your shoulders and chest. Push up into a push-up position and hold the position at the top for 30-seconds or until failure.
Bicycle crunches: Lay flat on your back. Bend knees to a 90-degree angle. Crunch opposite knee to opposite elbow in a bicycle-like motion. Perform 15–20 reps.
Complete the circuit 4–5 times, or as many times as you can.