These women soccer professionals share their go-to workout moves to keep you fit until we flatten the curve.
Aubrey Bledsoe
When National Women’s Soccer League goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe leaps to block a goal, she seems to defy gravity as her arms and body extend into a balletic pause to swat away or catch laser-guided soccer balls. Which explains why the star for the Washington Spirit and Sydney (Australia) FC earned NWSL goalkeeper of the year honors in 2019.
But Bledsoe and her Washington Spirit teammates don’t arrive at Audi Field with this prowess intact—they all report working relentlessly for those hard bodies. With gyms shuttered during the pandemic, five women from the Spirit gave us their favorite and most beneficial workout moves. A little strength, a little cardio—combine these tips into a well-rounded at-home fitness regime.
Aubrey Bledsoe (Goalkeeper)
“I incorporate a lot of single-leg hops and lateral bounds into my workouts. I love doing ladder drills because they help increase my lateral speed and explosiveness.”
Dorian Bailey (Midfielder)
“I like doing push ups because they engage many different muscle groups like your arms, core, and back. Plus, you can do different variations to target specific muscle groups or challenge yourself more.”
Paige Nielsen (Defense/Forward)
“I love burpees. We have a love-hate relationship. They’re a full-body exercise that gets your heart rate up. They work your arms, legs and core. They are super challenging if you do a lot of them.”
Sam Staab (Defense)
“My secret weapon is a resistance band. It adds to any exercise. I also love planks because they’re a full-body exercise with so many variations.”
Ashley Hatch (Forward)
“I love being able to work on my strength, speed and explosion with my plyometric exercises. One of my favorite plyo exercises is a single-leg hurdle hop. You simply draw or find a line on the ground to jump over with one foot, and work on sticking the landing. As you get better, you can challenge yourself to jump a little higher.”
Photography by: ISI Photos
