Cynthia Erivo takes her fitness seriously and staying fit is part of her self care routine. Cynthia did an interview with People Magazine to promote her partnership with Omorpho Gravity Sportswear, which is embedded with small weights to help build strength. Cynthia told People that she started working out when she was 15. She doesn’t exercise with a specific goal in mind except to maintain fitness and do her job well. Cynthia said consistency is key and for those who may be starting out, going slightly above your work out goal is an achievement. Below are a few more highlights:
“I like my body as it is and I workout to make sure that it’s taken care of both inside and out. Really, there are no particular goals,” the actress and singer, 34, tells PEOPLE. “It’s just to maintain what I have already and keep bettering it.”
“I find it meditative,” she says. “I think it allows me to sort of focus on myself, my breathing, my mind, my body.”
Erivo continues, “It also gives me the space to sort of go inward and think about things, work through things, process things, meditate a little bit. And so I think that for me, it is helpful in making sure that my mind is always clear and balanced.”
“I think that the fitter I am, the easier it is to do the things I need to do. When you’re a singer, you need your lungs, you need your diaphragm, and working out just makes sure that those things are strong and ready to be used,” Erivo shares, acknowledging the difficulties that can come with her busy career.
“I try to workout every morning and if I don’t get it in the morning, I try to do it at night,” she adds. “It’s something that I know that I need for myself so I just make the effort. It’s not always easy when you’re traveling lots, but you just figure it out.”
Though Erivo’s fitness journey has been years in the making and she has a good grasp on being consistent, she tells PEOPLE that it’s always been something she’s had to work for.
“You have to grow into it. As you keep doing something, you hit plateaus and you have to move forward and try something new to sort of make the body work harder,” Erivo explains.
She also urges those who are in the early stages of their journey to focus on not being too hard on themselves, noting that the “little achievements are something to be celebrated.”
“If you manage to get through five minutes of a workout or 10 minutes of workout when you haven’t been able to get through one minute of a workout before, that’s an achievement,” she explains. “Celebrate the small achievements, the small goals so that you can move on to the big ones. Find things to be good to yourself about.”
I’m restarting my fitness journey and find very fit people like Cynthia motivating. Consistency has always been my Achilles heel but I have proof that I am able to do it. I just recently started going to the gym two days a week which is an accomplishment for me. I do 30 minutes on the bike or elliptical. With my disabilities I am limited but I am determined to get this covid 35 plus an extra 15 pounds off. I also just want to be healthy and see what my body is capable of. (I also want to feel good in my clothes and look bodacious, because I am vain that way.) I feel good when I go five minutes beyond what I said I would do. I celebrate the small achievements because it motivates me. I agree with Cynthia, being able to push past your initial goal, even it is ten minutes, is definitely an achievement.
Cynthia is right, exercise gives you energy when you are on the go constantly. I also feel the time I spend on the elliptical is meditative. I have two playlists on Spotify to help me push through. One is a chill playlist and the other is a mix of hip hop, afro beats and Soca. They both keep me motivated throughout my workout. I will take this sage advice from Cynthia about consistency.
Photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcGxhZ4Nxe8Kypa2gmZaspr7Ir6aYoZaUxrDBvqilpbGPrLyzt76orK2XYWWsrrXNrqueq4%2BptaLA0piYp5eRmLWqsdWepJ6mpGQ%3D