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
You go, Oya. Sounds like you are off to a strong start. Keep it up! This piece is a good motivator, I was not feeling like getting off the couch to go running today in the cold and wind but I am adjusting that attitude and getting ready to go. It will make the long stressful workday I have ahead of me a little better, I know.
I totally agree that exercise can be meditative and centering, it is definitely one of my front line treatments for my mental health. I also feel like I can handle so much more when I have had a good workout in the morning. Consistency is definitely key and every bit adds up.
Good luck, Oya. I work out 3 times a week. I’ve stopped trying to lose the covid weight, though. I bought 5 pairs of jeans the next size up. I am tired of dieting. I’m 57, and I’ve been watching my weight since I was about 15. It’s exhausting.
Omg yes! I’m 45 and I feel like I’ve lost and gained the same 15 to 20 pounds so many times. I envy people who are slim without dieting or exercising. I’m tired and debating if I want to lose it again. My mom is 70 and from that era where being thin is everything. But I’m not quite that way. So much mental energy and work goes into becoming/remaining skinny. I’m tired of it already
I’ve always loved this Erma Bombeck quote:
“I’ve been on a constant diet for the last three decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.”
Welcome to my world. LOL
I love what she said. Every little bit of movement makes a difference. Even if I’m feeling really sick or tired, I at least try to take a 30 minute walk around my neighborhood. The whole weighted clothing thing is kind of scammy, though. I was interested so I went to the website, and just for example, $175 for an Omorpho tank top! And it adds only 1 pound of weight to a workout.
I wear Bala bands on my ankles.
That’s it, just walk, that’s all anybody needs to do & if you’re physically capable, it’s the easiest, most economical thing to do. No need to buy specific clothing–although good shoes are a key–or commute to a specific place, just step outside your front door & go. OK, now that I’ve moved to a new place that doesn’t quite have the walkability of my old place, I realize that can be a challenge, but still. Walking is by far the easiest exercise, can be done most anywhere and by most anyone, can be done with just you & your thoughts, just you & your iPod (audiobooks, podcasts, music), or you & your friends or family. Just walk! Hang in there everyone!
Evrio is a goddess, in every way.
Early in lockdown, we got an Oculus Quest, In addition to some awesome games, we both started using Tripp for meditation, morning (for Focus) and night (Calm, to prep the brain for sleep). Their website has their research available if you’re interested in the science. I also started using an exercise app called Supernatural, daily. It meant that I didn’t need to go anywhere, have special clothing, buy any new equipment other than the headset I already owned, and is a damn fine workout–all in my living room. Since you can choose the music genre, length of workout and intensity, it can be as quick as 7 minutes, or as long as you want. I stopped being consistent at the beginning of September because of family emergencies, but those have resolved and today is actually the day I re-start! (Just reading Celebitchy while I wait for my meds to kick in). If you have a Quest, I strongly recommend checking out both apps. Both have free demos, so you can see what you think without committing. My husband uses a boxing app based on the movie Creed, which is also a hell of a sweaty workout, if that’s more your thing.
I love what she said; it’s actually healthy advice and not obsessed on weight loss or training for hours a day, but setting realistic goals to improve your overall fitness, body and mind. This has motivated me as well. I was off to a really strong start with fitness at the beginning of 2021 and after dealing with recurring headaches for a couple months (from a medication, but it took me a while to realize that), I fell out of the habit and never got back into it. I’d really like to close out the year strong as well.
I’m with you, whatever you do, be consistent. You’ll be hitting new goals without even realizing it.
I’ve converted to 10-20 min. workouts after two surgeries and a long recovery from a hip injury- all due to overtraining. This was a hard transition for me b/c I love a long, sweaty, challenging workout. But now, I’m so much more balanced and happy with my level of fitness. I do Kaisa Fit or Fitness Blender a few times a week for a cumulative time that would have previously been one single workout. Kinda nuts.
I was shocked at my weight gain over the lockdown …. I made everything queso to help me get through home schooling three kids & working full time … and now at 46 I weigh more than I did when I was full term pregnant. I’m committed to walking 30 minutes each day & have access to an obesity clinic. But wow – I gained 50 pounds fast. It’s scary but I’m committed to small steps… We’ve got this Oya!
Nubian Queen