Megan Folsom
Rock Climber The 29-year-old actress tried everything from running to step classes before she found her true calling
Recommends: Loving the sport
Pick an activity that inspires you. Climbing is like solving a puzzle, Folsom says: it works the mind and builds self-confidence.Not to mention a rock-hard stomach.
Sharon Monplaisir
Fencer Now 38, she’s been at her sport for more than two decades and competed in the 1984 Olympics
Recommends: Building ‘core strength’
A strong core-abdominal and back muscles-will make any activity easier. A trendy exercise to accomplish this is “the pop-up,” she says. Lie on your back with your feet extended in the air to form a right angle. Lift your pelvis off the ground and lower slowly.
Sheryl Swoopes
Basketball star Basketball’s most famous mom was back on the court six months after giving birth
Recommends: Integrating motherhood and exercise
Accept that your body won’t come out of pregnancy the same way it went in. Swoopes, 27, recovered by working out in the pool, running on a treadmill and biking. “Now women feel it’s OK to sweat, work out and then resume their normal lives,” she says.
Marjorie Hardwick Schramel
Dancer After a miscarriage, she’s pregnant and on leave from the Atlanta Ballet
Recommends: Nurturing yourself
In her first pregnancy, Schramel, 35, hewed to her rigorous dance schedule. This time she’s more cautious, stretching and walking instead of performing. “We’ve got to keep achieving even though your poor body is going through all these changes.”
Le’Aura Luciano & Jamie Wasserman
Martial artists Luciano, 17, is a college student; Wasserman, 36, a psychoanalyst Recommend: Patience
Don’t assess your skill level for at least six months. “You start out really excited,” Wasserman says, “then you hit a lull and want to give up. Stick around for the reward, when you really master it.” Luciano promotes a holistic approach. “Too often people go to extremes, like it’s all or nothing,” she says, “and that throws them off balance.”
