2012 Olympics: Get Pumped (And Be Fit!) Like An Olympian

With the 2012 Olympic Games right around the corner, we caught up with some past and present Olympians to talk London (this year's location, if you hadn't heard!), healthy snacks and post-workout indulgences.

Fans and athletes gathered in New York City’s Times Square (just up the street from SELF’s offices!) this afternoon to kick off the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Raise Our Flag campaign. One of the few Olympic teams not funded by the federal government, the U.S. Olympic Team relies solely on donations from individuals and corporations to train athletes and send them overseas to compete.

“You don’t win the Olympic games alone, and that’s what this flag represents,” Shannon Miller, gymnast and five-time Olympic medal winner, told a crowd of fans.

Olympics fans try out rowing machines in Times Square as part of the Raise Our Flag campaign.

Miller, along with diver Greg Louganis and track-and-field runner Carl Lewis, also Olympians, dedicated the first stitch of a virtual flag that represents individual donors.

Each stitch costs $12, and donations support the U.S. Olympic team. Visit TeamUSA.org to buy a stitch. (You can even dedicate one to a friend or your favorite Olympian!) The campaign ends July 12.

Beach volleyball Olympians Jennifer Fopma and Whitney Pavlik (right) play on a beach volleyball court in Times Square.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of speeding taxis and hordes of tourists, fans got to use demonstration areas, like a beach volleyball court, a basketball court and a rowing station, in the middle of the hustle and bustle of NYC. Find out what these bikini-wearing athletes and other fit females told us about staying motivated to work out and have me-time with a rigid training schedule!

An Olympics fan plays basketball in Times Square.

How beach volleyball player Jennifer Fopma stays motivated to move:

“Grab a buddy! It’s so much easier to get motivated when you have someone else to work out with.”

How beach volleyball player Whitney Pavlik stays energized throughout the day:

“Isagenix shakes and Clif bars.”

How gymnast and working mom Shannon Miller fits in fitness:

“One thing that I’ve battled is making my fitness a priority — because as women we’re always taking care of everyone else!” Her solution? “I call it my ‘Perfect 10 Routine.'” What it is: 10 minutes of yoga in the morning, a 10- to 20-minute walk in the afternoon and 10 minutes of strength training in the evening.

How water polo Olympian Betsey Armstrong winds down (and indulges!) after a day in the water:

“I hang out with my roommate and her black lab, Emma.” Her favorite treats? Frozen yogurt and bread with cheese. “Bread and cheese are OK in small amounts, but not the way I eat it,” she says with a laugh.

“Take it one step at a time. Don’t say, ‘I’m gonna go on a 12-mile run.’ Start with a mile, or go to your local track and get some sprinting. Everyone thinks of distance running for running, but I’m a sprinter. And if you go to your local track and sprint the straights and walk the curves … you’re gonna accomplish the same thing that a longer run does.”