Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman is proving she’s the queen of self-care. The “Fierce Five” member and former athlete tends not to fill her Instagram with displays of her rubber-band flexibility – more into mindfulness and meditation, the Gold Medal winner is these days into showing her mental health healing, and that’s exactly what she did in a recent snap. Posting for her 2.1 million followers, the Amazon partner shared a duo of snaps by a cozy-looking fire, and she was dressed for staying #home.
Aly, who practices Pilates and has broadcasted her mediation sessions, shared a shot of herself reading a book while rocking a black top and a fluffy white bathrobe, and it was the thumbs-up from fans as they flocked to leave likes.
Aly gained over 18,000 likes for the photo, one showing her eyes deep into her book and backed by a pebble-wrapped fireplace with flames. Wearing zero makeup and with her hair in a ponytail, the Aerie partner kept it calm, writing: “Love being cozy with a great book 💗Couldn’t put this one down.” Fans have been commenting. One told the gymnast: “I’ve read over 100 books this year. Cool, yeah, but my house is a MESS! Too much reading, not enough cleaning!! 😂 I love to read too much.”
Raisman, last year opening up about the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal as she was joined by 24-year-old Olympic gymnast Simone Biles before Congress, has been opening up on mental health in the cut-throat sport of gymnastics.
“It’s really cool to see so many athletes speaking up and being so vulnerable about what they’re going through, whether it’s about mental health, advocating for positive change in their sport, or fighting for equal pay,” she told Shape. “I know we’re not even close to where we need to be, but it’s really powerful. It just makes me happy to see because, a couple of years ago — or maybe more than a couple of years ago, when I first started competing — I didn’t feel like we were living in this time where athletes were speaking up,” she added. Aly ensured she thanked her own support system over the years, continuing:
“What’s really helped me over the years is just having the support system and having other people in my life that have been through similar things so I know that, what I’m feeling, I’m not alone in it. I think there’s such power in communicating with other people and having people around you just say that they support you.”