In an exclusive interview, the Hall of Famer shares lessons on strength, recovery, and staying competitive past 50.

You might imagine that at the height of her legendary soccer career, Mia Hamm had the world at her fingertips. But what she describes looking back on the late ‘90s and early 2000’s is the very picture of grit, not glamor. Back then, there was no women’s league. Most of the players were on their parents’ health insurance, or scrambling for coverage. For ice baths, they would empty hotel ice machines onto the floor and gather it up in their hands. They prayed that their injuries happened on the pitch during games, so that they’d get the rehabilitation they needed. 

“The athletes were expected to be superhuman at times,” she recalls. “You just think: I’ll gut through it.”

Women’s soccer looks a lot different today. As the two-time Olympic gold medalist explains, the resources have grown exponentially, but the expectations have risen alongside them. A far cry from the days when Hamm used rocks or spare cleats as cones for soccer drills, today’s players now have a more structured and holistic approach to the game, and their wellbeing within it. 

That starts long before practice begins with regimented pre-hab stretching and activation exercises, and extends for days after: think power therapy conditioning, compression, hot and cold therapy, and specialized muscle creams. 

Pain, Pre-Hab Routines, and What It Takes to Be Your Best

Pain, Hamm notes, is part of the game — but not a part you have to suffer in silence. That’s why she’s recently partnered with Tylenol to start the conversation on pain management, paramount to staying active as you age. Acknowledgment is the first step, followed by a decision not to settle for less, she notes. 

“A lot of women, we put others first. But thinking about yourself and trying to be your best self — your healthiest self — means you can be there for a longer period of time and you can also be there for others. As a mom of two daughters, I try to model that behavior knowing it will impact them today and for the rest of their lives,” Hamm says, attributing her continued health to that mindset. 

“I’ve thought about my health going forward, [which includes] being proactive about pain — not pushing it off, but attacking it — and learning from those past experiences to make sure you stay healthy well into your 50s, 60s, and 70s,” she adds.

We sat down for an exclusive interview with Mia Hamm to talk about her remarkable career, aging powerfully, and her current fitness routine. She’s even shared one crucial piece of advice for our Founding Athletes currently training for the Super Age Games. 

Mia Hamm on Why Training Requires Being Present and Proactive

Super Age: Your incredible soccer career spanned 17 years, earned you multiple gold medals at the Olympics and made you a world-famous athlete. It also made you a role model to women and girls everywhere. What do you hope your career has inspired in others?

Mia Hamm: I hope that my career has inspired others to keep following their passion, whatever it is. For me, obviously, I love sports, and soccer was kind of my calling, and I approached it every single day with the love and respect that it deserved. It wasn’t about what it could give me or bring me — I loved training and being outside and playing hard for my teammates. It’s given so much more back to me, I feel, than I’ve given it. And now, I just continue to help the next generation of players find their voice and their passion through soccer.

Super Age: Now in your 50s, how has your relationship to physical training shifted? What does “staying athletic” look like for you today?

Mia Hamm: After I finished playing, I think I approached a lot of my workouts the way I would if I was still a player. But I’d probably say that in the last five to seven years that had to change because I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t rebound as quickly as I needed to to keep up with my kids or my family, so you tend to do a lot more strength training[strength tray-ning]nounResistance-based exercise to build muscle and support healthy aging.Learn MoreClose, but strength training with more movement. The weights I lift aren’t as heavy, and I’m a lot more mobilitymoh-bil-i-tee]nounThe ability to move freely and easily through a full range of motion.Learn MoreClose-focused.

Block quote: “You always want to be peaking, but you don’t want to be at your peak.”

Super Age: What does “aging powerfully” mean to you now, at 54?

Mia Hamm: It’s not just about being active and eating properly, it’s also managing parts of my body where I’ve noticed wear and tear. When I’m having issues with my back, that my back’s tight or sore from traveling, a lot of the time, it’s not necessarily from the back itself. Your back is having to support your frame because other muscles have shut off, whether it’s from sitting, your psoas, your hip flexors, or your tiny glute stabilizers. There’s really a lot of stuff I will do: I travel with a band and a lacrosse ball to do tiny activation exercises that I know will relieve my back. It’s all about staying on top of that. I also really enjoy playing golf, and that’s a repetitive motion. So, I focus on strength exercises, stretching, and mobility movements so that I can keep doing it.

Super Age: Do you incorporate any aspects of longevity fitness into your own routine?

The first thing I do when I wake up and before I go to bed is stretch for at least for five to 10 minutes. I notice that it calms me a bit more before I go to bed, and then when I wake up, it kind of jump-starts my nervous system into how it needs to work.

Super Age: You were described as the face of not just one sport but an entire generation of athletes. How do you carry that kind of legacy without it becoming a weight? 

Mia Hamm: Well, I think I’m just grateful to be able to do what I’ve been able to do for as long as I have, and very fortunate to be on a team that was very mindful of creating more opportunities for the players that come after you. I’m wired to find ways to give back and find ways to celebrate the past, the present, and the future of the game — because we all want to see this game continue to grow, and I know for me and my teammates it changed our lives. There were days when it was hard and sticky and not fun, but those days were outweighed by the great days. 

Super Age: What would you tell someone in their 50s or 60s who feels like their most vital years are behind them?

Mia Hamm: I think we all want to compare ourselves to what we used to be, what we used to look like, how we used to feel. There are certain aspects of our lives that were much easier then. But I think it’s important to just be where you are and be accepting of where you are, while also feeling empowered to invest more in yourself. I always look at my ideal age as 26. I’d love to be 26 again, but I also know that I know a lot more now. I’ve had a lot of incredible life experiences between the ages of 26 and 54, and I have a lot more opportunities now that I didn’t have then. So I think wherever you are, make the most of it. You have a say in it, and you can be both present and proactive in your own life.

Super Age: Super Age is currently gearing up to host the inaugural Super Age Games in November in New York City, a first-of-its kind longevity competition designed around eight trainable longevity markers. That means many of our readers are currently working on building up their V02 max, grip strength[grip strength]nounA key marker of strength and predictor of longevity.Learn MoreClose, balance, and more. What advice would you offer them as they get ready for the event? 

Mia Hamm: Just make sure they know that training is not just the physical aspect, it’s also the mental aspect. I think as you have more experience, you realize just how important the mental and emotional side of it is. You always want to be peaking, but you don’t want to be at your peak. There’s always more room to grow. 

This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 

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