For touring musicians, the stage isn’t just a platform to showcase their musical prowess; it’s also a demanding physical and mental arena that requires them to be at the top of their game night after night. The euphoria of performing in front of adoring fans is matched only by the rigors of life on the road, where maintaining energy levels becomes a paramount concern.
Just like athletes preparing for a grueling competition, musicians embarking on tours must devise strategies to ensure their bodies and minds are finely tuned to withstand the demands of the spotlight.
In this pursuit of peak fitness, touring musicians have become adept at crafting routines that encompass physical conditioning, mental fortitude, and holistic well-being. As the music plays and the beats go on, you’ll see how dedicated touring musicians work hard to stay fit during tours.
Here are some of the touring musicians who follow strict routines and stay committed to keeping themselves in great shape.
Taylor Swift’s Wellness Regimen
Taylor Swift embarked on her grandest musical journey yet – the Eras Tour in March 2023. Swift always has to be in good shape, considering her performances stretch hearty three-and-a-half hours. While she hasn’t extensively spoken about her fitness and dietary habits, a glimpse into her routine reveals a balanced approach.
Back in 2010, Swift shared a peek into her weekday eating habits in a conversation with WebMD. She leans towards nutritious choices such as yogurt, salads, and sandwiches. She’s no fan of strict rules, asserting that freedom is key. During the weekends, she enjoys feasting on burgers, fries, ice cream, and her cherished pastime of baking.
Swift advocates for heart-pounding cardio workouts. Her treadmill runs are not just exercise, but an opportunity to groove to fresh beats and gauge her musical contemporaries. Running and rhythm become one for her.
Beyond solo workouts, Swift embraces the guidance of Simone De La Rue, a former dancer who has sculpted celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, and Selena Gomez.
In a symphony of mindful nutrition, invigorating cardio, and expert guidance, Taylor Swift orchestrates a wellness routine that fuels her Eras Tour with boundless energy and resounding success.
How Exercise Helped Adele Lose 100 Pounds
In 2019, Adele decided to change how she lives. This led to her losing more than 100 pounds in weight. She talked about this change in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. She said, “I was body positive then [before losing weight], and I’m body positive now.”
There was no special magic trick – she simply started exercising regularly and eating sensibly. “So, I do exercises with weights in the morning. Then, I usually go for a long walk or do boxing in the afternoon. At night, I do cardio exercises,” she told British Vogue. She even shared that she now enjoys lifting weights the most. She said, “I really like it,” and mentioned she could lift up to 170 pounds. She also made it clear that she didn’t go on any quick diets. “I didn’t do any fasting or extreme diets. Nothing like that,” she told British Vogue. “If anything, I eat more than before because I work out so hard.”
When she appeared on “Saturday Night Live” as a host in 2021, Adele made a joke about her new slimness. “I know I look really, really different from when you last saw me,” Adele said. “But actually, due to all the COVID rules, travel restrictions, I had to pack light and could only bring half of me – and this is the half I chose.”
Eminem’s Journey: How Exercise Replaced Addiction
For experienced rapper Eminem, choosing to leave behind addiction and embrace a clean life changed his world and saved him. After surviving a dangerous overdose and completing rehab, he faced a challenge – some weight gain. The solution he found was running, which not only helped his fitness but also improved his chronic sleep problems, which he had been treating with medicine. “So I started running. It gave me a natural endorphin high, but it also helped me sleep, so it was perfect,” he shared with Men’s Journal. “It’s easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise.”
However, Eminem realized he had gone too far when running up to 17 miles each day on his treadmill caused damage to his hip muscles. He eased up on running and tried different exercise methods from DVDs. “I need someone on the TV to motivate me,” he said. Eventually, he settled on the Body Beast workout, which uses weights (although he confessed he still doesn’t like pull-ups). “I think I get a bit obsessive with working out,” he admitted.
His dedication led him to make fitness a regular part of his life, and staying consistent became the key. “Once you’re at a place where you’ve made progress and you’ve got some time invested in it, you don’t wanna quit and give up what you started,” he said.
Ed Sheeran’s Transformation: From Takeout to Cardio
British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran wasn’t too concerned about fitness until he reached his 30s. He shared during an interview with BBC Radio, “It’s the first time I’ve been, like, really healthy.” This journey involved making some big changes in his life, like eating less takeout and making time for exercise every day.
He mentioned that this change happened slowly. “It just happened,” Sheeran explained, “And because, you know, I wasn’t having chicken wings and two bottles of wine a night.”
Sheeran’s exercise routine mostly includes running, which he started after quitting smoking. He also likes to mix things up by adding cycling and swimming, as he mentioned in a talk on the “Behind The Medal Podcast” podcast.
In 2021, Sheeran appeared on “The Late Late Show,” and the host, James Corden, noticed his changes. Corden asked, “Are you trying to be healthier?” Sheeran said that becoming a father had changed his routines, making him more focused on his health. He joked, “Instead of going to bed at six [a.m.], I’m getting up at four.” He confirmed that he still exercises every day and he feels really good. “I’m healthier than I’ve ever been,” he happily shared.