Women's Health June 1, 2026 0 Comments

Unlocking Strength and Style: The Surprising Reason Mya Dominates Her Treadmill… in Heels!

Ever wonder what it really takes to keep up the energy—and the style—when you’re singing, dancing, and strutting across a stage for hours on end … and rocking heels the whole time? Yeah, it’s not just talent; it’s muscle, stamina, and a serious training game. Mýa, the queen of endurance, has been hitting the gym for over 25 years, turning her workouts into the secret weapon behind her show-stopping performances. Since getting serious in 2000, she’s transformed her stamina and kept her body tour-ready, tackling the brutal demands of life on the road with grace—and strength. Now, with her latest album Retrospect out, she’s sharing the ultra-effective moves that fuel her fire. Curious what’s in her routine? Let’s dive in and get inspired to power up like Mýa. LEARN MORE

2 min read

Singing, dancing, and strutting across a stage for hours at a time—and in heels, no less!—requires plenty of strength and energy. Which is why Mýa has been a regular at the gym for more than 25 years.

“The year 2000 is when I got very serious about training,” the 46-year-old tells Women’s Health in the latest episode of the video series Strong Like. “I definitely saw a difference, but also felt a difference, regarding my stamina and endurance for tour, which can be very brutal and demanding on the body.”

With her new album, Retrospect, out now, Mýa isn’t letting up on the exercise routine that keeps her feeling good and belting out hits. She walks WH through some of her favorite moves.

Mýa begins every workout with jumping rope to prime her body for what’s to come. “I always start with cardio to warm up the body before I get into any stretches to prevent injury,” she says. Boxing is one of Mýa’s go-to exercise modalities, so it makes sense that the speed rope has become an integral part of her regimen.

Next, come squat pulses. “I would say squats have an everlasting effect when I am walking,” she explains. “There’s something about my posture that also changes when the glutes are fired, as well as activated. There are less knee injuries that occur for me as a dancer, so I’d start with glutes to be, I’d say, the most impactful exercise that benefits myself, my lifestyle, and my profession.”

Continuing on the leg theme, Mýa keeps the warm-up going with high-knees and fire hydrants. Once warm, she stretches her hips before moving onto her main workout.

Focusing on her arms, Mýa grabs a pair of dumbbells, which she uses for sets of a few different exercises: reverse flys, bicep curls, and, finally, tricep dips.

Mýa’s session may also include various drills on the treadmill, including running and dancing in heels(!), as well as singing, to mimic the kinds of things she’d do in concert.

“I want to be strong,” Mýa says of her fitness goals. “Injury prevention, that’s a key of mine.”

See Mýa’s routine in action by clicking play on Strong Like above.

What’s in Mýa’s Gym Bag

SPRI Xertube Resistance Band

THERABAND Resistance Bands Set

Mogold Jump Rope

Amy Wilkinson is a contributing entertainment editor at Women’s Health, where she edits the magazine’s celebrity cover stories and writes health features. She has previously held editor titles at Entertainment Weekly and MTV News. In 2021, Amy completed her 600-hour teacher-training at Core Pilates NYC to become a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor.