Recovery Day: Caley Crawford Shares Her Love of Lululemon and Disdain of Alcohol

NASM-CPT and Row House Director of Education Caley Crawford gives Athletech News the scoop on her dietary habits, workout schedule, favorite athleticwear brand and more for the latest Recovery Day installment

What would you say if one of the fitness world’s premiere trainers told you they weren’t very healthy? Well, Caley Crawford, who just also happens to be the Director of Education for boutique rowing-based fitness studio Row House, gave us that exact sentiment for our Recovery Day series. 

But there’s so much more to Crawford’s penchant for taco nights and pizza (which some would still believe to be foods one could eat in moderation and still keep fit anyway). The hard-working mom and former Broadway performer went from a life of musical theater (with fitness on the side) to earning a NASM-CPT certification and corporate role with Row House. The theater girl at heart’s next chapter, postpartum, is unfolding right before our eyes and Athletech News is here to give you a glimpse of Crawford’s likes (Lululemon!), dislikes (alcohol!), sleep patterns and more before she’s off to experience her next exciting adventure.

Athletech News (ATN): What’s your go-to outfit when not at the gym?

Caley Crawford: My go-to outfit is all things Lululemon! HA! Even if I’m not working out. I’m a mom of a 1 year old, so my ‘day off’ usually consists of walking with a stroller, having a picnic in the park, playing at the pool, biking with my daughter or making a Costco run, so stretchy clothes & a fanny pack are my go-to. Oh, and laundry! 

ATN: How many days do you work out?

Caley Crawford: I’m very lucky in that when I teach, I also do most of the workout with the class so I teach 3 classes a week – which is essentially 3 cardio workouts a week since it’s so much rowing. For my own workouts I usually do 1 additional HIIT/Strength workout each week. I have been coaching for Row House pretty consistently 3-5 classes a week for the past 8 years.  

The past two years, I haven’t done much else in addition to Row House because of my pregnancy (which I rowed through 38 weeks!) but I have been super consistent with Row House and that’s kept me in great shape! Row House literally got me through my pregnancy and really helped me get back in shape postpartum. I am very grateful for rowing.

ATN: How often do you weigh yourself?  

Caley Crawford: Very rarely. Honestly, maybe 2-3 times a year?

ATN: How much sleep do you get?  

Caley Crawford: 8 hours exactly! I try to be very consistent with my sleep. I do not function well when I don’t sleep for 8 hours. My daughter usually doesn’t let me get more than 8 (Ha!) but I am grateful she gives me 8 hours. 

ATN: Yes/No to fitness trackers? Data friend or the enemy?  

Caley Crawford: I’ve tried all of them and they just don’t work for me. My fitness motive is much more emotional and experience driven vs. metrics. I feel satisfied working up a sweat, feeling my muscles work, bringing myself to feel that intense challenge and working through it. I don’t need the data to make myself feel accomplished. I danced my entire life, and dance is metric free. I think it’s more just the movement that I love. I love trying new exercises, challenging my balance in different ways, etc. Metrics and leaderboards don’t really motivate me anymore.  

ATN: How healthy are you really? 

Caley Crawford: Ha! I’m not very healthy, truly…. I don’t eat terribly, but my meals are usually chosen by efficiency. I usually get the ‘healthier’ option when I can but I’ve also had my fair share of frozen pizzas (veggie supreme of course). I have my daughter full time, so I usually work around her meals. I have never been very good at meal prepping, so my meals usually look like: bagels, frozen pizzas, salmon & veggies on a good day, taco night, sandwiches and poke. I’m only 1 year into motherhood so I’m sure I’ll get better at prioritizing my own meals when Austin and I can eat together, but I spend most of my meal prepping on her foods, not mine.

ATN: Thoughts on alcohol?  

Caley Crawford: Honestly? I think it’s poison for our bodies. I truly think as a society we drink way too much and I do not believe there to be any health benefits to any form of alcohol. I believe drinking hurts lives more than it’s ever helped, and is often a big reason why people can’t lose weight. I used to drink a lot more than I do now. My daughter has changed my perspective on it. From my experience, drinking is most commonly used as a form of therapy or way of not dealing with emotions. It’s a way of feeling comfortable in social settings when we should just learn how to be confident in our skin in general. Do I still drink though? Yes, I will have a drink or two over the weekend. Does that make me a hypocrite? Maybe? Will I ever stop drinking? Perhaps. 

ATN: When you are injured how do you manage your inability to workout?

Caley Crawford: Honestly, I rarely get injured these days. [I] haven’t had to deal with an injury since I started rowing 8 years ago. Truly. I used to do CrossFit and developed a shoulder injury simply because I was doing too much volume and too many exercises that I hadn’t built foundational strength for. I dove into it too quick[ly]. Then, I transitioned to Row House and my shoulder is so much better. Rowing is low impact which has proven (for me) to be way better for joint health and overall longevity. At Row House we do floor work too (bodyweight and dumbbell work) but it’s also all low impact. I’m able to train on the rower and get all of those benefits (full body strength, low impact cardio, posture, core etc) and also pair it with floor work that works my body in different planes of motion, etc. It’s a very well rounded workout program and has kept my body healthy, fit and strong for 8 years and a baby later. 

ATN: Where do you want to have a shopping spree?   

Caley Crawford: Lululemon!

ATN: Can you disconnect from “devices” (ie. emails, work)?  

Caley Crawford: I used to work 24/7. Since having my daughter I have been really good about disconnecting over the weekend. When I’m at the office during the week, I hustle through work and try to be as efficient as I can so I can really close the computer over the weekend. It’s crucial for me to have that time with my daughter and dog.