Carrie Underwood's Fitness Evolution Is Seriously Impressive

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Carrie Underwood had a meteoric rise to fame after winning S4 of "American Idol" in 2005 and has not missed a beat since. The country singer keeps churning top hits, has significantly amassed a reported $140 million net worth over the years, and is on record for being the most awarded artist by the CMT Music Awards. Underwood often turns heads for her electric onstage performances, just as she does for having an active lifestyle away from the stage.

Fitness is a practice Underwood revels in, as the singer shared in a conversation with "Today." "I love seeing progress. I feel better about myself because I feel like 'Oh! My clothes fit me, that's awesome!'" Underwood told the outlet. "And it doesn't have to be spent in a gym ... I'm lucky I live in a place where [we've] got a lot of hills around. My baby loves being outside, so [I] put him in a stroller and go."

Underwood's fit lifestyle has progressively evolved over time. From humble beginnings in the country to a life-changing encounter with her personal trainer, to building—and sometimes ditching—multiple thriving businesses around health and fitness, here's the story of her impressive transformation.

Carrie Underwood was born on March 10, 1983, to Stephen and Carole Underwood. Stephen worked in the pulp and paper industry, while his wife, Carole, was in the teaching field. The pair brought up their children, Carrie, Shanna Means, and Stephanie Shelton in Checotah, Oklahoma, a small town with a low population of 3,104 as of December 2024. Carrie's parents owned a small farm, and as such, she spent a good chunk of her childhood surrounded by animals.

The environment in Checotah was calm at best, characterized by scattered vegetation and open fields. Underwood, who took an interest in health and fitness at a young age, told "The Dr. Josh Axe Show" of her childhood experience, "I grew up in a very rural Oklahoma town ... We didn't have access. I don't even, like, remember a gym being in our hometown until, like, more recently. So that [fitness] just wasn't an option, really. But then when I went out to L.A. for 'Idol,' it's like, there were health food stores and restaurants and stuff like that. I felt like it was easier to ... choose better things."

Carrie Underwood attended Checotah High School, from which she graduated in 2001. She was a teen athlete who played basketball, softball, and was part of the school's cheerleading squad. The singer had a soft spot for softball—no pun intended—which she played for the longest time. "I loved softball so much," Underwood recalled in an interview with People. "We played slow pitch in the summer. I played fast-pitch for a little bit in high school but ended up having to quit the team because I kept missing practices due to my singing." The "Before He Cheats" singer won some tournaments during her heyday. As expected, her trophies had their spot in her childhood bedroom until she moved out. 

Underwood's past as a softball player eventually came in handy in April 2007, when she joined musicians Vince Gill, Craig Morgan, and Rodney Atkins to compete at the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge. Underwood took part in the tournament again in June 2010, telling The Associated Press, "You would never know it now, but I played about nine years of softball, and I would like to think I was pretty good. I don't really know what happened. I think somewhere along the way I became a girly girl, a prissy girl. We're just out here to have fun. That's what it's all about."

Carrie Underwood was 13 when she first committed to a vegan diet. Her shift toward veganism was the aftermath of a disturbing event, as she revealed in a chat with Women's Health. "My parents were banding [sterilizing] cattle," Underwood told the publication and continued, "When I asked why, I was told that it makes them bigger. And it hit me that these cute little animals that were running around playing would become someone's dinner. Eating them made me feel guilty."

Although she is a self-confessed lover of chocolate and cheese, Underwood maintained a vegan lifestyle for a long time. The choice had its set of challenges, the biggest of which was how to make plant-based orders at hotels. Underwood eventually fell off the wagon and began raising chickens at her 400-acre Nashville home. The singer took farming so seriously that she designed her chicken coop to blend with the style of her house. In a conversation with  Women's Health, Underwood, who also admitted to keeping bees, said of her change of heart, "There's a lot of benefits to those things [chicken and honey] that I've kind of learned I need in my life."

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Carrie Underwood attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where she majored in journalism. The singer had dreams of becoming a news anchor, but she set those aspirations aside to contest on "American Idol." Underwood, who was in her senior year of college, beat singers Bo Bice and Vonzell Solomon to emerge as Season 4's winner. 

Although winning the popular competition earned Underwood the admiration of many fans, it also made her a target for internet trolls, many of whom subjected her to body-shaming. "When I was on 'American Idol', I was a bit heavier than I am now," Underwood recalled in an interview with US Weekly (via Daily Mail). "That was the first time I was exposed to the public talking about me, so it was impossible not to look online and see what they were saying." 

Underwood vowed to put up a spirited fight by changing her lifestyle. She told Women's Health at a later interview, "I was tired, and I kept buying bigger clothes. I knew I could be better for myself, and I let my haters be my motivators." After winning the show, Underwood's singing career took off. She released her debut album, "Some Hearts," in November 2005, and also returned to school. She earned a mass communications degree—magna cum laude—in May 2006.

Carrie Underwood's "Play On Tour," named in honor of her third studio album, kicked off in Reading, Pennsylvania, in March 2010, and ended in Connecticut in January 2011. It comprised 108 stops, including destinations in Canada. The tour marked a significant milestone in Underwood's fitness journey: meeting and working with personal trainer Eve Overland.

While on tour, the duo had weekly morning training sessions and would occasionally workout in unfavorable settings, as Underwood revealed in a September 2010 conversation with Women's Health. "This morning I was told the equipment at the hotel gym was old and dangerous!" Underwood told the publication. "So we moved the furniture back and did squats, lunges, and crunches." Overland and Underwood also "did a beach workout [in Miami], running on sand, which is hard!"

Before the "Play On Tour," Overland had not worked with a touring artist. The fitness enthusiast partly wrote in a reflective post on Facebook years later, "13 years ago, I got on a plane and my life was forever changed. It was my first workout of my first tour. Admittedly, I was nervous because I had NO idea what I was doing! (There was no manual for how to be a touring personal trainer). But, here we are now ... growing stronger. Wiser and better each year."

Carrie Underwood collaborated with retailer Dick's Sporting Goods to launch and distribute the women's fitness apparel brand, CALIA, in March 2015. Underwood actively participated in the clothing line's manufacturing process, from fabric selection to product testing. For the mom of two, whose fit lifestyle is a hobby that has taken a life of its own, the project was surreal. "I don't know that I ever thought an opportunity like this would ever present itself to me," Underwood said in an interview with WWD. "I try my best to live a healthy lifestyle and was always looking for clothes to help me along the way. When Dick's Sporting Goods approached [my management team] I was like, 'Yes!'"

Carrie Underwood and Dick's Sporting Goods released several collections together, upped their retail game with pop-up shops in 2020, and made a hefty $500,000 donation to support girls in sports through their Sports Matter Foundation. Sadly, the partnership came to an end after six years. Underwood announced her departure in a November 2021 post on Instagram, writing in part, "I am so proud of everything we've created and built, and look forward to seeing where CALIA goes from here!" Following her exit, the fitness line announced four celebrities as brand ambassadors: Olympian Shawn Johnson East, actor Dascha Polanco, golf reporter Alexandra O'Laughlin, and investor-cum-influencer Hannah Bronfman.

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Carrie Underwood announced her first pregnancy in a September 2014 post on X (formerly Twitter). The "See You Again" singer posted a cute picture of her pet dogs dressed in pink and blue shirts and captioned it, "In honor of "Labor" Day ... Ace & Penny would like to make an announcement. Their parents couldn't be happier!"

Underwood was consistently working out during her pregnancy. The music star told Glamour that fitness wasn't a herculean task because she was accustomed to it. "I've been able to do a lot of the same things. I've been really lucky too because I had good core muscles and good balance before, cause I've been working out for so long," Underwood shared. "So I'm able to do my squats and lunges, one-legged squats and deadlifts, and things like that." Not all exercises were within the expectant mom's reach, however, as she disclosed that she could not do split squats and jump lunges.

The singer eventually welcomed her firstborn, a son named Isaiah Michael Fisher, in February 2015. Three years later, she had another bun in the oven, and as far as fitness goes, she had to tone down her exercise routine. Her trainer at the time, Erin Oprea, told Us Weekly of Underwood's regimen, "[Carrie does] sumo squats and lunges all day. We still work with dumbbells — curls and shoulder presses." Underwood ultimately had baby No. 2, Jacob Bryan Fisher, in January 2019.

Carrie Underwood and her husband, retired hockey star Mike Fisher, first crossed paths in 2008. The duo, who met at an Underwood concert, had a long-distance relationship and eventually married in a colorful 250-person wedding in July 2010. By virtue of Fisher being an ex-athlete, Underwood found herself a fitness partner. 
In a 2016 interview with E! News, the singer disclosed that they occasionally exercised together. "We have shared workouts before because there's a lot of partner stuff you can do," Underwood said. "Like I'll have to do 50 push-ups and he'll have to run on the treadmill, at a good pace, until I'm done with my 50 push-ups. Or like, we've done this thing where he has to run a mile and the longer it takes him to run a mile, the more I'm holding a wall sit."

Underwood posted a picture of one of their joint workouts during her 2019 "Cry Pretty Tour 360" on Instagram with the caption, "Better together! @CALIAbyCarrie #StayThePath #MobileGym #CryPrettyTour360." The still showed Underwood using a pair of dumbells to do plank rows, while a focused Fisher worked out his biceps. The couple appeared to have little space to work with, and Underwood's caption implied that they were utilizing a well-equipped mobile gym.

On March 2, 2020, Carrie Underwood debuted a fitness mobile app, Fit52, whose workout guides were curated by her long-term fitness trainer, Eve Overland. The singer announced the good news to her followers on Instagram, writing, "The day is finally here! I am so excited to share my new mobile app, @fit52. Check it out!"

At the time of writing, Underwood's fitness app, a collaborative effort between herself and partners Creative Labs and Creative Artists Agency (CAA), attracts a low annual subscription fee of up to $69.99. The app not only offers workouts that range from beginner to expert level, but it also has unique features such as curated playlists and meal plans. 

As of 2024, Underwood is a proud technology entrepreneur since her app has attracted over 50,000 downloads. In an August 2024 YouTube video, the singer expressed her gratitude to the fitness app's staunch fanbase. "I just wanted to say a big thanks to the Fit52 community," Underwood said. "We started this community to support and encourage each other to remain active 52 weeks of the year, and it's been great to see so many of you sweating it out, sharing your picks, and finding your path."

Following the launch of her fitness app, Fit52, Carrie Underwood published an accompanying book titled "Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life." The 2020 release highlights Underwood's insights for an active lifestyle and features meal plans, recipes, workout guides, and a journaling section.

Underwood spoke about the book in a 2019 statement to People, writing, "Fitness and healthy living have been a passion of mine for years. It took time to find my way and navigate my wellness journey, and this book will provide tips and tools to help the reader find what is practical and sustainable in his or her everyday life for all 52 weeks of the year, and help lead them toward a positive lifestyle."

Per the New York Times bestsellers list on April 5, 2020, Underwood's book ranked third, while YouTuber James Rallison's "The Odd 1s Out: The First Sequel" and Charlie Mackesy's "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse" took second and first place respectively. Underwood reportedly sold 10,741 copies of her book between March 15 and March 21, 2020, and was followed closely in the celebrity book sales leaderboard by singer Jessica Simpson, who sold 2,505 fewer copies of her memoir, "Open Book."

Carrie Underwood stepped up her fitness entrepreneurship game in January 2021 when she partnered with the Coca-Cola company-owned sports drink brand, Bodyarmor SuperDrink. Underwood reportedly obtained a partial stake as the company's first mainstream brand ambassador. In her first TV ad for the brand's Bodyarmor Lyte drink, Underwood showcased a few of her workout moves at the gym in the company of Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard, James Harden. "Hydration is one of the most important things in all that I do. That's why I'm partnering with BODYARMOR LYTE! #MoreThanASportsDrink," Underwood captioned the ad on Facebook.

The singer, who was excited about the collaboration, termed it as yet another work relationship aligned with her passion for an active lifestyle. She told CNBC, "I have spent probably the past 15 years working on myself and falling more and more in love with health and fitness. So, it just all ties it together and I love that I've been able to create this big web of health and fitness things going on in my life." Underwood has since posted several ads for Bodyarmor Lyte, including a June 2024 Facebook post in which she hopped onto the "What's in my bag?" trend.

Carrie Underwood first sang NBC's "Sunday Night Football" opening theme in 2013. Since then, the "Somethin' Bad" singer has appeared in subsequent opening videos and performed three songs: the fan favorite "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night," "Game On," for which she was sued by four songwriters, and "Oh, Sunday Night." 

The network's 2024 opening video featured Underwood at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas. As usual, she delivered an energetic performance of "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night." She wore a see-through short silver sequin dress which revealed her toned physique. Underwood's fans rose to the occasion and responded with flattering comments on social media; one X user wrote, "Damn Carrie Underwood looks fine," and another added, "Goodness them thighs though..."

The big question remains: which combination of regular workouts earned Underwood her head-turning killer legs in show business? The singer's best-kept secret lies in simplicity; lunges, deadlifts, and squats are her go-to exercises, as Underwood's trainer Eve Overland told Shape. "She [Underwood] likes to stick with the basics because they work," Overland disclosed. "Lateral band walks, leg press machine [reps], hamstring curls, and cable straight leg kickbacks are a few more go-tos because of the great pump they give you."