Jill Martin may only get a few hours of sleep some nights, but she still manages to work out almost daily. The “Today” show fashion contributor and Emmy-winning Knicks broadcaster splits her time between the Flatiron District, Southampton and QVC’s headquarters just outside Philadelphia, where she’s currently promoting TA x G.I.L.I., an athleisure line she co-designed with trainer Tracy Anderson. Martin, 42, shares how she stays in shape on the road — and gets inspired by a former Knick.
I try to work out six days a week, doing something, even if it’s a half-hour walk, but my schedule is very inconsistent! There are weeks that I work seven days a week, sometimes 20 hours a day. But then there might be a random Tuesday where I can sleep all day. Some nights I’m live on QVC until 3 a.m., and then have a “Today” show segment in the morning. Those nights are not my most glamorous — I sleep in the car on the way. My boyfriend [a private-equity investor named Erik], who lives in Boston, thinks I’m nuts when I call and say good night from Philly and good morning from 30 Rock.
Because I’m all over the place, I started doing Tracy Anderson’s streaming classes online at home two or three times a week, depending on when I’m free.
I also do these unbelievable workouts, especially in the summer, with a man I call Mr. Adventure. His real name is Orion Mims — and we met in the Hamptons, when he was giving me surfing lessons. We’ll meet up at different places all around the city or in the Hamptons and exercise for a couple of hours a couple of times a week. He rolls up on his bike or in his car with all these crazy props, like a trampoline and a sandbag. I’ll dig with a shovel on the beach, I’ll jump on a trampoline and box, or I’ll run with a parachute behind me, which adds resistance.
I’m also a huge paddleboarder. Out east, we might paddle to a little island and do barefoot circuits. We also paddle in the Hudson sometimes. People are afraid of falling in, but the good news is — knock on wood — I don’t fall!
Because I’m always on the go, I pack these GG Scandinavian Crispbread crackers. They’re not the tastiest, but they’re filling, and I use them as a vessel for everything. I eat four in the morning, four for lunch and I put whatever I want on them, like egg salad, tuna salad, cream cheese with lox and tomato and onion, peanut butter and jelly. I get the salads from the deli or Pick a Bagel. I’d love to eat doughnuts and cake every day, but if I’m going to put my body through what I put it through, I have to take care of it.
Whenever I’m exhausted by my insane schedule, I think of Walt “Clyde” Frazier. He’s my fellow Knicks broadcaster and one of my closest friends. He’s 73 years old and in the best shape. When he’s in his hotel room on the road, he works out every single day in his room for 45 minutes to an hour, doing crunches and leg lifts in bed, and then doing 50 pushups and 50 situps. Then he’ll sprint back and forth in the room and do yoga.
Now, when I’m traveling, if I’m not doing Tracy, I do his workout, which I print out and bring with me. He is the most disciplined, consistent person I know. I say that if he can do it, I can do it. Like Clyde always says, “You gotta keep it movin’ and groovin’!”