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- Indy 500 champion Alex Palou, 28, says his workout routine involves CrossFit, weight training, and running.
- When it comes to recovery, he says he uses just one tool — air compression boots.
- Palou says he makes his workouts “super hard” so that racing feels easy by comparison.
For Indy 500 champion Alex Palou, the key to winning races starts long before he gets behind the wheel.
“What works for me — and what I’ve been doing for the six, seven years since I’ve been in IndyCar — has been doing CrossFit,” Palou told GQ in an interview published on Wednesday.
He also focuses on driving-specific exercises like neck work and grip work, Palou said.
“I normally start the day with movements to warm up, then I do weights. After the weights, I finish with a CrossFit workout at the end that’s just a little bit more explosive,” Palou said. “It’s quite similar to what we feel in the car, having to lift weights while the heart rate is up and you have tension. I do that every day, in-season or offseason.”
Cardio is a big part of his fitness routine. He used to mountain bike, but stopped after he broke his collarbone a decade ago, he said.
“I tried different cardios, like swimming or indoor biking. But what I do now is just running,” he said. Despite that, Palou says running is the hardest part of his training.
“I can’t. I don’t like it,” he said. Although he is starting to enjoy it “a little bit more,” it’s still difficult.
“It’s tough for me to go run and to get those cardio sessions. They are important, but they are not as fun as just lifting weights or competing against somebody when you’re working out,” Palou said.
When it comes to recovery, the race car driver says he does just one thing.
“I tried cold plunges, but it’s not really my style. I just have air compression boots for my legs. It’s good for traveling. We’re sitting so much in a race car that it’s good to try and just, I don’t know, recover! That’s the only thing I really use,” Palou said.
A four-time IndyCar Series champion and the 2025 Indianapolis 500 winner, Palou says he makes his workouts “super hard” so that racing feels easy by comparison.
“For me, it’s a lot tougher to work out and go do my normal routine than to go race an IndyCar on Sunday. Mentally, it’s just a lot more painful for me, which is good in a way. Then when you’re on race day you can be a lot more relaxed, or a lot more comfortable,” Palou said.
A representative for Palou did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.
Palou isn’t the only athlete who has spoken about his fitness and recovery routine.
In March, Stephen Curry told Business Insider that growing older made him realize the importance of rest and recovery.
“And for me, getting in cold tubs, the sauna, compression sleeves to make sure you got good blood flow in your legs, different supplements — they all give me a little boost,” the four-time NBA champion told Business Insider. “If I skip one of those, I feel it, and it doesn’t give me the maximum recovery that I need, especially at this stage.”
In July, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen said he trains four days a week and has recently added an infrared sauna with red-light therapy to his recovery routine.
“Me and my wife have been doing that almost daily,” he said.
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