Carrie Underwood Looks Fit In Workout Stretch

Carrie works out for reasons beyond how she looks. "I want to be stronger. If I feel good in my clothes, and I'm starting to see some muscles, it just makes me want to keep going. I enjoy how I feel when running up a flight of stairs or picking up my kids or carrying things is easy. I like seeing muscles and feeling progress, so I'm always looking to lift more or do more reps," she told Shape.

The "Cry Pretty" singer doesn't need a fancy getup to get in her sweat sessions.

"I've become an expert at working out with nothing! I'm great at putting things together, and thinking: 'What do I have around me that I can use?' Maybe it's three steps—I can use that! Or I have a chair I can do dips on. Obviously, if you work with your bodyweight, you can do push-ups anywhere. You can do sit-ups anywhere. You can be in your hotel room, and you don't have to leave. You just have to think outside the box, and get creative," she added.

Noting her motherhood as she raises sons Isaiah and Jacob with husband Mike Fisher, the Grammy winner stated: "My own mom would be like, 'I need to lose weight,' and I feel like it's really easy for women to put themselves down in front of their kids. We all do it. We all analyze and we don't even realize we're doing it. We should shift our focus and our words."

Carrie trains on tour, between meetings, and early before her kids get up. The Mayo Clinic states: "Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or an equal combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week."

"To provide even greater health benefit and to assist with weight loss or maintaining weight loss, at least 300 minutes a week is recommended. But even small amounts of physical activity are helpful. Being active for short periods of time throughout the day can add up to provide health benefits," experts added.

Dishing on how she gets bikini-ready, Carrie also told Shape: "In the summer, I want to feel lighter. I want to run and sweat, so I use the temperature and that feeling to lean up a bit and do more outdoor cardio things."