How Erin Andrews Stays Active On the Road During the Busy NFL Season

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It's been a year since Erin Andrews entered a fanless Superdome in Louisiana, where the hometown New Orleans Saints kicked off their 2020 season against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And while much has changed between now and then — between the development of COVID-19 vaccines and another Super Bowl ring for quarterback Brady — the longtime sideline reporter will never forget what a coronavirus-impacted year looked like for the National Football League.

"We just missed the fans a lot, it was super weird," Andrews tells Shape. "I remember our first game of the season was in New Orleans and not a soul was in there except for the players, and it was just quiet. We kept saying, 'God, this is weird."

When the 2021 NFL season now officially underway, some fans will be entering stadiums for the first time since the pandemic began in early 2020. Each of the 32 NFL teams "is working with state and local officials to set their own health and safety guidelines" for the season, which can include "respect to capacity limits and mask mandates," according to the league's fan game-day playbook. Spectators who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 prior to game day should not attend, as well as those who test positive for the virus 14 days before the event, according to the playbook. As for the fans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but experience symptoms 48 hours prior to kickoff, they're encouraged to speak with a healthcare provider and to get tested before attending the game, according to the NFL's ticketing policy. (Related: What Is a Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection)

Much like the players, Andrews, 43, herself is excited to see NFL fans back in their natural habitat. "I know the guys are pumped, we're pumped, people need it," she says. "With everything that's happening in the world right now and all the awful events, I just feel like people need the break and need sports and we're so excited to kind of provide that."

Beyond gearing up for the 2021 NFL season, Andrews is also releasing the latest installment of her women's clothing line, WEAR by Erin Andrews. The new collection, which is currently available on NFLShop.com and Fanatics.com, features an array of hoodies (Buy It, $70, fanatics.com), bike shorts (Buy It, $40, fanatics.com), tank top dresses (Buy It, $65, fanatics.com), and more for the fan looking to support their favorite squad on the regular. "WEAR was born from the fact that I am a die-hard college football fan," says Andrews, a University of Florida alum, who previously covered college football for ESPN and Fox Sports. "I just felt like there was not much available for women." The overall goal of WEAR, according to Andrews, is to provide fans an array of sports-friendly pieces that they can incorporate into their everyday wardrobe. "It doesn't just have to be game day," says Andrews. "It could be when you're dropping your kids off, when you're getting ready to get on your Peloton, or when you're going to a bar with your girlfriend."

While WEAR first focused on pieces tied to the NFL for its 2019 debut, the brand soon expanded to NCAA and NBA collections. And — listen up, hockey fans — NHL-based pieces are set to drop later this year. "Obviously, college football and the NFL are a big part of my life, but I started my career in the NHL," says Andrews. "My very first job was with the Tampa Bay Lightning, I was their rink-side reporter, and I traveled with them as well. So that's kind of where my passion for the sport began, and then I ended up marrying a two-time Stanley Cup champion [Jarret Stoll], and our life is very much centered around hockey."

For now, however, Andrews' focus is on the 2021 NFL season. And with her frequent travels, Andrews looks to the Peloton app (Buy It, free for the first 30 days/$12 per month after, onepeloton.com) to keep her going on the road. "I have to stay active because it's really the only thing that helps me mentally and physically," says Andrews. "I love the Peloton, I really do. I have a [Peloton] bike at home, but also, their app for me is so useful on the road. They have all these running or walking programs, and strength programs that I use... I would do their running app outside cause it's great music." (See: The Best Peloton Instructor to Match Your Workout Style)

WEAR by Erin Andrews

"Even if you don't have weights at your hotel gym or in your room, [the Peloton app has] bodyweight, Pilates, and barre classes...that app is really my lifeline on the road." Andrews adds, "I have to get some sort of physical activity in or I go bananas." (Related: These Celebrities Love Peloton Just As Much As You)

But staying physically active is only one piece of the wellness puzzle. In fact, Andrews — who recently opened up about going through her seventh round of in vitro fertilization — said that if she's learned anything during the pandemic, it's to make time for herself.

"You have to kind of market your day, 'alright, this is my time. I'm either going to meditate, I'm going to work out, or put on a face mask. Maybe take a couple of minutes to do a yoga class.' So, you just have to be really conscientious and smart and tell your family, your people, whomever, 'I need a minute.' Cause if you don't get that minute, you're going to go insane," she says. "I think the one thing COVID really taught a lot of us was we have to take time for ourselves."