It is important to take care of yourself as well as you possibly can. Between getting good sleep, eating healthy foods, getting outside and breathing some fresh air, everyone has their own tips, suggestions, and ideas. I wanted to share a few of mine with everyone.
1. Eat healthy, including lots of fruits, vegetables, and protein. Eating a healthy, balanced, diet will help you feel more energetic and “on” throughout the day. Food is like fuel for us, and just like a car, we need the right kind of fuel in order to keep going!
2. Stay hydrated and drink a lot of water. Just as important as eating healthy foods, drinking a lot of water keeps our systems in balance. If you don’t drink enough water, you can feel nauseous, get headaches and generally feel tired, so making sure you have enough water in your system will keep you fresh and full of energy. It is especially important to make sure you drink water when you are sweating, as you need to replace the lost fluids.
3. Have “me” time at least once a day to make sure you don’t feel too overwhelmed. Between smart phones, computers and the general busyness of everyone’s days, it is hard to find any alone time. I always try to find some time just for me, as it helps me unwind and keeps any unwanted stress in check.
4. Splurge a little. I always have a piece of chocolate every day because I can’t live without it. By eating a small amount of a treat like chocolate every day, I satisfy my “sweet tooth” and don’t feel like I am craving it. This doesn’t change the “eating healthy” tip, as every healthy diet includes some form of a guilty pleasure like chocolate, a cookie or something else that we all love, but don’t want to eat too much of.
5. Take Epsom salt baths to feel relaxed. A relaxing bath can sometimes be the cure to a stressful day, and just like finding alone time, it is important to find some time to relax your mind, body and soul.
6. Take a walk with family or friends. I walk with my mom or a friend on Sundays, my day off of gymnastics. I have gym training every day except for Sundays, and on my day off, walking and just generally being outside makes me feel happy and refreshed. Doing that on my day off after a week of practicing with my coach really helps me get ready for the next week.
7. Drink tea (mint tea with honey is my favorite!). Tea has a way of soothing the mind and body, and I drink tea every night after practice. It helps me unwind, relax and get ready for a good night’s sleep. It is important to go to bed fully relaxed, because if you don’t, you’ll have a restless night of sleep.
8. Hang out with friends and family a lot. Although I am very busy and travel a lot for my sport and career, I always make time for friends and family. They all make me happy and make me laugh, and it is important to always find time to be with the people that support you the most.
9. Spend time with your pets. I spend a lot of time with my two dogs, Magic and Coco. Dogs are a “man’s (in this case, woman’s!) best friend” and I can certainly attest to that. There is a simple connection between dogs and people that helps me stay relaxed, calm and keep a positive outlook on life. My dogs certainly help me do that.
10. Practice self care. I use face masks after working out. After a long sweaty workout the mask always makes me feel refreshed and keeps my skin healthy.
I hope that you will try some of these out if you don’t already, as they help me keep moving forward and living a positive, healthy, active lifestyle.
