Healthy Living

How Gold Medalist Gymnast Gabby Douglas Cares For Her Physique

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April 20, 2024

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mbg Magnificence Director

By Alexandra Engler

mbg Magnificence Director

Alexandra Engler is the sweetness director at mindbodygreen and host of the sweetness podcast Clear Magnificence Faculty. Beforehand, she’s held magnificence roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports activities Illustrated, and Attract.com.

Picture by Wealthy Polk / Stringer x mbg Artistic / Getty Photographs

April 19, 2024

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We love celebrating ladies on prime of their recreation. In our new collection, Recreation On, we’re interviewing prime athletes about their well-being routines—protecting all the things from diet that makes them really feel robust to the moments that deliver them pleasure.

Like many individuals, I used to be first launched to Gabby Douglas over a decade in the past, in the course of the 2012 Summer season Olympics in London. That summer time, the nation turned enamored with the “Fierce 5” who took house the staff gold in ladies’s gymnastics for the USA.

Douglas’ star-making performances and gravity-defying energy earned her one other gold within the particular person all-around. And in doing so, she made historical past: Douglas is the primary African American girl to grow to be the Olympic particular person all-around champion and the primary U.S. gymnast to win gold in each the person all-around and staff competitions on the similar Olympics.

I used to be an intern at Sports activities Illustrated that summer time and was assigned to analysis all issues ladies’s gymnastics. Meticulously following Douglas’ meteoric rise to gold endeared me to her—and I’ve adopted her profession since.

“I am blushing,” she mentioned, as she laughed once I instructed her about our small, largely one-sided connection. I instructed her it was in all probability simply her pure glow.

I used to be thrilled to have the ability to verify in along with her all these years later, find out about how she’s at the moment caring for herself and her physique, how she mentally prepares for large competitions, and what recommendation she has for younger athletes with large goals.

mindbodygreen: You are somebody who’s been competing on the worldwide scale for a very long time—in a famously intense sport at that. How do you mentally put together for a giant competitors?

Gabby Douglas: Truthfully, I hold my routines fairly easy. That is been my routine for a very long time now—I do not do quite a bit. I need not as a result of we accomplish that a lot preparation within the fitness center main as much as [competitions]. For instance, we do strain units, which is when everybody comes over to observe you do your set. That manner, by the point you get to a contest, it feels second nature.

So, on the day of a contest, I stand up, eat breakfast, hearken to music on the best way, and get within the mindset of “OK—let’s do that.”

mbg: What meals enable you to really feel strongest and nourish your physique?

Douglas: My favourite is baked salmon, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Good protein — you gotta have it!

mbg: How do you go to sleep—particularly earlier than a giant competitors? I imply I am unable to think about making an attempt to go to sleep earlier than one thing as large because the Olympics!

Douglas: To be sincere, on the finish of the day, my physique is simply so drained. Gymnastics could be very exhausting. For instance, lately we went like 30 days straight of follow within the morning and at night time. So I simply really feel like our our bodies are naturally drained as a result of we’re waking up early within the morning for follow, then coming again later within the day for one more.

So our our bodies are drained—we actually do want the remainder.

mbg POV

She’s not improper—lively our bodies want an satisfactory quantity of of high-quality relaxation. Now what that appears like in follow is completely different for everybody relying on a wide range of elements together with exercise ranges, hormonal shifts, and extra. Here is find out how to discover your very best sleep quantity.

mbg: Gymnastics is notoriously exhausting on the physique. How do you take care of it after?

Douglas: I do loads of icing. I additionally do quite a bit with my ft. I actually grind and pound my ft a lot. I like utilizing Dr. Scholl’s Callus Remover Digital Foot File, which removes all of the hardness and dryness. I like having my ft very, very clean on the beam. The chalk will dry pores and skin out, so I like utilizing a very hydrating foot cream, like Dr. Scholl’s Dry Cracked Foot Restore Extremely-Hydrating Foot Cream as a result of it supplies moisture again into the pores and skin and again into my ft. You see a lot of our ft in gymnastics, so truthfully foot care is so vital.

mbg: Being knowledgeable gymnast comes with a lot strain. How do you discover that childlike pleasure that made you fall in love with the game to start with?

Douglas: It is so true—so typically dad and mom will say to me, “Hey, how can I get my daughter to be at your stage?” I am like, “No—let her get pleasure from it first. She’s a child.”

Generally we [professional gymnasts] want we might return and begin that journey once more, when it’s joyous and blissful. If you become older is while you begin pondering, Oh that is one thing else.

However we do attempt to hold it enjoyable within the fitness center with me and my teammates. We like to search out other ways to chortle and be joyful and have banter right here and there. As a result of if not, the game is simply that a lot more durable—and gymnastics is already actually exhausting. It is vital to search out other ways to maintain it enjoyable.

So typically dad and mom will say to me, “Hey, how can I get my daughter to be at your stage?” I’m like, “No — let her get pleasure from it first. She’s a child.”

mbg: That is a very nice perception. You must discover the enjoyment first! What about for younger ladies who wish to take their sport extra significantly—what recommendation do you’ve for them, as somebody who turned knowledgeable athlete?

Douglas: Do not hand over. Regardless of if it is gymnastics or basketball, simply don’t hand over.

And you do not have to take it to the skilled stage, however I do encourage ladies to remain in some sort of sport. There are such a lot of advantages of being concerned in one thing. Gymnastics has taught me time administration, self-discipline, perseverance, and teamwork.

mbg: Talking of teammates—what qualities make an amazing teammate? How do you present up on your teammates?

Douglas: I simply attempt to meet everybody the place they’re. Some instances which means not pushing somebody too exhausting—and as an alternative, simply actually being there for them. In the event that they want a shoulder to cry on, right here you go. In the event that they want somebody to inspire them, I am right here for you. So simply assembly people the place they’re.

I used to be at all times taught to by no means finish on a foul day.

mbg: What qualities about your self are you most happy with and why?

Douglas: My perseverance and drive. I used to be at all times taught to by no means finish on a foul day. So I at all times attempt to hold going and ensure I depart all the things on a excessive word.

Like, even if you happen to did not make it—however you gave it your all—on the finish of the day, you may be happy with the consequence as a result of you recognize you place your all into one thing. For me, I wish to be sure that I put my all into one thing and by no means have regrets on the finish of the day.

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