Regardless of what your hobbies, activities and work are, whether it is running, cycling, crossfitting, sitting at a desk, or living your daily life, an important driver in achieving your best is feeling your best. How do you get there? With a little bit of what I call self-care. Here’s a conversation I had last week, a friend of mine had just finished putting her body through an intense 125 mile bike, she finished like a champ, and then proceeded to go on with her evening which consisted of errands and more errands. When I talked to her almost 5 hours after the bike ride she had still not eaten. My knee jerk response “how dare you disrespect your temple!” to which she burst out in laughter. Sure, it sounds ridiculous but all jokes aside we put our bodies through a lot. We eat whatever our taste buds and hearts desire and expect our gut to break it all down so we don’t suffer the consequences. We forget to drink water, dose up on coffee, party like rock stars, sacrifice sleep to get the latest facebook newsfeed, and on top of that strive to be amazing performers in the gym, at work, and at home. The “go go go” lifestyle eventually catches up with all of us… actually it creeps up and before you know it your in bed with a cold in the middle of summer. Self-care is extremely important to your health and your athletic success. Am I asking you to meditate by the ocean… not a bad thought… but no, re energizing your self entails taking a breather every now and then and shutting off the mind and the body. A good nights sleep, hydration, refueling often with whole foods are an almost guarantee for a good day, week, and month ahead. For bonus points add in a massage, a walk in the park, a day of doing nothing, and lots of laughter and your sure to win any race.
So as you are training hard for your next big event, add in some time towards your next massage or delicious paleo meal. What’s your self care activity? Post to comments…
Nutritionize!
Ritu
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