mbg Magnificence Director
mbg Magnificence Director
Alexandra Engler is the sweetness director at mindbodygreen and host of the sweetness podcast Clear Magnificence College. 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
We love celebrating girls on prime of their recreation. In our new sequence, Recreation On, we’re interviewing prime athletes about their well-being routines—masking the whole lot 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, throughout the 2012 Summer time Olympics in London. That summer time, the nation grew to become enamored with the “Fierce 5” who took house the workforce Gold in girls’s gymnastics for the USA.
Douglas’ star-making performances and gravity-defying power earned herself 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 turn into the Olympic particular person all-around champion and the primary U.S. gymnast to win gold in each the person all-around and workforce 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 girls’s gymnastics. Meticulously following Douglas’ meteoric rise to Gold endeared me to her — and I’ve adopted her profession since.
“I am blushing,” she stated, as she laughed after I informed her about our small, largely one-sided connection. I informed her it was in all probability simply her pure glow.
I used to be thrilled to have the ability to test in along with her all these years later, find out about how she’s at present caring for herself and her physique, how she mentally prepares for giant competitions, and what recommendation she has for younger athletes with huge desires.
mindbodygreen: You’re 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 an enormous competitors?
Gabby Douglas: Truthfully, I hold my routines fairly easy. That’s been my routine for a very long time now — I don’t do loads. I don’t must as a result of we accomplish that a lot preparation within the health club main as much as [competitions]. For instance, we do stress units, which is when everybody comes over to observe you do your set. That means by the point you get to a contest, it feels second nature.
So on the day of a contest, I rise up, eat breakfast, hearken to music on the way in which, and get within the mindset of ‘OK — let’s do that.’
mbg: What meals allow 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 an enormous competitors? I imply I am unable to think about attempting to go to sleep earlier than one thing as huge because the Olympics!
Douglas: To be sincere, on the finish of the day my physique is simply so drained. Gymnastics may be very arduous. For instance, lately we went like 30 days straight of apply 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 apply, then coming again later within the day for an additional.
So our our bodies are drained — we actually do want the remaining.
mbg POV
Mbg: Gymnastics is notoriously arduous on the physique. How do you take care of it after?
mbg: Being an expert gymnast comes with a lot stress. How do you discover that child-like pleasure that made you fall in love with the game to start with?
Douglas: It’s so true — so usually mother and father will say to me, “Hey, how can I get my daughter to be at your degree?” I’m like, “No — let her take pleasure in it first. She’s a child.”
Generally we [professional gymnasts] want we may return and begin that journey once more, when it’s joyous and joyful. Once you become old is once you begin considering, Oh that is one thing else.
However we do attempt to hold it enjoyable within the health club with me and my teammates. We like to seek out alternative ways to snicker and be joyful and have banter right here and there. As a result of if not, the game is simply that a lot tougher—and gymnastics is already actually arduous. It’s necessary to seek out alternative ways to maintain it enjoyable.
So usually mother and father will say to me, ‘Hey, how can I get my daughter to be at your degree?’ I ’m like, ‘No — let her take pleasure in it first. She’s a child.’
Mbg: That’s a extremely nice perception. It’s a must to discover the enjoyment first! What about for younger girls who need to take their sport extra severely—what recommendation do you’ve got for them, as somebody who grew to become an expert athlete?
Douglas: Do not hand over. Regardless of if it is gymnastics or basketball, simply don’t hand over.
And also you don’t need to take it to the skilled degree, however I do encourage ladies to remain in some form 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 workforce mates — what qualities make an excellent teammate? How do you present up on your teammates?
Douglas: I simply attempt to meet everybody the place they’re. Some circumstances which means not pushing somebody too arduous — and as a substitute, 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’m right here for you. So simply assembly of us the place they’re.
I used to be all the time taught to by no means finish on a nasty day.
Mbg: What qualities about your self are you most pleased with and why?
Douglas: My perseverance and drive. I used to be all the time taught to by no means finish on a nasty day. So I all the time attempt to hold going and ensure I depart the whole lot on a excessive notice.
Like, even in the event you didn’t 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 understand you place your all into one thing. For me, I need to make sure that I put my all into one thing and by no means have regrets on the finish of the day.