How Gold Medalist Gymnast Gabby Douglas Cares For Her Physique
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mbg Magnificence Director
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
We love celebrating girls on high of their sport. In our new sequence, Recreation On, we’re interviewing high athletes about their well-being routines—protecting the whole lot from diet that makes them really feel sturdy 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 season Olympics in London. That summer season, the nation grew to become enamored with the “Fierce 5” who took house the crew gold in girls’s gymnastics for the USA.
Douglas’ star-making performances and gravity-defying power 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 change into the Olympic particular person all-around champion and the primary U.S. gymnast to win gold in each the person all-around and crew competitions on the identical Olympics.
I used to be an intern at Sports activities Illustrated that summer season 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 mentioned, as she laughed after I instructed her about our small, principally 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 examine in together with her all these years later, study how she’s presently caring for herself and her physique, how she mentally prepares for large competitions, and what recommendation she has for younger athletes with huge desires.
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 rather a lot. I needn’t as a result of we achieve this 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 way in which, and get within the mindset of “OK—let’s do that.”
mbg: What meals assist you 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 can not 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 onerous. For instance, just lately we went like 30 days straight of observe 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 observe, then coming again later within the day for one more.
So our our bodies are drained—we actually do want the remainder.
mbg POV
mbg: Gymnastics is notoriously onerous on the physique. How do you take care of it after?
Douglas: I do numerous icing. I additionally do rather a lot with my toes. I actually grind and pound my toes 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 toes very, very clean on the beam. The chalk will dry pores and skin out, so I like utilizing a extremely hydrating foot cream, like Dr. Scholl’s Dry Cracked Foot Restore Extremely-Hydrating Foot Cream as a result of it offers moisture again into the pores and skin and again into my toes. You see a lot of our toes in gymnastics, so truthfully foot care is so necessary.
mbg: Being an expert 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 usually mother and father 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 old is once you begin considering, 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 seek out other ways to chuckle 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 onerous. It is necessary to seek out other 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 stage?” I’m like, “No — let her get pleasure from it first. She’s a child.”
mbg: That is a extremely nice perception. You must discover the enjoyment first! What about for younger girls who wish to take their sport extra critically—what recommendation do you will have for them, as somebody who grew to become an expert athlete?
Douglas: Do not surrender. Irrespective of if it is gymnastics or basketball, simply don’t surrender.
And you do not have to take it to the skilled stage, however I do encourage women 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 incredible teammate? How do you present up on your teammates?
Douglas: I simply attempt to meet everybody the place they’re. Some circumstances meaning not pushing somebody too onerous—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 of us 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 go away the whole lot on a excessive notice.
Like, even in case you did not make it—however you gave it your all—on the finish of the day, you could be glad with the consequence as a result of you recognize you set your all into one thing. For me, I wish to be certain that I put my all into one thing and by no means have regrets on the finish of the day.
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