Because elite athletes, like Olympians and Paralympians, depend on their bodies to perform at their absolute best when that starting gun goes off, you can bet their self-care routines are winning strategies.
Self-care is the steps you take to tend to your physical and emotional health to the best of your ability. By definition it refers to all the things you do for your body and mind that keep you functioning optimally, explains Susan Masterson, PhD, a psychologist in Lexington, Kentucky, whose work focuses on the role of self-care in managing chronic conditions.
When it comes to Olympians’ and Paralympians’ self-care routines, they’re not just about optimizing physical performance. It’s a mental game, too. Evidence suggests elite athletes are particularly prone to stressors that can increase their vulnerability to mental health battles, including injury, burnout, and public scrutiny, according to a systematic review published in February 2016 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Numerous top athletes have spoken out about the importance of prioritizing their mental health in order to perform, including Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Michael Phelps.
So what can we learn from athletes? Here’s a roundup of top self-care practices from nine top athletes who are competing in this winter’s Olympic and Paralympic games.
“I make time every morning for 10 minutes of meditation or mindfulness to check in with my body and see how I’m feeling,” says the American pairs figure skater Ashley Cain-Gribble. And she sets aside 30 minutes each night to stretch before bed to help her body unwind from an intense day of training.
What the self-care expert says Mindfulness can be incredibly helpful for both mental and physical health, Dr. Masterson says. “By keeping our mind in the moment and suspending judgment or opinions about stressful situations, we can improve mood and relieve chronic pain.” A review in the June 2017 Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences concluded that mindfulness meditation engages multiple brain mechanisms that can help reduce the experience of pain.
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The American alpine skier and three-time Olympic medalist Mikaela Shiffrin revealed in an interview with People magazine in June 2020 her struggles with pressure and performance anxiety. Shiffrin, who plays piano and guitar, told People: “Music is a really powerful tool that can help us feel things more deeply. … It can also help us to drive and control our own mindset and emotions, or it can take control of us." She finds joy inventing acoustic versions of songs in order to share in what the songwriter may have felt when putting pen to paper, she's previously said.
What the self-care expert says Music is powerful, Masterson says. “There is a concept called ‘brain entrainment,’ in which your brain waves begin to sync up with the music.” A study published in 2018 in the journal Work suggested music can help people achieve a meditative state or concentrated thought.
The American speed skater and two-time Olympian Erin Jackson says her self-care is all about optimizing recovery and sleep. Part of this routine includes daily tart cherry juice. Research indeed links cherry juice to potential benefits like better sleep and improved muscle recovery, though the evidence for the latter was found in elite athletes who were performing at a peak fitness level, according to a review published in 2017 in the journal Current Sports Medicine Reports. (Jackson is a brand ambassador for Cheribundi, a beverage company that makes tart cherry juice drinks.)
In terms of other steps for muscle recovery, Jackson says: “I think regular stretching and massages are really important — I love a good massage gun!”
What the self-care expert says Feeding your body nutrient-dense foods can absolutely help set you up to perform better, Masterson says (whether it's dominating on the Olympic speed-skating track or your personal grocery shopping obstacle course). There’s no lack of evidence that a healthy diet promotes good long-term health; a review published in 2020 in BMJ concluded that among those benefits are reduced inflammation and better mental health.
Jackson’s stretching and massage-gun routine meets these ends, too, Masterson says. “Stretching regularly and massage, even for non-athletes, will not only help prevent muscle tension and pain, but send calming signals to the brain, in turn serving the whole body.”
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Meditation and positive imagery are the self-care practices of the Paralympian wheelchair curler Stephen Emt. He says he pictures curling shots repeatedly in preparation for competition. Additionally, he says: “My daily physical preparation entails 45 minutes of cardio, followed by 45 minutes in my infrared sauna to help detoxify my body and manage aches and pains that result from physical workouts.”
What the self-care expert says Following physical activity with something to promote muscle recovery is really ideal, whether you’re training for a competitive sport or recovering from a strenuous gym session, Masterson says. And mentally rehearsing a challenging task is beneficial as well, since it engages the parts of your brain that will be responsible for carrying out the task.
Research published in December 2016 in Basic and Applied Social Psychology concluded that imagery in sports is indeed beneficial in improving objective performance. Masterson says it can also help you build confidence when you imagine yourself performing well, correcting errors, and reaching personal achievements in any realm, whether it's work, your studies, hobbies, or relationships.
The American biathlete Paul Schommer (who has spoken out about overcoming an eating disorder in his teens, according to NBC News) prepares for training and competing with prayer and journaling. “Prayer helps me center myself and puts my heart in a good place,” he says. “And journaling helps me process thoughts better.”
What the self-care expert says Masterson says there's a good deal of evidence that spirituality has positive effects on health; more specifically, the act of prayer has shown benefits to the cardiovascular system (in a study that looked at the effects of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on heart rate variability), immune system, and mood. And journaling is a common strategy people use to clarify their thinking and identify thoughts that interfere with well-being, Masterson says.
The American-born Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu made skiing history as the first woman to land a forward double cork 1440 during a practice session, according to the International Olympic Committee. She’s also launching a modeling career. How does she restore her mind and body? “Ten hours of sleep a night is uncompromisable!” she said in a July 2021 interview with Vogue.
What the self-care expert says It’s no secret that sufficient sleep is imperative to your mental health, cognitive function, and emotional management. Masterson notes that 10 hours may be unfeasible, unnecessary, or even too much for many of us. While some elite athletes can benefit from sleeping 9 or more hours per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation, for other healthy adults, oversleeping is associated with some health risks. For most healthy adults, 7 to 9 hours of sleep is recommended each night for optimal daily performance and health.
Facing the winter elements can quickly dry up your skin, which is why the American snowboarder and Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim makes time for her skin-care routine. “It’s taking 10, 20 minutes out of your day just to take care of yourself,” she told Self in a February 2020 interview. Her routine includes a thorough wash with a rubber cleansing brush and foam cleanser, a softening combination of toner and moisturizer, a paraben-free moisture cream, and a hydrating sleep mask for the lips.
What the self-care expert says A daily skin-care routine can definitely be a positive self-care ritual, especially at night before bed to condition your mind to start the wind-down process and prep your body for sleep, Masterson says. “Activating the touch receptors in your skin also adds another layer of signal to the brain that helps your relaxation response kick in.”
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Epsom salt baths help the American pairs figure skater and Olympic bronze medalist Alexa Knierim find relief from pain and sore muscles, she says. “I typically have a fun bath bomb, candles lit, and a good book to get lost in, which calms me down and refreshes my body!”
What the self-care expert says Taking time to shut out the world and absorb some pleasure from a bath and calming smells in a relaxing environment is one way to mentally escape and ease stress and tension, says Masterson. A study published in 2018 in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that compared with a hot shower, a warm bath may deliver even more relaxation benefits.
The American alpine skier Jacqueline Wiles says she too is a fan of an Epsom salt bath after a grueling day on the slopes. Another favorite self-care practice, she says: “I use deep breathing techniques leading up to my run to really calm and center myself, which has helped me a ton when battling nerves.”
What the self-care expert says Deep breathing is a powerful self-care technique that anyone can practice to slow down the breath, which helps activate the healing branch of the nervous system (the parasympathetic nervous system, which bring stress levels down) and allows you to focus more deeply, Masterson says. Deep abdominal breathing allows more oxygen to enter the body and more carbon dioxide to exit, thereby relaxing the body, slowing the heartbeat, and lowering or stabilizing blood pressure, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
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