Show Yourself Some Love

In honor of Valentine's Day I thought I'd write something having to do with love--no this is not going to be some mushy post about fairy tale romance, it has to do with showing yourself some love!  Many times, as athletes, we beat our bodies to the ground and don't respond when our body is crying for attention--this is where illness and injury are created!  I have written before about being patient when you're injured and doing the right things to come back strong, but I think it's important to acknowledge the signs far before you ever acquire an injury or illness.

Taking the time to do the "little things" right makes all the difference in preventing illness and injury!

Six easy things you can do to Show Yourself Some Love:

-Monitor your resting heart rate when you wake up each morning--if you notice a jump in numbers, take some Vitamin C and maybe skip a workout until it returns to normal (how do I get my resting heart rate?)

-Drink hot, non-caffeinated tea before bed time--take an extra 10 min to relax and soak in all the awesome things you did for yourself and your training that day (my fav. is Celestial Seasonings, Sleepytime tea!)

TP Pain Session--hurts so good

-Wear compression--it may not look very attractive but it does aid in recovery, so throw some socks on when you get out of the shower and you could be saving yourself from future injury--or at least some soreness! (Grab some at TRIBE)

-Roll out! Foam rolling is amazing for not only preventing injury, but helping you recover faster so you can kill your next workout (my fav. roller is Trigger Point Therapy)

Our new pup, Caeli, is the queen of Beauty Sleep!

-Bundle up--when the temps drop make sure to wear enough layers on rides and runs so that your core temp stays nice and high--forcing your body to fight the cold can break down your immune system and make you more prone to illness (Arm Warmers, Vest and Jackets!)

-Get your beauty sleep--when you're catching zzz's, your body is hard at work repairing your muscles, metabolizing your food and fighting infection/inflammation so be sure to allow your body the rest it needs when you're challenging it daily!

None of the things I've mentioned are groundbreaking, but making yourself do these little things right on a regular basis will make a world of difference!

So go, show yourself some love!