Sloane Stephens’ Self-Care Ideas for Touring

One of many greatest developments in her profession that she says has been key to her success is prioritizing restoration. “Our batteries don’t keep charged perpetually, so the identical means you’d prioritize charging your digital units and preserving their battery, that you must do the identical in your physique,” says Stephens.

Utilizing classes she’s realized over time to enhance how she takes care of her physique, Stephens continues to dominate the skilled tennis scene. But that success has her touring as much as 40 weeks yearly, which may take a severe toll when mixed with so many hours of intense coaching. We spoke with the tennis champ to get her prime ideas for a way she takes care of herself on the street to ensure she’s staying wholesome and feeling her finest.

Sloane Stephens’ prime 5 self-care ideas

Stephens has had loads of apply honing her methods for staying wholesome and stopping her physique from changing into overly tight, achy, or drained throughout all that touring. Listed below are her prime 5 items of recommendation.

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1. Solely work as onerous as that you must—after which recuperate

Quite than going all out on a regular basis, Stephens and her group rigorously handle her output. “I’ve realized to give attention to very intentional and environment friendly coaching,” she notes. “We block the trip, go onerous, obtain the objectives we’ve set out, after which take ample time to permit my physique to recuperate and replenish from that exercise.”

To assist her do this, Stephens wears a WHOOP band all day day by day. “I monitor my pressure, coronary heart charge, and so on. through the day, and within the morning, I get a report on my sleep high quality,” she shares. This helps her and her group strategize on how you can adapt her coaching based mostly on the place she’s at every day.

She additionally makes certain to provide her physique what it wants, like Normatec compression boots to assist her muscular tissues recuperate after powerful classes.

2. Drink sufficient water

“Hydration is the important thing to every little thing in life—pores and skin, restoration, and general well being,” Stephens shares. “With so many variables and adjustments every week in a distinct metropolis, totally different airplane, totally different lodge room, I do know I can depend on myself to constantly hydrate and assist my physique operate at its finest.”

Remembering to drink sufficient water could be powerful, however Stephens swears by a pair methods: “I extremely suggest getting a refillable water bottle and marking it with totally different ranges and instances you wish to drink that a lot by,” she suggests. And should you get tired of plain water, she shares that she loves Lemon Good a lot that she invested within the firm. “It’s a cold-pressed lemon water with zero sugar,” she says.

3. Stretch

Stephens makes use of stretching not solely to maintain her physique free and limber, but additionally to fight muscle soreness from coaching—and on a regular basis life.

“I do loads of stretches centered on hip mobility and backbone mobility to counteract the results of sitting on planes or in my lodge room for hours on finish—issues like lumbar twists, pigeon poses, and hip flexor stretches,” she says.

She says she spends loads of time hunched over her laptop computer, so she’s additionally cautious to work on opening up her chest. “An effective way to do that is by standing within the doorway, placing my arm up at a 90-degree angle and gently urgent my forearm—you’ll really feel this in your pecs,” she says.

4. Keep organized

When Stephens is on the street for competitions or different engagements, she makes some extent to remain organized. “I maintain my lodge rooms tremendous tidy and am very organized with my baggage, laundry, and toiletry kits,” she says. “Not solely does it assist me maintain observe of all my belongings, however I’ve discovered it actually helps my thoughts keep clutter-free and centered on the job I’m there to do.”

She additionally streamlines her day by day routines to optimize her time and psychological power. As an illustration, she takes benefit of on-line instruments like Slack and Google Drive to simply keep up a correspondence along with her group and maintain tabs on every little thing she has occurring, she shares. “Taking the time to deliberately arrange these constructions and methods in all features of my life helps scale back the noise.”

5. Make wholesome consuming simple

Maintaining wholesome meals available helps Stephens keep energized for her exercises. “I maintain Quantum Vitality Squares in my tennis bag for a simple snack always,” she says. The plant-based power bar helps her keep away from the dreaded afternoon crash.

She additionally depends on tried-and-true meals choices that she is aware of gas her effectively. “I’ve been touring to the identical cities for tournaments every year for nearly 15 years at this level, so I’ve my regular routines and eating places the place I really feel comfy and may maintain a constant, predictable schedule.”

Sloane Stephens’ takeaway for feeling your finest

Self-care isn’t simply aggressive athletes: All of us should really feel our greatest, Stephens emphasizes.

“My recommendation is to simplify and keep on with what you recognize is achievable constantly,” she says. “With journey selecting up and our lives seemingly getting busier by the minute, consider your self-care routine as a possibility to deal with your self with kindness and spend these 5, 10, quarter-hour checking in together with your thoughts and your physique.”