Sam Mewis is a FIFA World Cup winner and professional player for the Kansas City Current. However, when it comes to her recovery, star is just like you and me: She sticks to the basics. That includes a consistent eight-hour sleep schedule, proper nutrition, and a little help from a few beloved products.
Sticking to the Basics of Sleep
You won鈥檛 catch Mewis sacrificing her shut-eye. 鈥淭he older I鈥檝e gotten, sleep has become such a big part of my routine,鈥 Mewis says. 鈥淚 need eight hours of sleep, or I honestly don鈥檛 feel good at all.鈥
For Mewis, the secret to restful sleep lies in the preparation. Mewis tries to go to bed by 9 PM and wake up at 7 AM every day. She also stays away from screens before hitting the pillow as much as possible. Whether it鈥檚 through sipping tart cherry juice (as she often does) or taking some melatonin and reading, for her, the regular wind-down routine is critical.
It鈥檚 an ethos , DC, the founder and chief wellness officer of , echoes as well: Adults need sleep routines. When you鈥檙e a kid, you鈥檙e taught to get ready for bed at a certain time and have an established pattern, he says. Those principles shouldn鈥檛 disappear when you become independent. For example, if you鈥檙e plugging away on emails at 11:30 PM and expect to fall asleep at 11:32 PM, your brain doesn鈥檛 work like that, Wersland says. You have to help nudge your body into the restful state sleep requires. Regular routines鈥攃oupled with a lack of screens鈥攈elp solidify that.
Eating Well
Recovery is about much more than sleep and stretching鈥攊t鈥檚 also about food. 鈥淎s women, we鈥檙e trained so much by society to watch what we eat,鈥 Mewis says. 鈥淏ut as an athlete and as someone who is trying to heal, recover, and be strong, I need to eat a lot.鈥 To this end, Mewis focuses her attention on what foods can fuel her鈥攁nd directly benefit her athletic performance on the field.
That doesn鈥檛 mean she鈥檚 snacking on bland protein bars. It鈥檚 actually the opposite case: Her husband is a chef. And while Mewis focuses on her vegetable and protein intake, she says she鈥檒l eat whatever dish he places in front of her. In the mornings, she says she loves to have a frittata. Her husband will prepare it on the weekends, and she鈥檒l eat it throughout the week with toast and vegetables. Because, yes, even professional athletes need meal prep.
Turning to the Tools
There鈥檚 a reason why so many athletes turn to massage guns (results!), and Mewis is no exception. While she loves Therabody鈥檚 , Mewis often employs the as an on-the-go option.
But she also loves the company鈥檚 鈥攁nd she鈥檚 not the only one. Like a massage gun, these small dots stimulate your muscles to relieve pain and improve performance. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see a lot of people around the locker room with the PowerDots on before we go out and play,鈥 she says.
Mixing Hot and Cold
Following practice, you won鈥檛 find Mewis lingering in one place for too long. 鈥淚 love contrast,鈥 she says. That means mixing temperatures and braving the extreme heat and frigid cold. She often rotates between an ice tub and a hot tub in a single sitting. And when she has the time, she loves to spend 20 minutes jogging and stretching鈥攊n the pool. 鈥淚 think the compression of the pool is super valuable for swelling and soreness.鈥
Because of Mewis鈥檚 current knee injury, she鈥檚 intentional with her recovery. 鈥淓specially with the injury I鈥檓 dealing with, swelling is a big deterrent to me being able to perform and play,鈥 she says. As a result, she spends a lot of time with compression products, including that many stars swear by, as well as the , a therapeutic device.
You may see professional athletes plop bags of ice on their muscles and joints after a game. And while there鈥檚 nothing wrong with some icing, it may not be the most effective approach to supporting tired muscles. Wersland explains that when you throw a bag of ice on your legs, your skin may stay cold initially, but over time, the ice starts to melt, making the treatment gradually less effective. However, when you use a temperature-regulated device, like the sleeve Mewis uses, it stays at 46.4 degrees, a therapeutic temperature, for the entire session.
Professional athlete or amateur, we could all stand to take a little something from Mewis鈥檚 routine: rest, fuel, and take care of our joints and muscles. Here鈥檚 to winning big in the ways that matter.