December 16, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and way of life director at mindbodygreen and host of the sweetness podcast Clear Magnificence College. 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 mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
December 16, 2024
Retiring could be difficult for anybody keen about their work. However it’s notably exhausting for elite athletes, who usually should retire younger and maybe not below the circumstances they select.
However for the actually tenacious and decided, they arrive out the opposite aspect able to tackle extra challenges. Such is the case with two-time Olympian and eight-time World Champion swimmer Katie Hoff.
Hoff gained three Olympic medals whole however retired at 26 on account of a pulmonary embolism in her lung. After, she mentioned she launched into a years-long therapeutic journey that led her to the place she is at the moment: Co-host of a profitable sports activities podcast, speaker, entrepreneur, and fortunately married to her longtime associate.
Right here, how she takes care of herself at the moment.
mindbodygreen: I actually love speaking with athletes in any respect phases of their careers, however I’ve discovered a number of the most significant conversations have been with retired athletes, as a result of they provide such a singular perspective. What has been essentially the most thrilling a part of your profession and life transition put up swimming?
Katie Hoff: It’s attention-grabbing, as a result of on our podcast [Unfiltered Waters, which she cohosts with fellow former swimmer Missy Franklin] essentially the most priceless conversations usually are not individuals who have simply retired, however individuals who have been retired for a number of years.
I believe whenever you first retire, it is this whirlwind of what the heck do I do now? Who am I with out swimming or with out my sport? However now that I am 10 years eliminated, I’ve extra readability. Though, generally it nonetheless appears like I am figuring it out.
Total, essentially the most thrilling half is that I can create no matter I need. I don’t say that frivolously as a result of it may be a double-edged sword, proper?
For the longest time—when you’re coaching for and competing in your sport—you’re informed what to do and do it. You simply comply with orders in some methods. So whenever you retire, for the primary time in your grownup life, you’ve got the chance to do no matter you need.
For me, it was the belief that I had all these wonderful ability units that I’d discovered by swimming, so then I bought to consider what I may do it with. I may ask myself: What’s my ardour? What’s my objective? Whereas that may be overwhelming, in case you body it the precise manner it may be thrilling.
mbg: It’s fascinating since you tackle one of many largest challenges I can consider—the Olympics—after which after, you get to take all that ambition, and take into consideration what’s subsequent. So what has been the toughest a part of transitioning put up swimming?
Hoff: Truthfully, the identical factor! You say it is a problem to go to the Olympics, however I really assume it is extra of a problem to really feel such as you’re beginning over.
I embraced my sport at such a younger age. I imply, at actually 9 years outdated, I used to be like, I need to go to the Olympics. I need to be an Olympian. I need to win medals. So it was simply this clear-cut path for me: Comply with the method, work your butt off, and issues labored out.
So I believe the toughest half after I was finished was being an grownup and feeling like I used to be simply utterly beginning over—and I used to be beginning over behind everyone else. I used to be virtually 26 after I retired; it wasn’t of my very own accord. It was due to a pulmonary embolism in my lung. So the toughest half is discovering my ardour and objective once more—and, most significantly, not making an attempt to copy what I simply did.
If you retire from sports activities, ardour and objective are going to look very completely different. Upon getting that realization, it could possibly really feel very overwhelming and scary. So it’s about pushing by these moments to actually actually get to the opposite aspect.
mbg: Your podcast, Unfiltered Waters, has been a giant a part of what you’re keen about now, I think about. What’s that have been like?
Hoff: It’s been actually rewarding—extra rewarding that I may have presumably imagined. On a private entrance, it was a giant deal that I used to be even enthusiastic about doing the podcast and coming again to sports activities. After I retired, it was in all probability six or seven years of doing my very own therapeutic journey with my relationship with swimming and the Olympics. So on that finish, it was actually thrilling that I felt open and able to come again to the game in a roundabout way.
Then on the visitor entrance, it’s been actually fulfilling to listen to these company really feel snug to get weak. I really feel like Missy and I actually create this stress-free environment: It’s such as you’re sitting on a sofa with your folks consuming espresso. We don’t have an agenda, we simply need to foster a very trustworthy dialog about no matter that individual is feeling at that second. aAnd the stuff I hear folks say, I’ve not heard them share it earlier than in different interviews.
mbg: You talked about you went on a “therapeutic journey,” which I think about is one thing a whole lot of elite degree athletes should undergo after stepping away from their sport. What was that point like?
Hoff: The largest piece of recommendation I give folks is which you could’t skip steps. You possibly can’t power it. You don’t know when that second of decision goes to occur. It’s such a irritating reply, but it surely’s true.
After I retired, I by no means thought I might have the ability to get again to the game. I ended my profession, but it surely wasn’t by myself phrases, and I believed that was it. I believed that chapter was closed and I’m by no means going to have the ability to revisit it.
Finally, I went on a week-long intensive with The Hoffman Course of. The aim of it wasn’t to seek out decision. I used to be simply actually hurting, depressed, and I wanted one thing. I got here out of that and inside a month I had messaged Missy asking her to start out a podcast. I may by no means plan that out.
Belief me, I”m not saying I’m totally healed from every little thing, but it surely was sufficient therapeutic the place I used to be like, OK I’ve some lightness in me and I’ve some degree of decision. I really feel able to face every little thing once more and face my fears.
I used to be an enormous aid as a result of I by no means thought it might occur.
mbg: Yeah, I believe that’s very relatable — not only for athletes, however for everybody. Most folk have been in a state of affairs the place they arrive to the tip of a journey, and there’s a degree of grief and damage there. So it’s hopeful that there’s an finish there.
Hoff: I additionally really feel just like the anxiousness and concern that arises in these moments is since you really feel like it should final perpetually. There are moments the place you’re similar to, Oh my, I can not stand up to this sense for the remainder of my life. The factor I’ve discovered is it isn’t perpetually.
Sadly, you do not have a crystal ball to know that tomorrow you are going to be healed, but it surely’s simply type of taking the time, going by the steps, being in it, and leaning on the folks in your life that love you it doesn’t matter what. That’s what is going on to get you thru, but it surely’s not perpetually.
Picture by mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
mbg: I need to pivot and speak about your well-being routine these days. Let’s begin with diet. What meals assist you to really feel your strongest?
Hoff: I like a very good grass fed steak. And carbs for me are large. I may by no means do keto. I’m hangry every time I haven’t got carbs. However it’s about having good carbs, like Japanese candy potatoes or complete grain pasta. After which I am obsessive about Brussels sprouts.
So I simply really feel like a very good hearty meal is after I really feel essentially the most simply glad and fulfilled.
mbg: What are your sleep ideas?
Hoff: I positively have an knowledgeable round to assist [her husband, Todd Anderson, sleep and performance expert and founder of Dream Recovery & Performance]. However I’m in all probability somebody that folks hate as a result of I can sleep it doesn’t matter what. A twister may very well be down the road and I can sleep. If I’m careworn or one thing actually unstable is going on in my life, I can sleep. I’m simply very lucky that it doesn’t take me loads to sleep.
However I additionally really feel like I’m placing within the work. I train day-after-day. I take advantage of mouth tape. I don’t have caffeine late within the day. So clearly I’m doing a whole lot of issues that contribute to having the ability to sleep nicely. It’s all of these customary ideas that you simply usually hear, that I in all probability take with no consideration that I do.
So if persons are struggling, positively be sure you’re checking all these bins.
mbg: What’s your favourite exercise or strategy to transfer your physique?
Hoff: That has been a journey since retiring, for positive. I might say now I actually like several sort of boot camp. I like Barry’s Bootcamp, which I can go to show my mind off. I’ve not too long ago began doing power coaching with a good friend. I hate figuring out alone, and should do it with different folks. I want group.
I’ve finished two marathons and some half marathons. I’ll not being doing any extra marathons, however what it has taught me is that I like doing 5-6 miles to maneuver my physique.
So a mixture of these three facets—power coaching, boot camps, and working like 5 days per week—is the proper factor for me.
mbg: How do you construct psychological resilience? As a result of for athletes, that a part of it’s simply as vital as bodily toughness…
Hoff: I’ve at all times been somebody who believes the proof is within the pudding. Every day affirmations and issues like that aren’t my cup of tea. As a substitute, I very a lot have a look at the physique of labor. So whether or not that was after I was competing, whether or not that is now and I’m going to go do a pitch to an investor for a corporation, it’s about how a lot work I’ve put into it. What number of reps have I finished? What number of telephone calls have I made? How a lot data do I do know?
It is arming myself with the information to gasoline my confidence. That is how I can be mentally robust in conditions the place I may not be as assured, or have anxiousness.
mbg: Everybody wants a decompressing exercise. What’s yours?
Hoff: Watching a very good sequence with my canine and my husband. That’s the one sleep rule we break, is we do have a TV in our bed room. However the primary factor that helps longevity and creates a lengthy, completely satisfied life is relationships. So for us, watching an episode of a present, we’re into snuggling with our Frenchie, being collectively, and speaking by the day, that’s what actually issues.
mbg: We’re on this nice second within the zeitgeist through which girls athletes are getting extra consideration than ever. Hopefully which means extra ladies will get into and stick to sports activities. What recommendation would possibly you’ve got for these younger ladies?
Hoff: Discover a mentor. That’s one thing I discovered later in life, however I want that I had the angle and understanding to do this earlier on. There’s simply so many issues that get thrown at you. It’s exhausting to have that individual be your dad and mom or your coach. I believe having that third get together perspective, recommendation, and belief is actually, actually vital to navigate by the ups and downs of not solely being a feminine, but in addition being a feminine athlete.