Recover like a champ with these 4 tips from the world’s fastest female runner

The Winter Olympics are a wrap, but fear not enthusiasts—the summer Olympians are already in full-on prep mode for the 2020 games in Tokyo. And Tori Bowie, the world’s fastest female runner, who took home gold, silver, and bronze in Rio in 2016, is training hard. (Six plus hours a day hard!)

So, how does she recover from her most arduous running and weight lifting workouts? First of all, she makes sure to take one entire day off each week to tune into her body’s needs. “Every Wednesday is kind of a recovery day where I spend time on myself,” she says. A whole day for self care? That’s something I can *definitely* get behind.

Yup, it’s safe to say that this Olympic cool girl is basically redefining sweatspo, both on and off the track.

Keep scrolling for the 4 recovery tips Tori Bowie swears by to help her body bounce back from super-intense workouts.

1. Sip a beet smoothie between workouts

After the track, and before hitting the weight room, Bowie heads to her favorite smoothie spot for a quick re-fuel. Her go-to blend always includes beets (an ingredient that athletes laud for delivering more oxygen to their muscles), carrots (which are stocked with Vitamin A and antioxidants), pineapple or kale to finish things off, and a handful of chia seeds for an extra energy boost.

2. Stretch it, massage it

It’s no secret that runners tend to have seriously tight muscles, so Bowie keeps hers loose with frequent massage. The Olympian says her massage therapist works on her hips the majority of the time. “The body’s like one big X, and if you start having problems with your hips, then you’ll usually start having problems with your shoulders,” she says. Bowie also loves a stretch rope to reach her muscles on a deeper level (you know, for days when you can’t quite touch your toes).

3. Incorporate balance work

The track star says that keeping your body in harmony will help you perform your best, while still keeping your alignment in check. “In order to improve your sprints, the body has to be balanced,” she says, quoting her coach’s training wisdom. Bowie swears by the Bosu ball—a killer tool you’ll find at your local gym.

4. Do what makes *you* feel refreshed

For Bowie, recovery means treating herself to a day at the sauna, clocking eight hours of sleep every night, and making sure she’s getting all the fruits, veggies, carbs, and protein she needs. But finding a recovery routine that fits you, she says, will ultimately get you back in ship-shape condition. That could mean a super dreamy bath, Netflix with your gal pals, or cryotherapy. In other words, you do you.

Here’s why your next training session should definitely include some expletives and the simple secret for preventing post-run backaches. 

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