September 02, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and way of life director at mindbodygreen and host of the wonder 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 Artistic / courtesy of supply
September 02, 2024
We love celebrating ladies on the high of their recreation. In our new sequence Recreation On, we’re interviewing high athletes about their well-being routines—protecting every part from vitamin that makes them really feel sturdy to the moments that convey them pleasure.
Throughout her last yr enjoying basketball at Stanford College, Cameron Brink turned a family title. It was a watershed yr for ladies’s basketball—one through which the NCAA championship match garnered record-breaking views and younger athletes turned instantaneous superstars.
And whereas Brink’s fame appeared to occur in a single day, it was clearly the results of years of laborious work and a powerful school profession. Her group was the 2021 NCAA champions and four-time Pac-12 champions from 2021 to 2024. Brink herself has earned a number of Pac-12 Participant of the 12 months awards, a three-time Related Press All-American, WBCA Defensive Participant of the 12 months award, and extra. And earlier this yr, she turned the second total choose within the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
I used to be capable of snag a while with Brink whereas she’s recovering from an ACL damage, and we chatted about what this previous yr has been like for her, how she’s adjusting to her routine within the WNBA, and the way she cares for herself.
mindbodygreen: what are your recreation day necessities?
Cameron Brink: I am nonetheless getting my routine down [now that I’m in the WNBA], however one factor I discover important is a nap. I didn’t was a napper, however now I take one earlier than each single recreation. I additionally wish to hearken to a meditation on my telephone. For me, it’s nearly taking time for myself.
I additionally love having an Ollipop. I’ve a candy tooth—I’ve to have a candy deal with day by day—and having a superb beverage available helps fulfill that. My favourite one is Watermelon Lime. I would like issues that give me pleasure on recreation day, as a result of they are often so annoying. It’s about attempting to steadiness all of it out.
mbg: I can think about recreation days are annoying. How do you mentally put together going right into a recreation?
Brink: I’ve been doing a little long-term work main as much as the video games by working with a sports activities psychologist. By means of the WNBA we now have some nice individuals to work with, which has been superior. However that work takes extra time.
Within the second, I wish to take a while to do breathwork. It is crucial for me to have that point to recenter.
I used to be such a skeptic of it earlier than. I used to be like, Actually? My breath goes to do all that? But it surely’s develop into my greatest device! The video games could be such a loud, loopy atmosphere—so something that you need to use to settle down at the start will get loopy is necessary.
Don’t get me improper, I additionally hearken to music and we’ll dance as a group—so it is a mixture of each. However I am positively a extra anxious individual, so to prepare for these varieties of environments it’s necessary to calm down.
mbg: talking of settling down—I can think about sleep could be laborious earlier than large video games. What’s your sleep routine?
Brink: The most effective factor I’ve discovered is to simply construct your habits to allow them to be constant. That manner whenever you do it earlier than mattress, it simply feels such as you’re going via what you’re doing each evening—even on the nights earlier than large occasions.
I’m going via my complete skincare routine—I like skincare—after which my boyfriend and I’ll watch a present collectively. You’re actually not purported to be on screens earlier than mattress, so we not less than attempt to put our telephones away.
Total, it’s simply conserving each evening as regular as attainable. I bear in mind in school earlier than a nationwide recreation I attempted to do all these loopy, various things. However I believe the nights you turn it up, you find yourself being extra anxious.
mbg: what meals make you’re feeling strongest?
Brink: I am not a choosy eater—I am additionally not the healthiest eater. However in fact, I make sure that I get my fundamentals.
I’ll do a bowl or one thing the place I can eat complicated carbs like a candy potato, wholesome fat like an avocado or olive oil, and a superb quantity of protein. Earlier than video games, it’s extra carbs.
And like I stated I’m a giant candy deal with individual—so I get that after a day often.
mbg: What’s your restoration routine? How do you take care of your physique after a recreation or apply?
Brink: My favourite restoration model is Hyperice by far. They’ve one of the best restoration boots. I used to be given a pair which can be transportable—not those you plug into the large battery—which is nice as a result of we journey a lot. With the ability to convey them with me in all places has been nice.
It’s all about getting the blood flowing, particularly whenever you’re on a airplane. It’s actually dangerous to simply be sitting and being so sedentary.
mbg: What are some stuff you stay up for off the court docket? I do know you’re recovering proper now…
Brink: I’ve actually type of leaned into being a girly woman, particularly this season. I like to buy. I love to do my make-up. I love to do my skincare. I really feel prefer it’s tremendous meditative for me, preparing for issues.
I even have a model new pet. She’s been the sunshine of my life proper now. She’s such a superb woman and pets are actually remedy.
mbg: You’ve talked about magnificence twice now so I’ve to ask—what merchandise are you loving proper now? I’m a magnificence author myself, so I’ve to know…
Brink: I really feel like in one other life I might evaluate merchandise.
mbg: You’ll be able to nonetheless do it!
Brink: You understand, you are proper—I would like to complete my undergrad first although.
Like for instance—I by no means sleep in my make-up, however final evening I did, and once I awakened, it nonetheless seemed good. I’m a real testomony to the truth that you may sleep in your make-up and it’ll nonetheless look good.
mbg: We’re on this actually wonderful second in sports activities proper now through which ladies’s sports activities are getting a lot extra consideration than they’ve up to now, which I believe is nice for little women to see. Ladies have so many extra position fashions to look as much as! What recommendation would possibly you’ve gotten for them?
Brink: I really maintain a camp for younger women in Beaverton, Oregon. It is in all probability my fourth yr doing the camp now. It’s only for Oregon women now, nevertheless it’s all about giving again to them.
And my essential messaging is simply to remain concerned in sports activities! Or even when your interest shouldn’t be a sport—perhaps on the finish of the day, you’re identical to I actually don’t like sports activities—simply keep concerned in one thing the place individuals problem you. It’s necessary to really feel such as you’re rising day by day. These actions are additionally necessary for constructing bonds and friendships.
I really feel like basketball is simply such an awesome alternative for that. In the course of the camp, we clearly undergo quite a lot of ability work, however my favourite half is the lunch Q & A. We simply sit down and we now have frank conversations. I am an open guide. I inform them they’ll ask me something, and we now have nice conversations.
I’m large on giving again in what little methods I can.
mbg: Talking of constructing bonds—being a teammate is clearly such a giant a part of basketball. What makes an awesome teammate? How do you present up in your group?
Brink: [Since my ACL injury] I really feel like my position on the group has modified. I really feel prefer it’s given me the chance to pour in all the way in which into being an awesome teammate and being there for my individuals. Recreation days look totally different for me proper now, however I can nonetheless sit on the bench and be an awesome cheerleader for my teammates.
I really feel like within the WNBA, there’s a stigma of veterans solely searching for themselves. Or that the persons are solely there for the paycheck. However my group is admittedly particular.
So whereas it sucks being out, I get quite a lot of pleasure pouring into them and being there.
mbg: You understand, enjoying basketball professionally is fascinating as a result of it’s clearly one thing that you simply love and have beloved your complete life—nevertheless it’s additionally a job. And a annoying job at that. In what moments can you discover that child-like pleasure once more?
Brink: It’s been such a loopy yr for me, however I can actually say that I’m so fortunate to play this sport for a residing as a result of day by day is crammed with so lots of these little pockets of pleasure. Strolling into the gymnasium with my new pet. Speaking with my teammates. Making these bonds. I additionally discover quite a lot of pleasure on recreation days.
I really feel prefer it’s what you make it. So it’s necessary to have a constructive mindset.
