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 Inventive / courtesy of supply
September 02, 2024
We love celebrating girls on the prime of their recreation. In our new collection Sport On, we’re interviewing prime athletes about their well-being routines—protecting every little thing from diet that makes them really feel robust to the moments that deliver 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 during which the NCAA championship event 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 formidable faculty profession. Her crew 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 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks.
I used to be in a position to snag a while with Brink whereas she’s recovering from an ACL harm, 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 take heed 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-after-day—and having a very good beverage readily available helps fulfill that. My favourite one is Watermelon Lime. I want issues that give me pleasure on recreation day, as a result of they are often so nerve-racking. It’s about attempting to steadiness all of it out.
mbg: I can think about recreation days are nerve-racking. How do you mentally put together going right into a recreation?
Brink: I’ve been performing some long-term work main as much as the video games by working with a sports activities psychologist. By the WNBA now we 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? However it’s develop into my greatest device! The video games will be such a loud, loopy atmosphere—so something that you should utilize to settle down at first will get loopy is essential.
Don’t get me fallacious, I additionally take heed to music and we’ll dance as a crew—so it is a mixture of each. However I am undoubtedly a extra anxious particular person, so to prepare for these kinds of environments it’s essential to calm down.
mbg: talking of settling down—I can think about sleep will be laborious earlier than massive video games. What’s your sleep routine?
Brink: The perfect factor I’ve discovered is to only construct your habits to allow them to be constant. That manner once 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 massive occasions.
I am going via my entire skincare routine—I like skincare—after which my boyfriend and I’ll watch a present collectively. You’re actually not speculated to be on screens earlier than mattress, so we no less than attempt to put our telephones away.
General, it’s simply protecting each evening as regular as doable. I keep in mind in faculty 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 are feeling strongest?
Brink: I am not a choosy eater—I am additionally not the healthiest eater. However in fact, I ensure I get my fundamentals.
I’ll do a bowl or one thing the place I can eat advanced carbs like a candy potato, wholesome fat like an avocado or olive oil, and a very good quantity of protein. Earlier than video games, it’s extra carbs.
And like I stated I’m an enormous candy deal with particular person—so I get that when a day normally.
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 the very best restoration boots. I used to be given a pair which might be moveable—not those you plug into the massive battery—which is nice as a result of we journey a lot. With the ability to deliver them with me all over the place has been nice.
It’s all about getting the blood flowing, particularly once you’re on a aircraft. It’s actually dangerous to only 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 sort 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 very good 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 may nonetheless do it!
Brink: You realize, you are proper—I want 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 awoke, it nonetheless seemed good. I’m a real testomony to the truth that you’ll be able to sleep in your make-up and it’ll nonetheless look good.
mbg: We’re on this actually superb second in sports activities proper now during which girls’s sports activities are getting a lot extra consideration than they’ve previously, which I believe is nice for little ladies to see. Ladies have so many extra position fashions to look as much as! What recommendation may you have got for them?
Brink: I truly hold a camp for younger ladies in Beaverton, Oregon. It is in all probability my fourth yr doing the camp now. It’s only for Oregon ladies now, but it surely’s all about giving again to them.
And my primary messaging is simply to remain concerned in sports activities! Or even when your passion 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 essential to really feel such as you’re rising day-after-day. These actions are additionally essential for constructing bonds and friendships.
I really feel like basketball is simply such a fantastic alternative for that. In the course of the camp, we clearly undergo a number of ability work, however my favourite half is the lunch Q & A. We simply sit down and now we have frank conversations. I am an open e book. I inform them they will ask me something, and now we have nice conversations.
I’m massive on giving again in what little methods I can.
mbg: Talking of constructing bonds—being a teammate is clearly such an enormous a part of basketball. What makes a fantastic teammate? How do you present up on your crew?
Brink: [Since my ACL injury] I really feel like my position on the crew has modified. I really feel prefer it’s given me the chance to pour in all the best way into being a fantastic teammate and being there for my individuals. Sport days look completely different for me proper now, however I can nonetheless sit on the bench and be a fantastic cheerleader for my teammates.
I really feel like within the WNBA, there’s a stigma of veterans solely searching for themselves. Or that the individuals are solely there for the paycheck. However my crew is actually particular.
So whereas it sucks being out, I get a number of pleasure pouring into them and being there.
mbg: You realize, enjoying basketball professionally is attention-grabbing as a result of it’s clearly one thing that you simply love and have cherished your entire life—but it surely’s additionally a job. And a nerve-racking 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 dwelling as a result of day-after-day is stuffed with so a lot of these little pockets of pleasure. Strolling into the gymnasium with my new pet. Speaking with my teammates. Making these bonds. I additionally discover a number of pleasure on recreation days.
I really feel prefer it’s what you make it. So it’s essential to have a optimistic mindset.
