Skin care for Athletes

A proper skin care routine is important, especially for athletes who get sweaty every day.

I know as BJJ ladies we don't mind roughing it up so much. Being sweaty with messy hair and eternally in sports gear or a gi seems to be our default look. But underneath that disheveled exterior I think most of us like to have nice smooth skin. There are two ways that we can maintain good skin, one is from eating the right foods and staying hydrated, and the other is from using good skin care products and having a good skin care routine that ensures our skin is breathing and clean. 

Wash your face ASAP! 

The number one  thing you must do if you train BJJ or workout and get sweaty is to wash/shower as soon as you can right after a training session.  There are so many nasties from rolling around on the mat and the more time they have to settle on your skin, the greater the chance of ending up with something like ringworm or staph. The warm moist environment of sweaty skin is a paradise for  fungal infections. Infrequent washing also means that your skin is subjected to day to day dirt and germs which get into your pores and can lead to small lumpy inflammations and pimples. 

An antimicrobial skin cleaner/soap is a good idea from brands such as Defense Soap for your body, but I don't recommend using this on your face. If you want to wash up the nasties on your face, then something a little kinder to the skin such as tea tree oil soap that Defense Soap also makes would be a better option.

Defense soap, and with tea tree oil which is good for battling the nasties but not so harsh on your skin.

Here is the routine that you should be doing for smooth, vital skin:

Use a cleanser, not a soap bar on your face. I don't recommend that you wash your face with regular soap. The pH balance of most soaps are too harsh and they strip your skin of all the natural oils,  leaving your skin dry. Good cleansers will clean off the oil, debris, and makeup, sweat from training.

Follow with a Toner. Toners are meant to be used after cleansing. They help restore skin's pH balance after using a cleanser and they restore and repair the skin's surface after the cleansing.  

Moisturize every morning  and night. I think it is important to use a day cream and a night cream since they do have their differences. Most day creams tend to be a little lighter and contain an SPF sunscreen. In addition to moisturizing our faces we need to moisturizing our whole bodies. If you experience a lot of chafing from the gi or mat burn etc, this is particularly important since the chafing causes the skin to dry up and harden and can lead to ingrown hairs and clogged pores. Moisturizing after every training session will keep skin supple and soft. 

What do I use?

For the past 6 weeks I have been using the product line recommended called Arbonne RE9 and I have seen a noticeable difference in my skin. It's is fuller and more vibrant which is perfect to prevent those fine lines from  appearing. I am quite diligent about my routine and this in and of itself has made a difference. 

Arbonne RE9, Anti aging line. This is what I use now and I am not looking back.

The package that I have fallen in love with used all natural ingredients and no harsh chemicals and includes a: cleanser, toner, renewal serum, eye cream, a SPF day moisturizer and a hydrating night cream. All this sounds like a lot, but the reality is that if you want nice skin when you are 50, this is what we have to be doing now - washing, cleansing, toning and moisturizing. There is also a men's skin care line which is awesome. 
Check out the link and let me know if you are interested in purchasing the package from me and I can get you some details.  sophiadrysdalefitness@gmail.com
https://www.arbonne.com/discover/products/re9advanced.shtml

Breaking Muscle Magazine, 7 exercises for progressive upper body and core strength

This weekend another article was published all about upper body strength training with a focus on the core and the pushing movement. It is really important that if you are an athlete that you have the strength to create a strong frame to support your spine and maintain good posture.  This article demonstrates progressive exercises to get you from push  ups on your knees all the way to more challenging exercises such as push ups on a physio ball on one leg. All it takes is patience, perserverence and practice.

http://breakingmuscle.com/bodyweight/7-core-strengthening-push-up-progressions-for-female-athletes

Performing push ups on an unstable surface such as a physio ball forces your to work your stabilizers and engage your core.

The ideal In-between training snack

You may be one of those dedicated athlete who does back to back BJJ sessions, or who goes to the gym do weights followed by a run and  then stretching. If you are training or working out for anything longer than about 2 and half hours I highly recommend taking an easy and convenient snack with you to literally shove into your mouth as you move onto the next session - regardless if you are hungry or not. Your snack does not have to be fancy, just something that will maintain your blood sugar level and keep your energy  up for the next session.  Also, by eating something in between, this will keep your metabolism elevated and ensure that your body  is more efficient at burning fat rather than storing. Eating too little and going for too long without food is a sure fire way to depress your metabolism so that it processes the calories you consume more slowly and becomes more efficient at storing the calories you do provide.  In addition if you train a lot and don't eat regularly, this can compromise your immune system so that you are more likely to get sick.

 
Here are some very easy, basic snacks to take with you on your training marathons that contain protein, fats and carbs.

1/ Sliced apple and fruit and nut mix. 

Half an apple and a handful dried fruit and nut mix is all your need. Make sure to get the mix where the fruit has not be dried with sulphates.

2/ Hard boiled egg with half a banana.

One egg and half a banana should be enough to get your energy levels up without making your feel overly full.)

Any snack will do that contains some sugars which can be broken down by the body easily to provide immediate fuel to the working muscles as well as some protein. The fat keeps things smooth and consistent. These example so some good sources of fat, derived from nuts and the yolk in the egg. 

Lifestyle camp starting April 30 is just around the corner

The lagoon, where we can relax after a tough training session

The next Lifestyle Camp is just around the corner, starting April 30th the lucky ladies who have signed up will be enjoying a plethora of yummy home cooked healthy food, BJJ training, and some body balancing which is all necessary when you are an athlete. 
We will be visiting my favourite mediation center where we will do a guided meditation that will take us to a place of such deep peace and relaxation and also to some zen places near the lakes (who would have thought there were lakes in Las Vegas?)

This is going to be fun! I am looking forward to meeting some more incredible women through  the sport we all love!!!

The next camp May 23 has filled up for the Lifestyle spots  but there is still  the opportunity for those who would like to attend the training camp in preparation for the Worlds. Contact me on Sophiadrysdalefitness@gmail.com for reservations and enquiries.

Not all healthy foods will agree with you - Heathy foods that can cause bloating.

Try eliminating foods one by one that you may think are causing bloating, to achieve that flat tummy.

Unfortunately there are lots of healthy foods that can make you bloated. Just because a food has a lot of antioxidants or is high in cancer fighting agents such as broccoli, doesn't mean that it will always react well with you. Everyone is different and understanding what works best for your body is really important so you can feel your best and have that flat tummy without looking bloated and feeling uncomfortable. Some foods known to cause bloating are: nuts, apples, avocados, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower just to name a few.  Dairy is a food group that is very well known to cause bloating which is why I don't recommend it. In fact due to all the other not so great qualities, the only dairy I recommend is organic greek style yogurt with no added sugar and all the live cultures. 

If you are eating 'healthy' and feeling bloated start by eliminating some foods from your diet to see what exactly is affecting you. 

I am Heading to Canada

BJJ Peeps of Canada on Saturday May  7th! I am heading over to Ottawa ON and I will be demonstrating some spider guard techniques and some smash passing. I will be discussing some ideas on nutrition and eating for weight loss and performance. 

Contact www.rollersofthewrorld.com to book your spot.

Stimuli, strength, stability, A 3 point system to performance training

When training for performance it is important to think outside the box and a time to get creative and have fun!

What a lot of people don't know is that gyms and weight training as we know it do not benefit the typical athlete. Most people do hypertrophy style training which is designed with  one end in mind: to build muscle that looks good. Which  is fine if you want to be a body builder. However, this type of training won't necessarily help you improve in your sport. Read on on my article published in Breaking Muscle magazine to find out why. 

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/stimuli-strength-stability-a-3-point-system-for-performance-training

Jiu JItsu times candid podcast on my life, my marriage and BJJ

https://www.jiujitsutimes.com/podcast-life-sophia-mcdermott-drysdale/

I would like to share with you all my candid podcast interview with the new host John Evans for Jiu JItsu times. In the interview I discuss my divorce and switching academies. I also discuss the differences in teaching women as opposed to men and also my future plans for women's jiu jitsu. Enjoy!