Let's do some serious relaxing
As a player of the Dutch Female Volleyball team I play a lot of important games and tournaments; all over the world. Therefore our team travels a lot. After weeks of traveling, training and playing, fortunately we also get some days off to relax. Especially for top class athletes it’s super important to give your body a break and to reset your mind. So what do I do when it’s time to relax?
Power napping
If we are on tournaments we live according a strict schedule. Your body learns exactly when it is time to relax. A powernap is an important part of this schedule. It might sound a bit granny-ish, but sleep is the best recovery for your body. When I just had become a professional athlete I was a bit skeptic about it, but now I really enjoy my powernap after a heavy training day. Even if it’s only ten minutes, it really fuels up your body.
Game time
In the evenings we often watch a movie together with the whole team or play games. Although, playing games with people who are always focused on winning is not always relaxing, haha! At the moment our favorite game is ’30 seconds’. Celeste, one of the other Fit Girls, is a real star at this game. I always want to team up with her, because than I know for sure that we’ll be the winners. Another game we really love to play is Werewolves of Millers Hollow. A few weeks ago we played it while we were waiting on the airport. It’s really interesting to find out who are the best liars in the team and who can be fooled the most easily.
Secret spots in Utrecht
Whenever we get off a few days in row, I always try to something that has nothing to do with volleyball. Meeting up with friends or family is what gives me the most energy. Most of the time I go out to enjoy the nature, especially because volleyball is played inside. On the picture in the header you see my Dutch friends Maartje and Deborah and me at De Munt in Utrecht. During summer it’s a great place for swimming and barbecuing and in winter people go ice-skating here.
If you ever visit Utrecht and need to do some serious relaxing, you should definitely check out my top 5 secret spots:
- De Munt
- Park Lepelenburg
- Tea house Rhijnauwen
- Dom Garden
- The Old Hortus
Me and my brother at Tea house Rhijnauwen
Now I am wondering: how do you relax after sports? Tell me! If your wanna know how our team is doing, please follow us on Facebook.
