mbg Magnificence Director
mbg Magnificence Director
Alexandra Engler is the sweetness director at mindbodygreen and host of the sweetness 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
July 15, 2024
We love celebrating ladies on high of their sport. In our new collection Sport On, we’re interviewing high athletes about their well-being routines—overlaying every part from vitamin that makes them really feel robust to the moments that carry them pleasure.
Heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics to symbolize Workforce USA in seaside volleyball is a famous person duo referred to as TKN. Final week, we chatted with one-half of that pair, 27-year-old Taryn Kloth—and right now, we get to meet up with the opposite half, 26-year-old, 5-foot-6-inch athlete Kristen Nuss.
The duo heads into the Olympics with a number of buzz: They presently rank second on the earth and effortlessly clinched the primary spot on Workforce USA with almost three months left to spare throughout the qualifying timeline.
With visions of gold within the not-so-distant future, Nuss chatted with me all about how she’s making ready her physique for the street forward, how she finds psychological readability, and what equipment she should have along with her on the sand.
mindbodygreen: You are preparing for the Paris Olympics. The brightest highlight on the largest stage. How do you mentally put together for giant matches?
Kristen Nuss: My strategy could also be completely different than most. I’ve discovered over time that if I get tremendous centered and “locked in” that I really do not carry out nicely. So I attempt to be a little bit extra laid again.
Taryn in all probability talked you thru our routine of listening to the identical AirPod [ed. note: In Kloth’s Game On interview, she shared that they listen to the same music by sharing AirPods during warm-ups to help them get in the same mindset]. So, in warm-ups, I simply attempt to maintain it enjoyable and relaxed. You’ll find me jamming out to no matter music is taking part in in my head. Chatting with our coaches.
I am not tremendous centered—retaining it very gentle. It is simply having enjoyable. As a result of, truthfully, that’s what I discover I must carry out my finest.
mbg: What do it’s important to have with you on the sand? What are your game-day necessities?
Nuss: In seaside volleyball, we do not have a ton of apparatus. We get on the court docket, and we’re in our bathing fits. However an absolute necessity is sun shades. I couldn’t play this sport with out sun shades.
We put on Zenni Optical Sport Performance Sunglasses. We like them as a result of they’ve a number of choices for competitors sun shades with completely different lenses and types. It is nice to have the ability to have enjoyable with it—even with the ability to match the colour of our lenses with our fits. Or relying on what the solar is doing that day, we’ll decide lenses to assist efficiency. The completely different lenses will assist with visibility based mostly on the sunshine.
For instance, if there are not any clouds and it is simply pure solar, a number of the lenses are higher for that. Or different lenses do not block as a lot of the daylight. Some lenses will assist alter the colour you are seeing—so it is a little bit yellow or a little bit darker. Numerous that depends upon your private desire.
Oh, after which sunscreen and my hat. That is just about it. That is just about all of the tools and every part that I must carry out throughout the competitors.
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: How do you sleep earlier than a giant match? As a result of lots of people wrestle with sleeping earlier than one thing huge—nonetheless one thing just like the Olympics or a giant international competitors!
Nuss: Sleeping points earlier than one thing huge is for positive a factor. There’s been numerous nights earlier than a giant sport or a championship match laying in mattress, and I am identical to, Fall asleep, fall asleep, fall asleep. However I can not shut my mind off!
If that is the case—if it is a type of nights—I are likely to concentrate on my breathing. I simply take actually deep breaths, out and in, and actually simply hone in on that. Then I am going to additionally simply begin counting and I am going to simply depend. It provides my mind one thing to do aside from take into consideration that one factor—the match. It makes my mind concentrate on one thing aside from, OK, what is going on to be the climate tomorrow? What is the play? How am I going to carry out?
Apart from that, earlier than I am going to mattress I wish to get off my telephone. I learn a e-book earlier than—which once more is actually useful if it is the night time earlier than a giant sport and I do know I’m going to wrestle to sleep. Studying simply helps me settle down and get off the display screen.
mbg: What meals make it easier to really feel strongest and gas your physique?
Nuss: Truthfully, earlier than a giant sport—and particularly relying on after we play—an excellent ol’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That could be a stable pregame. It is the right snack to provide the vitality and carbs that you just want. We [Kloth and I] eat them lots after we journey.
Everyday, I comply with a high-protein food plan. It is nearly consuming a ton of protein in each meal that we get. I personally love doing increased protein, decrease calorie, and a number of amount as a result of I’m somebody who enjoys that feeling of fullness.
Excessive protein. Low calorie. Excessive amount. That is the purpose.
mbg: How do you construct up resilience?
Nuss: I give a ton of credit score to our coach. He constructions observe the place there are some days that it is simply getting in to get reps—however then there are the times we simply get after it.
You need observe to be tougher than the sport itself. That is the place the resilience will get constructed—in these observe moments while you’re in a extremely exhausting drill, he is simply crushing balls at you, then you definately’re having to do some type of serve obtain and continually simply execute. You get to the purpose the place your mind is like, Go, go, go—however your legs are dying and simply cease working.
I really feel like should you can push via that in observe, then you definately’ll be OK. In a sport you could have adrenaline pumping via you, so you already know OK, I can get via this. That is straightforward.
mbg: What’s your favourite exercise that has nothing to do together with your sport?
Nuss: Do you take into account strolling?
mbg: Oh yeah, completely.
Nuss: Properly, I completely love simply happening a stroll. It is also simply good for the psychological facet of issues—simply leaving the telephone at dwelling and simply going for a stroll.
Particularly after we’re at these tournaments internationally and we’re at these occasions set in these wonderful locations. It is so enjoyable to discover! That is one thing Taryn and I actually get pleasure from doing—simply going out and exploring.
mbg: I am so excited by teammate dynamics and what makes an excellent teammate. Seaside volleyball is exclusive as a result of you could have one teammate, so I am curious—what makes an excellent teammate?
Nuss: I believe for me, an incredible group is somebody that is going to instill confidence in you and construct you up. Particularly in seaside volleyball, you want your different half on the court docket to achieve success.
I’ve seen conditions the place somebody would possibly get a foul set, and the teammate will roll their eyes. It is like, Why are you tearing down your associate? Your associate is the one one that you want essentially the most to succeed at this.
So I believe an excellent teammate is somebody who instills that confidence and belief in you throughout these exhausting instances, like say, while you aren’t taking part in your finest sport. A great time goes to be somebody who remains to be there they usually’ll nonetheless have utmost belief.
I believe that’s one thing that Taryn does a lot for me. I do know that she trusts me a lot that in exhausting instances she nonetheless believes in me. And that perception is one thing that is exhausting to return by.
mbg: What recommendation do you could have for younger ladies or ladies who need to play volleyball?
Nuss: Dream huge—no dream is simply too huge.
I am a little bit undersized in comparison with most different seaside volleyball gamers. Each single time I turned on the TV, nobody appeared like me height-wise. I might lookup the heights of gamers and everybody was a minimum of 2-3 inches taller than me. However I simply saved on going.
Do not let anybody inform you you could’t.