mbg Magnificence Director
mbg Magnificence Director
Alexandra Engler is the wonder director at mindbodygreen and host of the wonder podcast Clear Magnificence Faculty. 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
August 11, 2024
We love celebrating ladies on the high of their sport. In our new sequence Recreation On, we’re interviewing high athletes about their well-being routines—protecting every thing from diet that makes them really feel robust to the moments that carry them pleasure.
Taking part in on Group USA Volleyball in the course of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 6’2” center blocker Chiaka Ogbogu simply took dwelling the silver with Group USA. She was additionally on the 2020 crew that received a gold medal within the 2020 Summer season Olympics in Tokyo.
Hailing from Texas—the place she led her highschool crew to 2 straight state championships and performed collegiate volleyball on the University of Texas Austin—she now performs internationally, most not too long ago in Turkey. And naturally, she performs for Group USA.
“I believe for younger women to see [women’s sports coverage in the media] is actually essential, as a result of I did not see that rising up,” she instructed me not too long ago. “And it is cool that I acquired up to now, however I am like, What would my journey have appeared like if I acquired to look at ladies’s volleyball as a child? Simply the concept of little women getting to look at these video games is actually particular for lots of us and future generations.”
Under, our dialog about how she cares for herself when she’s not enjoying, how she approaches diet, and what she’s going to attempt throughout her upcoming off season.
mindbodygreen: What does it imply to be a powerful lady?
Chiaka Ogbogu: It’s about recognizing your strengths and weaknesses—after which standing agency and loving your self by way of that regardless. The moments after I’ve discovered probably the most energy in myself is after I’ve been capable of acknowledge the times the place I don’t really feel my finest, however then nonetheless determining methods to help and love myself by way of these days.
mbg: I wish to speak about how you retain up your energy bodily—let’s begin with diet. What meals show you how to really feel strongest?
Ogbogu: I’ve had such an fascinating relationship with diet—studying concerning the meals that provides the very best help for what I’m doing on the courtroom versus what I believe I should be consuming in a day versus what sounds the very best.
However for me, I really feel like I’ve gotten accustomed to discovering coloration in terms of my meals. I like to ensure I’ve a number of coloration on my plate, and ensuring that it’s visually interesting to eat. I’ve labored with so many dietitians and nutritionists all through my profession—I’ve discovered that simply the presence of coloration not solely fuels your physique, nevertheless it’s good in your thoughts too. And I do know I play my finest when my thoughts can be in the precise place.
The way in which I’d describe my consuming is Mediterranean style. It’s a number of salad or grain bowls with Brussels sprouts, pickled onions, grains, and issues like that. Something you’d Mediterranean dish.
mbg: Effectively, they are saying the Mediterranean weight loss plan is among the healthiest to comply with…
Ogbogu: I play professionally in Turkey and simply fell in love with the best way they eat. So I attempt to carry it on over right here.
mbg: what’s your restoration routine?
Ogbogu: It relies upon the place we’re within the season and the way my physique’s feeling. As I’m getting older, too, my physique is telling me I should be actually good at restoration.
I don’t have a particular routine, however I’ve issues I depend on. I attempt to be good with sleep. Publish sport and put up apply, I am going to use Normatec recovery boots.
Then dietary supplements have been a extremely huge game-changer for me, particularly on the street. I take sleep aids and issues that assist your physique recuperate—like magnesium, calcium, issues like that.
I am at all times open to new restoration concepts. It’s been cool to see what different athletes do in different sports activities, and see if I can take a bit from them.
mbg: what’s the craziest factor you’ve accomplished within the hopes of optimizing your efficiency?
Ogbogu: I do not know if something I’ve accomplished has been tremendous loopy. I’ve seen athletes who do oxygen chambers or like sleep chambers.
I’ve accomplished cryotherapy. For me, that was excessive as a result of I hate being chilly.
Once I transfer into this off season, one in every of my objectives is simply to attempt all these loopy strategies I see different athletes do to see if it makes a distinction.
mbg: What are your favourite exercises that don’t have anything to do together with your sport?
Ogbogu: I’ve began doing pilates with my different teammates and I’ve seen the advantages—particularly with how properly we’ve been capable of recuperate going again into volleyball.
However developing, this would be the first time I’m having an off season in the course of the fall. So I’m excited to additionally get into the pickleball craze. It seems to be enjoyable and straightforward to select up! I believe this fall is actually going to be about being open to different kinds of coaching now that I’ve extra time to take action.
mbg: How do you mentally get ready for a giant match?
Ogbogu: I believe now it is completely different from after I was in faculty. It is so humorous as a result of I really feel like in faculty I wanted to get actually hyped. I used to be on all of the coffees and all of the vitality drinks. It was all about getting to love my highest state of focus, which later down the street, it is not sustainable.
Then with every stage comes new pressures. So there’s clearly extra anxieties current if you’re enjoying on the highest stage. So now it’s extra about attending to my most calm state, which has been fascinating.
I believe a part of this journey is nearly maturing. It’s about understanding that you just most likely assume your most rationally if you’re at your calmest state, versus if you’re youthful and it’s about benign spirited. Method and IQ aren’t as a lot of an element then, it’s nearly bodily.
In comparison with now, when everyone seems to be bodily. Everybody has been enjoying the sport at a excessive stage for a very long time. So then it’s all about what crew has the IQ to win.
To calm myself, I’ve been messing with a couple of completely different strategies, from meditation to sound frequency. I learn Kobe Bryant’s e book, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, and it talks about sound frequency. So I made a decision to look into it and check out it. I discovered that calming frequencies1 are purported to stage your nervous system. So now I’ve been doing that—plus experimenting with different strategies.
mbg: Resilience is such an fascinating subject, and one I discuss lots about with different athletes. I’ve discovered that a few of that resilience is innate—possibly you’re simply born with it—however the different half is educated. How do you construct resiliency in your self?
Ogbogu: I am certain there’s one thing innate in excessive performing athletes wherein we now have this dependancy to pursuing mastery. In order that’s a part of it. However I believe a number of us—and I do know particularly with the nationwide crew after which myself on a person stage—work with sports activities psychologists to assist us develop instruments to maneuver by way of sticky citations, similar to losses or high-stress video games.
They assist us acknowledge emotions, compartmentalize issues when we have to, after which transfer on from them. It’s essential to not dwell on what has occurred, be that good or unhealthy. How can we develop instruments to have the ability to acknowledge issues, compartmentalize issues, transfer by way of
For me, I am a giant journaler. I wish to dump all of it out after a nasty match. Getting it on paper will get it out of my thoughts. It permits me to bodily flip the web page on one thing, so I can mentally give attention to the subsequent factor.
However the fantastic thing about our sport is that a number of our video games are in tournaments, so that you don’t have a number of time to consider what simply occurred since you’re most likely going to be enjoying once more the subsequent day. Fortunately I’m not in a sport wherein you could have one occasion each few weeks or months—you then simply have a lot time to consider it. Our sport strikes so rapidly, there’s not a lot time to dwell on unhealthy video games.
Picture by mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
mbg: what does it imply to be an excellent teammate?
Ogbogu: I am grateful that I had that teammate expertise rising up as a child as a result of it taught me the best way to work properly with others, particularly if you come from completely different backgrounds.
I believe being an excellent teammate is first acknowledging that not everybody grew up the identical method as you or has the identical mind-set as you.I believe simply on a primary stage, understanding that helps you could have empathy.
After which the opposite essential issue is empathy. I do know my favourite teammates simply had probably the most empathy and respect for everybody round them. It didn’t matter in the event that they disagreed with somebody, they at all times knew that that individual was nonetheless essential sufficient to contribute one thing to the crew.
That’s been the best way I attempt to present up for the crew, main with empathy. It will get you actually far together with your teammates, and it additionally makes for a extra thrilling and conducive setting. It makes folks wish to present up and be round you in the event that they know they’ll belief you and be secure with you.
mbg: what recommendation would you give younger women in volleyball?
Ogbogu: Truthfully, my recommendation could be to attempt as many sports activities as you may or be a part of as many teams as you may.
I believe that was useful for me rising up as a result of I discovered lots. I performed basketball. I did Taekwondo. I took one thing from every sport as a result of I believe every sport attracts various kinds of folks and has completely different challenges.
Then attempt to keep it up for a minimum of a 12 months simply to see what you may acquire from it. As a result of as youngsters it is very easy to be like, I did not like this immediately. I am simply gonna soar to the subsequent factor. However I’m actually grateful to my dad and mom for not letting me give up issues too early. I believe there’s additionally classes in that, too. It’s about working by way of issues till you may formally determine, OK I’m actually not on this.
mbg: We’re on this actually cool second in time wherein ladies’s sports activities is getting a lot extra consideration than it has prior to now. What has that been wish to expertise first hand?
Ogbogu: I believe for us athletes, a number of us are sort of Lastly! The place has everybody been? It’s thrilling to see volleyball now rising within the States, prefer it’s thrilling for us as a result of we’ve not had an expert league but. However now it’s beginning up subsequent 12 months. And simply all of the hype and media round ladies’s basketball has been inspiring.
I believe for younger women to see it’s actually essential, as a result of I did not see that rising up. And it is cool that I acquired up to now, however I am like, What would my journey have appeared like if I acquired to look at ladies’s volleyball as a child? Simply the concept of little women getting to look at these video games is actually particular for lots of us and future generations.