Rest and recovery is never more important than in summer. With temperatures soaring in the high 30s, it’s hard to go for a walk outside let alone exercise in the heat. Olympian and middle distance runner, Eloise Wellings shares her three key elements that helps her rest and recover to reach her best performance levels in summer:

Sleep

Sleep is the most important time to recover. Adequate levels of sleep help to provide mental health, hormonal balance, and muscular recovery. Getting enough sleep of seven to ten hours for most people will help you wake up refreshed and ready to take on the new day. Everyone has individual needs based on their lifestyle, workouts, and genetic makeup. Below are some tips that I find crucial for getting enough sleep.

• Hours slept before twelve at night are proven to be more effective than those slept after.
• Sleep in the most natural setting possible, with minimal to no artificial lights.
• Wakeup with the sun if possible.
• Fresh air and cooler temperatures help to improve the quality of sleep.

Hydration

Drinking adequate amounts of water is critical to health, energy, recovery, and performance. Water helps all of our functions and is particularly crucial during the hot Australian summer. A few examples of how important water in the body is that it causes a more efficient nutrient uptake, lower levels of stress on the heart, improved skin tone, and better hair quality.

The simplest way to check hydration is to look at your urine. If it is clear to pale yellow you are hydrated. The darker and more colour in it, the less hydrated you are so try to up your water intake if this is the case.

Nutrition

Everything you eat has the ability to help heal your body, or to harm it. This may sound strong, but alcohol and processed foods contain toxins and are harmful to the body. I do not like to recommend a specific diet, but eating clean and balanced meals in moderation is proven to be effective to remain healthy and increase performance. Complimenting my diet with Ubiquinol helps me derive the most energy from the food that I eat and therefore improves every function on a cellular level.