EXCLUSIVE: Sally Pearson OAM on managing wellness, self-care, fitness and motherhood
Olympic gold medallist, Sally Pearson spills all about her favourite tips to get active, energised, and healthy before the year comes to an end.
By Sally Pearson, OAM
Before I became a mum, my outlook towards wellness and self-care was purely physical – it was all about preparing my body for my next competition and ensuring that my body was in peak condition.
After my retirement and the birth of my daughter, Ruby, my perspective changed drastically. Now, my wellness and self-care routines are always centred around ensuring that I am in the best condition, both mentally and physically, and making sure that I make Body Smart choices to look after my family.
Olympic gold medallist and Nature’s Own Ambassador, Sally Pearson OAM gave birth to daughter Ruby Elizabeth in July.
My schedule is always full, especially with coaching my athletes and making sure that I save time for my family. I feel that when life gets busy, it’s easy to let go of your self-care routine, and I’m sure that many mothers feel the same way.
These days, when Ruby is in daycare, I’m always busy on the track, in meetings, doing speeches and sponsorship activities.
To maintain a boundary between my work and personal life, I like to stay organised with a plan in hand! I usually like to map out my time to visually represent the day’s tasks. By mapping out the day’s to-do list, I find it easier to keep myself accountable and adhere to Body Smart choices, especially when it comes to exercise and food.
A tip that I’m particularly fond of, is purchasing a healthy recipe book and flicking through all the recipes as a family and bookmarking the ones we’d like to eat. Not only do we spend family time together, but it also helps to reduce the stress of meal planning later in the week.
My favourite recipes often strike a healthy balance of carbs, vegetables, and protein. When your diet is filled with wholesome fresh produce and plenty of vitamins, you’ll notice a difference in your energy levels, and your body will thank you for it.
As Australia’s top hurdler, now turned coach for Australia’s rising track and field stars, Sally is all about inspiring the next generation of Australians to be smarter with their health, bodies, and mindset.
To stay Body Smart, we squeeze in plenty of family adventures to keep our bodies moving. Any opportunity I get to take Ruby out of the house into the fresh air is an opportunity we will never miss.
Living on the Gold Coast means I can take Ruby to the beach, which I do quite a lot. We also love the park, taking a picnic blanket and having lunch in nature is one of our favourite things to do. I see these activities as my form of self-care, and by the end of the day, we feel refreshed and rejuvenated – not to mention they definitely work up a good appetite and set us up for a good night’s sleep.
Sally Pearson’s tips for staying active as a mum
We know that staying active as a mum can be tough. Learning from my experiences in the past year as a new mum, here are some of my top five tips to be Body Smart before the year comes to an end:
- My first tip to get active is to make a start. Everyone has to start somewhere. You can do it!
- Set yourself realistic goals. Setting yourself small goals will keep you motivated and on-track.
- Make your exercise routine a habit. It may take months before it does, but just keep going.
- Find what works best for you. There is no point in trying to do what others are, do what feels right for you and your body.
- Finally, make it fun. There are so many ways to work out or get fit. For mums who like low intensity workouts, a stroll in the park or yoga would be perfect. For others, going for a run or participating in group cardio exercises can also be a lot of fun, too! The key is, find something you enjoy, so that fitness is not a chore but a choice.
