Gold Medal-Worthy Fitness Tips From Olympian Misty Hyman

With the Opening Ceremony of the XXII Olympic Winter Games just days away, we all have our minds on Sochi. Olympic athletes are known to be in peak physical condition and who wouldn’t want some pointers from the athletes themselves? We caught up with gold medalist swimmer Misty Hyman, who took Olympic gold in Sydney’s 200-meter butterfly and is currently the swim coach at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain. Misty shared her 4 top tips for getting and maintaining a strong, healthy, and gold medal-worthy body!

1. Multi-Task Your Workout

In the water you can accomplish your cardio, strength training, build your lung capacity, and meditate – all at the same time. Swimming minimizes stress on joints to avoid spending the season on the sidelines because of an injury.

2. Lift to Lighten Up

Weight training helps slim your body, not bulk it up (despite the stigma to the contrary). To get that envious “swimmer’s back” and define your arms, alternate between 15 repetitions of seated lat pulls and 15 repetitions of seated rows, both with medium weight. Train your way up to three rounds per strength workout.

3. Recharge Body AND Soul

To refresh mentally and soothe sore muscles after a hard workout, stretch, rest and practice yoga. I’ve found yoga amazing for my flexibility, toning, and sense of calm. Swimmers in particular should focus on shoulder and upper back opening positions.

4. Moisturize Your Skin From the Inside Out

Easier to come by than any miracle cream is good old fashioned water. Unlike sports drinks, water quenches your thirst and hydrates your skin free of charge (and calories). Active adults, especially in the desert, need three to four liters of water per day.

For Scottsdale-bound travelers interested in training with Hyman, Sanctuary offers private swim instruction along with a Triathlon Prep Program. The three-day package both challenges and rewards the body, with daily workouts complemented by muscle-soothing spa services.