My Wellness Routine: 1st person to cross Antarctica solo does these 5 things every day
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Colin O'Brady hiked 932 miles across Antarctica and made history in the process as the first person to travel the continent from coast to coast solo.
The 33-year-old is also a three-time world record holder who has conquered everything from Everest to Kilimanjaro, Denali and the 50 highest points in the United States.
O'Brady powers up for his extreme adventures by sticking with a daily routine in which he takes time to meditate, journal and more.
Here are the five essential parts of O'Brady's wellness routine.
1. I wake up without checking my phone and get moving right away
When I wake up in the morning, I don’t check my phone, don’t check my email. First I put my running clothes on and get out the door to get my body moving.
So I’m a three-time world record holder. That’s what I’m most known for. I’ve set a few of the most prestigious mountaineering records.
I’ve been a professional athlete for so long that my body is really attuned to that. Since I travel a lot, I like to have a few workouts that I can really do from anywhere.
(MORE: My Morning Routine: CrossFit champion Brooke Ence starts her day with two breakfasts)
That’s usually squats, lunges, pushups, some body weight exercises to just kind of get my heart rate up, get my muscles working early in the morning. If I can get up, move my body, get a little sweat going, everything else throughout my day feels better.
2. I nourish my body with a healthy smoothie and supplements
There’s a couple of key components of the smoothie, like greens, some nice veggie protein powder and some berries.
My dad is an organic farmer in Hawaii, so I was raised around someone who really valued fresh, organic produce.
My supplements for the day: Magnesium, Omega 3s and a probiotic.
Getting that smoothie and supplements in my body, it really sets me up for a great day.
3. I meditate midday
When I feel that mid-afternoon lull, or maybe just a little bit over stimulated, I make sure to take 10 or 20 minutes in the afternoon to sit, meditate, calm my mind, regroup and I feel rejuvenated for the rest of the day.
I think sometimes people think of productivity as just getting as much done as possible, so the idea of sitting still and closing their eyes for 10 or 20 minutes seems like a waste of time, where I would argue it’s the complete opposite.
By taking 10 or 20 minutes to kind of stop and reset, I often find that I’m full of energy. I’m also full of creativity. A problem I [may have been] working on earlier that morning that I’m having some frustrations or challenges with, all of the sudden I have a clear idea of an answer, a solution or a pathway forward.
4. I journal in the evening before bed
I like to journal in the evenings. I’ve been doing that since I was a teenager, just to reflect on the day and unwind. It’s always nice after staring at screens all day to just grab an old fashioned pen and paper and write down my thoughts.
Sometimes it’s in bullet points but more often than not it’s just kind of a linear stream of consciousness.
5. I sleep with an eye mask and ear plugs
I sleep with an eye mask and ear plugs to make sure that I get the maximum amount of sleep to be revitalized and rejuvenated for the next day.
The reason I started sleeping with an eye mask and earplugs is it’s almost like my little security blanket.
I’m on the road quite a bit. Wherever I’m sleeping, whether that’s a hotel room, or a trail head before a hike, you know, I’ve got my eye mask on and my ear plugs in. It’s nice to have that recurring thing as part of my routine.
