An interview with the athlete Tuija Hyyrynen

Professional athlete Tuija Hyyrynen plays for the Juventus football team. Although the club from Turin, Italy, was founded in 1897, the women's division only started in 2017. The female footballers at Juventus have been competing in Serie A, the top league in domestic football, ever since their debut season. 

With victory as the goal

"Together with my club team, we are aiming for the fourth consecutive Italian Serie A championship and victory in the Italian Cup," says the Finnish-born, 34-year-old athlete who is also on the Finnish national team. "I am in my fifth year living in beautiful Italy. Before that, I lived for years in the USA, Sweden and Denmark – I always followed my passion for football!"

Tuija started playing soccer at the age of 10. Her interest in the sport developed when her sister first started playing. "I quickly fell in love with the game, and the fact that it's a team sport where you work together towards a goal."

A unique interest in health and wellness

She has always been interested in health and wellness, and studied for a master's degree in sports science while playing soccer in Umeå, Sweden. Staying in shape as a professional soccer player requires a very strict training schedule with her team. "I have soccer training every day, which includes gym and running, as well as a soccer match or two every week. I also do a lot of mobility and recovery training, which involves cycling and foam rolling," she explains. 

"For me, it's about finding the balance between pushing yourself to the limit and making sure your body and mind recover between sessions." She adds: "In football circles, there is a perception that basic, healthy and varied home-cooked food is enough to keep your performance at peak, and that no other supplements are needed than vitamin D. But in my case, I'm very happy that superfood supplements and vitamins found me."

How Aarja has had an impact

Tuija says she discovered Aarja Health's products over a year ago, and she really feels the positive effects they have on her everyday life. Before that, she admits: "To be honest, I struggled a lot when I moved to Italy, because of the extreme heat and the very demanding training schedule. I got muscle cramps. I got dehydrated. And I needed to find a way to perform better and recover faster. And not least, to fill my body with all the nutrients it needs."

Tuija starts her day by drinking OptiMSM+C with Blueberry . She mixes the powder from the sachet into a glass of cold or heated water and stirs it around. Then she finishes her day with Premium Magnesium3 , which counteracts muscle cramps and helps with sleep. "During training, I love using Sporty Boost Recovery. It gives me more energy and keeps me hydrated."

She also says that she takes Curcumin with ginger and B12 daily to prevent inflammation, Collagen with pine bark for joint health, and Vitamin C 500 with zinc and chaga to support the immune system. 

Listen to your body

Tuija advises all exercisers, from beginners to professional athletes, to listen to their bodies. "Ask yourself, 'How do I feel?' and 'What do I need?' Maybe you're tired or need more healthy food, fresh air, or meditation. Find out what's right for you and follow it to the letter. These small daily choices pay off in the long run, and make a big difference."

She thinks again and adds, "for me, being an athlete is a lifestyle, where you make healthy choices 24/7 to perform at your peak."

Tuija is currently working towards participating in the European Championships with the Finnish national team, which will take place in the summer of 2022.