5 Health Lessons Learned From Working with Professional Athletes

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Ready to take your athletic game to the next level but in need of health lessons from athletes who are at the top of their game? There are lots of health tips available online these days, but consistency is key, and so is having a good support system in place.

If you’re serious about maximizing your workouts, improving your mental well being, and becoming physically strong, then let’s start with the basics:

There are many lessons to be learned from pro athletes, one of which is the urge to listen to one’s own body. Professional athletes are usually very in tune with their bodies and know when they’re either pushing themselves too hard, not getting enough sleep, or eating too much junk.

Be aware of what your own body is telling you as you work toward better health. If you feel like your body is telling you to scale back on the alcohol, drink more water, or get up and move more, heed to those feelings and watch your health improve as a result.

Realistically, you might not have the time or energy to put in an intense workout every day, but professional athletes know that something is always better than nothing. Try not to put off exercise until the perfect opportunity presents itself.

Athletes find a way to be active every day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Throw in a couple of dozen sit-ups, take a brisk walk, do 50 pushups and call it a day if that’s all you can do. By making exercise a smaller part of your daily routine, it’s easier to make it a habit without overthinking it.

Keeping your core strong will boost your overall fitness abilities and make you feel more confident and healthy in general. When your core is weak, you’re more likely to find any athletic venture more difficult.

Try adding even a 10-minute ab workout to your daily routine. You can find plenty of options for core-strengthening exercise on YouTube. If you incorporate one of these short routines into your workout schedule, you’ll see the difference both in your body and confidence.

Getting a full night’s sleep (between 7-9 hours every night) will improve your athletic performance, your energy levels, your ability to focus, and your mental well-being. If you’re looking for health lessons from the best athletes, few will deny the benefits of sufficient sleep.

But only sleep that keeps your body performing as it should. Rest in general can be very beneficial as well. If you’ve been pushing your body to the limit physically, take a time out for your muscles to recover.

There’s a reason why athletes don’t exhaust the same muscles day after day. You’ll often hear about “leg day” or “chest day” when it comes to lifting weights. This is because your muscles need time to rebuild after being worked.

If you’ve been pushing your body day after day and feel like you’ve hit a plateau, you might want to ask yourself if you’re getting the sleep you need each night and allowing your body some daily downtime to recover.

Before participating in any high-intensity workout, the best athletes know that a good warm-up is crucial. Your warm-up might include pushups, lunges, jumping jacks, and plenty of stretching.

Warm-ups help prevent injury while also enhancing your performance, so even if you’re pressed for time, take a few minutes to get your body prepared to work-out. A good warm-up can also help stave off any post-workout soreness so you’ll be ready to take on your next workout without delay.

Fueling your body with proper nutrition is important whether you’re an athlete or not. Meal planning makes eating well easier and reduces the temptation to binge on unhealthy foods for convenience. Many athletes find that setting aside one day to plan their meals for the whole week keeps them on track.

Also, be sure to stay hydrated throughout the day, especially when heavy exercise is involved. Skip the alcohol and the carbonated drinks and opt for water 9 times out of 10.

If you decide to incorporate meal planning into your life, aim for balanced meals that offer a mix of proteins, fats, vegetables, and carbohydrates. You might even decide to work with a nutritionist or doctor to help you set up the perfect meal plan for your athletic goals, body type, and needs.

Try to avoid overcomplicating things when it comes to meal planning. Complicated plans are harder to maintain.

You can read up on lots of tips and health lessons, but putting them into practice is the hardest part. What the best athletes have going for them is an experienced health professional in their corner to push them, encourage them, and coach them toward peak performance.

Dr. Kris Chaffin has been working with the very elite in athletics for a decade, promoting good health, teaching them how to overcome injuries, and guiding them toward better performance and well-being.

Learn more about how his services have helped many others and how he can do the same for you.

Contact him to learn more about becoming a client and how, with his guidance, you can conquer your goals and live the athlete lifestyle to its fullest.