Things Every Athlete Should Do

Kevin Gardner
3 min readAug 27, 2019

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Maintaining the gift of athleticism is a blessing and a curse. Although you feel great about yourself almost all the time, you may miss out on all those sweet treats that every other glutton is indulging in throughout the year. And while others have free time to sit around and watch TV, you may feel compelled to go out and jog or play a game of hoops. Being athletic truly changes your definitions of good food, entertainment, and daily obligations. Let’s consider some healthy habits that every athlete should employ below.

#1: Stretching

Every athlete has to get your stretch on. When you stretch before and after or a workout or even on your days off, you feel all those muscle knots and vices loosen up. You can relax and feel comfortable in your own skin without feeling burdened by excess muscle. Stretching is also great for your joints and relieves the pressure that excessive exercise or sitting can place on them. In short, stretching is happiness itself.

Some key stretches are bending down to touch your toes while holding it for at least ten seconds. You should keep progressing until you can touch the floor or even lay your palms flat on the floor. The more flexible you get, the lither you’ll be when you play sports. Being too bulky can make it hard to perform numerous moves. You should also pull your feet up behind your buttocks to stretch your thighs. Since you are walking or sitting so much throughout the day, this is a great feel-good stretch.

#2: Supplements

Every athlete needs to take health supplements because we are exerting our bodies far beyond what peasants did in feudal times or the ancient eras before that. They did not have access to weight machines and fitness equipment that can put excessive wear and stress on joints. Taking supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, or even taking an entire program based on Thrive Reviews can all help you to feel decades younger and stronger.

#3: Dietary Habits

Athletes should flat out avoid processed sugar. The complex carbohydrates found in bananas and other healthy foods are a different story. These sugars will not create glucose spikes that immediately turn into white fat. The reality is that we did not have this level of processed sugar available to us in ancient times. People would occasionally eat honey or the sugar from fruits to sweeten up dishes. Our bodies simply can’t handle refined sugar as we age, which causes toxicity to our arteries and insulin resistance throughout the body.

#4: Eat More Protein

People who are athletic inherently tear more muscle fibers. In order to recover quickly and to build maximum strength and stamina, it is important to get a full serving of protein every single day. Thankfully, this is easier than ever. You can now purchase protein-fortified yogurt drinks that contain half of your daily value in one 160 calorie drink. These drinks have less sugar than a cup of milk and almost no fat.

Conclusion

Don’t make your workouts that much harder by neglecting the healthy habits that help you grow strong. When you combine numerous healthy habits with your fitness regimen, you will find yourself making substantial gains a lot faster. This will motivate to push yourself even further and to avoid the unhealthy habits that set you back.

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Kevin Gardner
Kevin Gardner

Written by Kevin Gardner

Kevin Gardner graduated with a BS in Computer Science and an MBA from UCLA. He works as a business consultant for InnovateBTS

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