7 Healthy Habits of Pro Athletes

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To become a pro-athlete, you not only have to be blessed with natural talent, but you need to put in hard work. And pro-athletes know that they have to adopt healthy habits to keep them strong and at the top of their game. However, you don’t have to be a professional to follow in their footsteps. Just adopt these seven healthy habits and watch your performance improve.

1. Listen to your body

Take the time to observe and learn your body’s signals so that you know when you can give your best effort and equally, when it’s time to take your foot off the gas a little. Many pro athletes opt for regular sessions with a chiropractor to ensure that their body is in alignment and to address minor back injuries and strains before they become much more serious.

2. Always include a dynamic warm-up

Before you begin any high-intensity workout, it’s important to warm up your body. In the past, this may have involved stretching all the appropriate muscles. However, it’s much better to incorporate dynamic movements into your warm-up, such as arm circles, push-ups, squats, lunges and jumping jacks. This will help to warm up muscles, prevent injury, enhance your performance, and may even prevent or reduce the effects of the dreaded DOMS.

3. Don’t miss training sessions

We all know that sometimes we just don’t feel like training. When this feeling hits you, don’t put off your session, but give yourself the freedom to adjust how much work you’re going to do. So, if you can’t do a full workout, just do a pared back version. You may discover that once you start, you find the energy and motivation to do what you had planned.

4. Schedule in adequate rest and recovery

When you’re training hard, it’s important to make time for rest and recovery. Always schedule in at least one rest day a week, where you either don’t exercise at all or opt for an active recovery session such as a walk, yoga session or gentle swim. After a hard workout, you’ll also need to allow your body to recover by eating protein and drinking plenty of water.

5. Quality over quantity

Don’t be tempted to race through a workout just to get it finished. Slow down and make sure that you’re not sacrificing form just to finish more quickly. It’s much more efficient to do each rep correctly, not to mention that you’ll get better results and are less likely to pick up an injury.

6. Watch your water intake

We all know that we should drink plenty of water but as a pro athlete it’s vital that you stay well hydrated to maximize energy and performance.

7. Develop a regular sleep habit

Pro athletes know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. It’s not only key for good health but also for enhanced athletic performance. Developing good sleep hygiene, i.e., setting regular sleep patterns and ensuring that your bedroom is set up for quality sleep is the best way to ensure that you get the recommended 7-9 hours a night.

Implement these seven tips into your routine and you will see a huge peak in your health and performance.