As an athlete, you understand how important taking care of your body is. Health is wealth, and for professional athletes, staying in top shape is the key to a long-lasting career and future success. Beyond the basics of getting enough sleep and drinking eight glasses of water a day, however, you might not understand exactly what caring for an athlete’s body really entails. If you want insight on staying healthy for your physically demanding profession, here are some unique habits you can adopt today.
1. Visit a Sports Doctor
You may think visiting your primary care physician for a checkup or physical once in a while is enough, but the truth is that visiting a specialist can help point you in the right direction health-wise in ways your regular doctor might not catch. Working with Burlington physio and sports medicine could mean identifying stressors on your body specific to your level of physical activity. In order to mitigate risks and make sure your profession isn’t taking an undue toll on your body, it’s important to talk to doctors trained in sports medicine.
2. Check Your Nutrient Ratios
You’ve likely heard you should eat plenty of vegetables and stay away from processed foods, but you might not have thought about tracking the nutrients in your diet. A balanced diet means not just shying away from unhealthy food items but getting enough of each macronutrient. A good rule of thumb is to get about half your diet from carbohydrates, 20% from fat and 30% from protein.
3. Stay Active
This may seem like a strange tip, but too many athletes show up for practice or a game, put in their best and then go home and lounge on the couch for the rest of the day. Additionally, it’s possible to become sedentary if you’re in the off-season for your sport. However, staying active all the time is the trick to staying in shape. It’s important to take rest days and give your body a break, too, but make sure you’re not lounging around the house for days on end with little movement to break up the routine.
Being an athlete is an exciting profession, but can come with a physical toll over time. However, keeping your body in top shape is foundational to a successful sports career. To help stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible, talk to your doctor and consider adopting these three unique habits today. They could potentially lend your health the vibrant boost it needed.
