Top 10 Habits of Athletes

By Daniel Harper

http://ezhealthmanagement.com/blog/

So you’ve finally decided to go through your plans on becoming a healthier human being. You started jogging

early in the morning and already got yourself a gym membership. But after a few weeks you suddenly find

yourself making excuses to get out of the bed later than usual and to take a few days off from the gym. From

how it looks like, motivation alone is not enough to make you go through your plans of becoming healthy.What you need to do is to start cultivating a healthy habit then sticking to it. Former American track athlete

Jim Ryun once said “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” So without further

ado, here are the top 10 habits of athletes that you can emulate to keep you going.

1. Envision Success- Most athletes visualize their success ALL THE TIME even before they have

achieved it. This is called mental preparation and it’s different from the kind of day dreaming that you

do in the office when you’re bored. Athletes do this to calm their nerves and improve their

performance. Rather than just dreaming of that six-pack abs that you’ve always wanted, visualize

yourself getting down on the floor and doing those crunches.

2. Cool Down- Just like you every athlete needs to cool down after an intense activity. You may

do so by doing light exercises such as stretching coupled with breathing exercises. That way you

allow your muscles to relax and your mind to unwind.

3. Consume Sports Drinks- Athletes do this not just for advertising purposes. If you want to be at

your optimal performance then you must consume an optimal diet partnered with optimal hydration.

This will help maintain your blood glucose levels within the normal range during intense workouts.

Athletes do it, why don’t you?

4. Identify With Successes- If you don’t see the results that you hoped for, don’t give up. Don’t let it

damage your confidence. Successful athletes don’t linger on failures. They quickly learn from it,

identify their past successes, and then move on. This helps in keeping their confidence level high even

after a major setback.

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5. Post-Game Training- Athletes with superb work ethics train right away after a game. This helps in

removing stress and allows for a prolonged recovery window. For example, if you have a game on

Sunday, do your training on the same day right after the game then take the whole Monday off.

6. Pre- and Post- Training Nutrition- It’s important for the athlete to get proper nutrition that he

needs before and after the training. Pre-training nutrition consists of simple meal with lean protein,

vegetables and whole-grain rice. This will supply the athlete the energy he needs for the activity. After

the training the body needs to recover, so the post-training nutrition should consist of carbohydrates

and protein to replenish depleted energy and rebuild muscles. Milk is a good choice as it contains

carbs and protein as well as vitamins and minerals.

7. Get Quality Sleep- Some people overlook the important role of sleep in their health. Sleep

provides the time and environment for the body to repair itself and refresh the mind. Athletes make

sure that they stick to a regular sleeping schedule, meaning they sleep wake up at the same times. So if

you want to perform at your peak, make sure you get plenty of rest.

8. Follow An Individualized Training Program- Most athletes follow a professionally designed

training program with components of individualization. That way their strengths are perfected and

their weaknesses improved in the most efficient way.

9. Set Goals- Athletes constantly set goals and they constantly work on them. Your goals don’t need

to be extreme, it has to be achievable on your part to begin with then gradually make it difficult over

time. For example, “My goal for this week is to do 30 sit-ups and 20 push-ups every day.” Then the

following week, increase difficulty by adding numbers, 40 sit-ups and 30 push-ups. Constantly setting

and achieving goals build confidence and motivation.

10. Work With Coaches – Athletes are successful because they have great coaches and they allow

themselves to be coached. A coach who knows and understand your goals can take off the stress in the

planning of work-outs and makes sure that you stay focused and keep progressing.

These are the habits that help athletes stay at the top of their game. Now that you know them, why don’t you

start cultivating your own? It doesn’t have to be complex. You can start with something as simple as choosing

to use the stairs if you’re just going up or down a few floors. The main goal is to turn a healthy activity into an

unbreakable habit.

“Habits are safer than rules; you don’t have to watch them.And you don’t have to keep them, either. They keep you.”

~Frank Crane

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