Running & Fitness

Simple Ways To Improve Performance as an Athlete

Matt Orlando
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Whether you’re a professional athlete or just enjoy going outside and running on the trail, exercise remains one of the best activities for overall health. Still, if you’re stuck on a plateau, meaning you can’t lift over a certain weight or can’t seem to beat your past running time, you may start to feel defeated. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to improve performance as an athlete to help.

Eat Right

Diet is one of the most important parts of athletics. Arguably, it’s more important than training as you need to replenish your muscles with the proper foods for healthy muscle growth. While training is paramount to your physical fitness, anyone can run or go to the gym. Dieting takes immense dedication and commitment to ensure you fill your body with the proper vitamins and nutrients it needs. Refrain from sugar beverages, high-fat foods, and processed or fast foods. Instead, opt for low-calorie options from the grocery store, such as lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

Hydrate

You must also hydrate, especially as an athlete. Hydration isn’t just meant for overall health and wellness; it’s one of the main drivers behind any physical feat. Take, for instance, running. As you run, you perspire, which is your body’s natural method of cooling itself. Perspiration eliminates sodium and other electrolytes from your body, which can leave you fatigued. Therefore, drink plenty of water throughout the day. This may result in more frequent urination trips, but you’ll see the results a lot better. Hydration further helps your blood circulation and internal organs to work properly. Water does a lot of work internally to keep you active.

Recover

All athletes understand the importance of recovery. That’s why rest days are crucial for long-term performance. Amateur and professional athletes alike use rest days to allow their bodies sufficient time to heal and grow. Laying on the couch and watching TV may seem like a lazy motivator, but remember, you just spent the last five to six days training hard. Your body needs the lack of stimulation to ensure long-term growth. You should also consider using recovery tools, like a massage gun. Massage guns have been proven to aid in athletic performance because they relieve muscle pain and promote blood circulation in tight areas. You’ll notice more improvement in your following training days after using one.

Follow a Plan

Lastly, stick to a training plan. It sounds basic but following a set routine is a simple way to improve performance as an athlete. Many times, athletes go to the gym or run on the track with no fitness goals in mind. This is especially problematic if you’re training for a marathon or strength competition. You don’t need a coach to guide you either. All you need is some mental focus to bring yourself back to hard training each day. You can find many training plans online to help with weight loss, strength building, power, and muscle building. Whatever your goals are, make sure you stick to them for at least four to six months to see serious results.

In conclusion, these tips will help you improve your training to optimize your performance. No matter what sport or activity you do, use these tips to help! Make sure to eat right, sleep, and drink plenty of water to revitalize your body for your next training session.