Recover Like A Pro
Recover Like A Pro
By Shane Sauer
Happy Groundhog’s Day! Man, I hope Phil doesn’t see his shadow :-)
The Super Bowl is this Sunday. If you’re following that at all, it has a Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day feel to it because Tom Brady is returning to it for the 10th time! That’s double any other quarterback.
He’s 43 years old, playing in his 21st season and still at the top of the sport. Love him or hate him, you should realize how impressive that is.
As a health and fitness professional that focuses on injury prevention and longevity, I love to study athletes like Brady, Roger Federer, and other greats whose careers lasted longer than others in their sport. While you and I may not ever perform at levels like that, I’m sure that you, like me, would like to continue doing the things you love into old age.
Here are the three primary things that i have learned by watching and following these athletes:
Movement should be effortless and precise. This doesn’t mean that these athletes are the fastest, quickest, or most explosive. It means that they make everything look easy and do so with a minimal amount of effort. This prevents wear and tear on their bodies and hides physical decline with technique improvement.
Mental processing and continued learning provide an edge. These athletes understand the game and their opponents. They can adapt to new systems and strategies quickly and can use them to highlight their strengths and expose their opponents’ weaknesses.
Recovery is equally, if not more, important than training. The greats prioritize sleep, nutrition, and injury prevention. They know that sacrificing these can yield short term results but ultimately leads to injury and mental fatigue. By avoiding setbacks that many others experience, they end up ahead in the long run.
Of course there are other things that great athletes have going for them, but that doesn’t mean you can’t apply these same basic principles in your own life, at any age. Whether you’re into team sports, individual activities, or maintaining life skills, you should plan for the long term by incorporating these priorities into your life:
Stay Purposefully Active - Choose exercise and activities that move your body in different ways. This will build strength and mobility that prevents injury and removes compensations.
Train Your Brain - Stay sharp by playing mental games and taking on new challenges that require you to learn. This will build new connections in your brain and keep you mentally sharp.
Listen To Your Body - Avoid the “more is better” mentality. Exercise and learning are just like the other stresses in your life and can take a toll both physically and mentally. Choose to rest when you feel like you need it. When you want to add more to your life, plan for the recovery you’ll need too.
These priorities can seem like a lot to take on, but remember you don’t have to adhere to them at the same level a professional athlete does. Small changes from your baseline can make a big difference in your life over time.
I hope the links above give some ideas for where to start. If you need more help, please reach out to me. This is my passion, and I want everyone to be at their best.