As an athlete, it is extremely important to make sure that you’re tuned into your body. That being said, there are three really important things that you need to make sure you’re getting plenty of:
- Rest
- Eating Properly
- Staying Hydrated
If one of these three things is off, then you will find that it will be difficult to achieve positive fitness results. For example, recently, I have been having difficulty getting to sleep at night due to a slight schedule change. However, despite the fact that I wasn’t getting enough sleep, I still wanted to get up the next day and work out. After reasoning with myself, I realized that I was not going to get the maximum benefit out of working out because my body was already fatigued. Better just to leave it alone for the day and try to recoup my losses by getting a better night’s sleep. However, I didn’t sleep well for several days in a row, which made me cranky, irritable, unable to focus on my work- not to mention the fact that I was still tired.
That iss just one example of how incredibly important proper sleep is. In addition to getting a decent amount of rest, you also want to make sure that you’re eating properly as well as staying hydrated. Our bodies are mostly made up of water, and during the cold/dry winter seasons, it is just as important to make sure that we’re sucking down as much water as we can. Remember: you can survive for days without food, but you cannot survive days without water.
Making Healthy Choices
When you get up each morning, you have the ability to choose what kind of a day you want to have. This starts from the moment your feet hit the floor. Are you going to go to the gym right away and work out? Perhaps go for a run outside? Are you going to have breakfast that morning? If so, what are your food options? What will you decide to eat? Later that evening, you can choose to stay up late to cram more work in, OR you can figure out other alternative ways to relax and “wind down” your evening.
The choices we make today affect how we will feel and look tomorrow.
I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing. -Marsha Doble