As athletes, everyone has habits in their daily schedules that they have developed over years of experience in sports. However, the big determining factor is whether these habits are benefiting you as an athlete or not. Here are 3 healthy habits that are guaranteed to benefit your performance.
#1 – Good Sleep Hygiene
Having a consistent sleep schedule is more important than most people realize for the recovery of athletes. Your body has a circadian rhythm, which is the routine that your body gets into as you wake up and go to sleep. If you as an athlete can consistently wake up and go to bed every day at the same time, it will help your body regulate hormones, heal faster, and improve immune function. As a student-athlete, it is understood that you will not always be able to do this, but you must stay in a routine as much as possible.
# 2 – Eating Habits
Food, as most people know, is the fuel that drives performance. Therefore, just like you would with a car on a road trip, the times that you fuel up a car are crucial to whether you will be able to make it to the final destination without running out of gas. The same applies to how you eat throughout the day. It is recommended that athletes not only eat three meals a day but also snack in between those meals, according to your schedule. This ensures a steady amount of fuel for your body and allows it to perform at its best, rather than running on fumes for long periods. If athletes try to train on low amounts of fuel, they may not only experience fatigue and poor performance, but certain systems may shut down, as well (ie cramping, vision, cognitive function)
#3 – Hydration
Most athletes don’t realize that they are dehydrated every day. Not only does your body need water to function, but water is a main driver of fluidity and movement within the body. It is recommended that athletes drink MORE than their body weight in water (ounces) per day. Now this doesn’t mean it is expected for an athlete to go from one bottle a day to twelve, but it does mean that steps towards greater hydration will improve your performance.