5 Ways to Improve Athletic Performance
1. 1. REST!
For Younger athletes, or young people in general, the importance of setting a time to rest and/or sleep is crucial to growth and development. Lack of sleep impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently. Memory will also be affected as during sleep cycles, consolidation of memories takes place allowing for better memorization but if you are not sleeping enough, you won’t be able to remember certain events throughout the day. As an athlete training, can improve athletic performance by solidifying muscle memory. This usually takes place within the seventh hour of sleep. According to Haley A. Davis and James B. Maas, Ph.D. and their new book, "Sleep To Win!, Sleep is food to the brain, sleep is fuel for exercise.”
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2. GET UP!
Sleep is crucial to Athletes but when its time to get up and get going, GO!!!!!. Those precious moments where the alarm has been triggered and your favorite ( or least favored) song plays loudly to start the day. To often as young people, we take utilize that snooze button way to often believing that extra 5 – 10 minutes will make the difference. STOP IT. With the winter coming, the Sun rises earlier. Wake up with the sun, as sunlight helps the body’s internal biological clock reset each day. Waking up early allows for better preparation for the day, which gives you more time to cook breakfast, set your daily goals, and most importantly, anticipate issues. Anticipating problems, whether it be running late to the bus or forgot your books at home. Waking up at a strict time allows you to process this information and handle it effectively.
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3. EAT SMART!
Going with getting up at the right time. Eating is what fuels your body. One of my coaches from college would always tell us, “ Food is Fuel, Water is Strength”. Proper nutrition at the right times will allow your body to not only get through the day, but dominate it. Breakfast is THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY. It’s what starts your day off, make sure you start it off with the plentiful breakfast. Since you’ll be getting up at the right time this should not be a problem. Athletes should be eating anywhere between 5 – 6 times a day, because this will provide proper nutrition throughout the 10-12 hours you are active. Take the 8 hours of school, add the 4 hours of practice. With the amount of activity taking place in that time, continue to eat throughout the day will provide quality energy and also promote fat loss as well. The more you eat, the more you burn, the less you eat, the less you burn, the more you store.
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4. LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, PLAY GOOD.
One of our Specialists is extremely keen on appearance. As REVO Specialist, we prepare athletes for the grueling sport seasons through intense training complete with sled work, weight lifting, sprint work, and core movements and sometimes the work is based on athletic level you have now and the level we need you to be. As an athlete, it is easier to comprehend and respect those words and drills by a trainer who can step right into class and compete with the best in that class. “WE are what we sell.” So not only do we need to take care of business off the turf, but on it as well. You ever feel great after putting a suit or for a ladies a really nice dress? Your appearance does incredible things for your self-confidence. We are not saying buy the most expensive blazers and shoes to looks the brightest and shiniest. As long as you can look in the mirror and say confidently, “This looks good”, then the rest will take care of itself. Once your looking good, you’re feeling good about yourself. If you’re feeling good, its only right that your performance will follow based on your mentality. Positive thinking has amazing benefits to everybody and it could start right with you.
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5. DON’T STOP WHEN YOUR TIRED, STOP WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED.
It’s the 4th quarter, your given the ball at the 40 yard line, Time is running, this is the 35th time you’ve gotten the ball in this game today and your exhausted. Your feeling your calves start to cramp up, sweats beading off the tip of your nose, your eyes are down but the ball is in your hand. Are you going to stop running? NOOOOOOOOOOO WAYYYYYYYY. It’s a beautiful thing with sports is that it does more than gain some players recognition and its just straight up fun. It teaches life lessons too. One of the most beneficial I’ve learned was to keep going. Staying steady and staying consistent with your training, your eating habits, your sleeping habits, and daily living habits, will not only improve your athletic performance, but you as a person.
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