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As an athlete, it is paramount that you prioritise your physical and mental health, or else you may find that your career suffers and you are unable to participate in the activities you adore and which boost your mental health.
If you are worried that physical and mental health issues will eventually plague you and prevent you from following your dreams, here are some top tips that you can follow to improve your health in 2024 and for many years after.
Visit a Medical Cannabis Clinic
If you believe that you have tried every single method to maintain and support your mental and physical well-being, you could consider looking into medical cannabis next. This substance is legal for medicinal uses and might be able to help you with issues such as pain from sports injuries and arthritis.
However, you should be aware that more research needs to be conducted into its effects and that you need to speak to a medical expert before seeing this as a possible solution to your problems. As well as your physical health, medical cannabis might also be able to improve your mood and decrease the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression that you experience, which can enable you to enjoy your life and the sports that you adore as much as possible.
To come up with a treatment plan, you should consider looking around for a clinic that offers medical cannabis in the UK.
Warm Up and Cool Down
To boost your health as an athlete and ensure that you can stay at the top of your game for longer, it is important that you do not focus solely on your performance but what you do around it. For instance, warming up and cooling down are just as important as the sport itself.
Warming up properly can ensure that your muscles are flexible, increase your heart rate and blood flow safely, and prevent strain. Cooling down can minimise the risk of injury by allowing you to gradually move your heart rate back to its resting state.
You can warm up and cool down simply by stretching or doing gentle exercises such as jogging, helping you to ease back into your day and leave the sports field behind you. You might decide to warm up and cool down for longer if you have committed to strenuous exercise that day or if you will be exercising for a longer period. This is especially important before a competition as you want to perform at your best by the time it starts.
Stay Hydrated
When you are an athlete, it is likely that you will lose a lot of water through sweat, and this might mean that you are at risk of dehydration when you exert yourself. This is particularly the case on hot days.
Rather than ignore the signs of dehydration and just drink as much as you usually do, you should instead aim to drink more water to compensate for your loss, even if you have just decided to exercise for half an hour or so. This will help your muscles function at their best, prevent dizziness and fatigue, and ensure that you are at a lesser risk of injury.
If you struggle to drink enough water throughout the day and often forget to do so while you are exercising, you can increase your water consumption by setting an alarm on your phone and by carrying around a sports water bottle with enough water in it to last for the entire day.
Eat the Right Food
It is not just water that you need to think about if you want to stay healthy, though, but also what you eat. An athlete’s diet is vital and can mean the difference between success and failure on the sports field.
This means that you should look for foods that are high in nutrients and can give you all the vitamins and minerals that you need, such as fruits and vegetables like broccoli and carrots. You should try to opt for natural and fresh ingredients and stay away from overly processed options. You should also eat food that is high in energy and protein, such as eggs and chicken, as these can prevent you from feeling exhausted after each round of exercise.
Rather than eating at any time, though, try ensure you eat after exercise. Although this might seem counterproductive if you are trying to lose weight, this can boost your recovery after exercise and ensure that you are ready to give it your all the next day, too.
Enjoy Downtime
Even though putting your career and your passion first is important, you do not need to work at it every second of the day. In fact, downtime is important ( as every coach will have told you) as it can prevent you from sustaining an injury and burning yourself out for the sake of your sport.
Rather than running or playing sports until you tire yourself out and can do no more, you should only practice for set hours a day, and schedule in a few moments of downtime every week, even if you are reluctant to stop for even a second. You can use this downtime to have a peaceful shower, try a relaxation app, socialise with others, or watch the television.
This downtime can refresh your mind and protect it from being vulnerable to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. It can also prevent you from feeling overwhelmed or from straining all the muscles in your body.
Wear Supportive Trainers
You should find supportive trainers and footwear when you are an athlete or a sports player. These will prevent your feet from getting sore within moments and can also prevent you from developing major back and next problems.
They can lessen the shock when your feet hit the ground and will mean that your steps no longer judder through your skeleton. This means that you should look for trainers and other footwear that have been designed specifically with your sport in mind to keep you healthy for as long as you are in the game.
