HealthStyle: Athlete – How YOU can live an Athletic Life

Did you know that you don’t have to live your life one buzzer beater at a time to live an athletic lifestyle? Being an athlete is simply the act of choosing to live an active, healthy life.

 

Characteristics of an athlete:

• Proper Nutrition
• Dedication to Practice
• Achieving Enough Rest
• Nurturing the Body

If you fulfill these characteristics, then you are already embracing the HealthStyle of an athlete!

 

Nutrition

For athletes of any age, one of the most important focus factors is maintaining balanced and healthy nutrition. If you are involved in an endurance activity like cross-country skiing or even walking around your neighborhood, you have to feed your body complex and healthy carbohydrates. If you prefer shorter bursts of activity like going to the gym to lift weights three times a week, you’ll need to consume a lean and light protein afterwards. If you want help deciding what to eat before or after a workout, use the FDA’s food pyramid as a guide. Steer clear of salty and sugary foods, since they provide empty calories that don’t benefit your body. Of course, the most important part of nutrition is hydration! Drink water all day long to keep your body going at optimal levels.

 

Practice

Many athletes practice up to 7 days a week to hone their talents. Remember that practice makes permanent so whatever activity or sport you enjoy make it part of your daily schedule. If you’re using your time to enjoy the outdoors or even take the double black diamond on the top of the mountain, you don’t want your dedication interrupted by an annoying or painful injury. Is it a sore knee that just didn’t bother you quite as much a few years ago? An arthritic joint in your ski pole hand? Regardless, if you want to get back out there and practice your sport, you can use Super Blue Stuff OTC to relieve the pain and get back on the slopes. TIP: Use before your daily practice to warm muscles and increase your enjoyment without pain.

 

Rest and Recovery

If you’ve led an athletic lifestyle for years, you know that achieving the proper amount of rest is one of the most important ways for your body to recover. If you’re experiencing inflamed joints or sore muscles, it is important to maintain a good rest regimen, which includes:

• At least 8 hours of sleep
• Active recovery time (foam rolling, personal massage, recovery walk)
• Topical pain relief/anti-inflammatory cream (Super Blue Stuff OTC, Super White Stuff OTC, Cool Menthol Therapy)
• PRICE (Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation)

 

Nurture Your Body

As an athlete, whether you are just starting out or continuing after years of practice, it is important to listen to your body. Your body is an amazing machine with many working parts, and in order to keep that machine functioning smoothly, you need to check in with it on a daily basis. Skiers for example, can do serious damage to joints over the years, which can increase pain gradually.

After a day of activity, it is important that you pay attention to what your body is telling you. If your joints are bothering you, consider soaking in a warm bath then using a safe and natural pain relief cream such as Super Blue Stuff OTC can help with muscle pain after a long day of training. Prevent the pain before it starts.

 

Living the Athlete HealthStyle isn’t easy, but for many, it has become second nature, and allows them to do what they love and stay healthy at the same time. Let us help you as you continue to achieve your goals and live your best life.