The start of a new year is the perfect time to start a new chapter, which is probably why so many people make New Year’s resolutions. The new year often feels like a fresh start and an excellent opportunity to change bad habits and establish new routines that will help you grow as a person and as an athlete.
This year, as the COVID-19 crisis persists and people subsequently continue to face physical and mental health challenges, creating new goals are even more important to keep us stable and have something to look forward to. However, after a year of canceled plans and loss, maintaining resolutions may be more difficult than ever before. That being said, how does one keep and maintain their new year’s resolutions in a world of uncertainty especially as an athlete. While we can’t predict when life will return to normal, here are some tips we at Summit Chiro are recommending to our athletes:
A New Approach for Athletes
As the new year rolls around, it’s easy to get motivated to do something new. If you’re a serious gym-goer who wants to cut down on your sugar intake, there’s a strong chance you’ll set a goal to go to the gym more often, but how often should you go to the gym? Living a healthy lifestyle should be a goal for everyone, but coming up with new ways to stay healthy may look different this year. If your motivation for going to the gym is to lose weight, there are other things you can do to achieve your goal especially if gyms are shut down. First, think about the ways that exercise will make you feel better physically. Try new exercises to help you perform better as an athlete. One example is challenging your routine with yoga. Yoga may seem like a non-intense source of exercise but will help increase your stamina and can help many athletes create balance in their performance.
Changing Your Eating Habits
We all know that making healthy eating decisions is good for our body and mind and can help make us a better athlete but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we follow that credo. Maybe now is the time to start. Maybe it’s time to shut your sweet tooth down, decrease your salt intake, eliminate artificial ingredients, add a multivitamin, or even just start drinking more water. Not only will this make for a healthier 2021 but we bet you’ll start noticing an increase in your performance levels during your training too.
Though we can’t control when places are going to open up, we can control what goes into our bodies. Studies have shown that only 20% of your healthy lifestyle can be found doing some sort of exercise but 80% comes from nutrition. Try to cook more meals at home that include more carbohydrates, some protein, and healthy fats especially if you’re an athlete. Meals should include a small amount of fat and fiber, moderate amounts of protein, and a considerably larger number of carbohydrates for athletes.
Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet and especially crucial for an athlete’s energy needs. It is vitally important to understand the difference between complex and simple carbohydrates and nutrient timing with carbs to maximize the use of this important energy source, while at the same time maximizing fat burn. A healthy diet, a manageable exercise routine, and being mindful of your food choices can help you make better lifestyle choices and stay on track for a healthier new year.
Get Support
Getting the right support can set the foundation for not only your new year’s resolutions but your goals as an athlete. At Summit Chiropractic we care about our athletes and clients health goals. If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, we are here to help. We believe that nutrition plays a huge role in the musculoskeletal system’s ability to build strength, endure, and repair. At Summit Sports Chiropractic we offer all levels of care. Everyone’s chemistry is different and every athlete’s resolution will look different this year, but one thing is guaranteed: our team will be here for all your chiropractic and sport needs.
Call to schedule an appointment or contact us today so we can help you with your recovery or athletic journey, and get and keep you at maximum performance.