Regardless of if you are an elite athlete or weekend warrior, we all want to perform at our best in whatever our chosen activity and reduce the risk of injuries. This guest blog by gym owner and performance coach Darren Bain will guide you along this path to help ensure you can maximise your health and wellness.
FACTORS TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE & DECREASE INJURY
In ‘Becoming a Supple Leopard’ by Dr. Kelly Starrett he addresses issues that impact performance and increase injury risk. There are many factors that ultimately affect your day to day performance (not just in the gym) and increase your chances of injury.
TO PERFORM AT YOUR PEAK:
ALWAYS WARM UP AND COOL DOWN
The older we get the more important this becomes.
If your warm up consists of 5mins on a bike, or jog you may need to change it up.
We need a warm-up that will increase body temperature and heart rate, provide some flexibility, prepare the body for movements featured in the workout, use as an opportunity to practice some skills and finally, get you physically and mentally prepared for activity.
IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP QUANTITY AND QUALITY
Rest & Restore. This is the most under utilised protocol for improving your health. If you are not sleeping well the best tip I can give you is invest in a good pillow , grab some oral and bath salt Magnesium or try some Magnesium oil. Read more… tips for a good nights sleep.
STAY HYDRATED
Intuitively we all know we should drink more water but often we can go all day having very little water and wonder why we soft tissue injuries occur.
We all know staying hydrated reduces the your chances of developing heat related issues like cramps and heat exhaustion, but it also play a big part in preventing injuries. Water plays a part in the proper functioning of muscles (muscle tissue is made up of about 75 percent water). It makes sense adequate fluid intake will have a positive influence on injury prevention.
FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET
Good nutrition is the foundation of any good fitness program and the gateway to good health. Focusing on a real food template and nutrient dense food is a great place to start.
AVOID SITTING FOR LONG PERIODS
Being stuck behind a desk for long periods of time with little movement reaps havoc on health and has a dramatic impact our biomechanics.
DECREASE CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
Avoid inflammatory foods and implement foods and supplements like Vital Greens that alkalise the body. Increase omega 3:6 ratio by taking a good quality fish oil and decreasing omega 6 fats in your diet. Read more………Decrease chronic inflammation
DECREASE STRESS
Take time out to “stress less” regenerate and restore balance, our Restoration Zone is perfect for this. If you are stressed, getting more Yin into your life will do more for you than anything else.
Keep a diary to track your sleep, nutrition and stress levels. Keeping these 3 important elements in balance is key to improved wellness.
Click Here to read our 3 Tips to Stress Less
LEARN HOW TO SET YOUR MIDLINE
Learning how to set your midline is going to increase your chances of outputting force and decrease your chances of injury.
These suggestions are a great way to start to implement some small changes that can contribute to big positive outcomes for your health and wellness. For more information please visit FUNCTION WELL.