19 Apr Low Hanging Fruit for High Level Performance
There are so many resources out there to aid in performance. The fitness industry has grown to over 75 billion dollars a year, and as a result, anyone involved in physical activity are often bombarded with tips, tricks, supplements, implements, and courses all designed to aid them in reaching their goals.
All too often, people are looking for a magic bullet and spending their time and money in the wrong places. I will certainly give each of these subjects a more well rounded treatment in the future, however for the meantime; here are some simple areas to check in with yourself on the road to your goals.
● Sleep: Not an accident it starts out first. Ignore the people telling you that successful people skip out on sleep. Burning the candle at both ends will cause you to pay a cost eventually. Instead focus on waking up without an alarm clock as often as possible. Get at least 8 hours per night, in the darkest, coolest room possible.
● Noninflammatory Food: Eat simple whole foods. Avoid foods that are processed. By keeping inflammation down throughout your body, the resources to deal with injuries are free to focus on healing you.
● Sunlight: Natural sunlight is a borderline wonder drug. Get as much natural sun as you can without getting burnt. Bonus: sunlight exposure helps set sleep rhythms and generally speaking, not many people end up extremely stressed while out in the sunshine.
● Meditation: Not mystical, not unattainable. As simple as 10 minutes a day, focusing on your breath, can bring incredible performance gains, with no downside or side effect.
● Recovery Practice: If you are working hard towards any goal, the recovery practices are just as important as the intense sessions needed to reach your destination. What are you doing to recharge physically, mentally and emotionally? If you do not schedule these breaks, your body will find a way to create them naturally through sickness or injury.
The above activities represent very little cost, in time or money. They are simple and therefore often overlooked. Add them to your routine and watch your goals move closer and closer.