Love playing sports? Make sure you are still respecting your body!

Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are bringing you one exercise topic, talking about it for two minutes, and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice.  Now, this week we are talking to those of you who love playing sports.  That’s your workout.  That’s the only way you exercise.  Recreational basketball, flag football leagues, softball games — whatever it is, you workout through playing sports.  What things do you need to keep in mind to make sure you are respecting your body while you keep playing sports?

1) Do Activities To Improve/Maintain Your Body

Tip number one – do activities to improve or maintain your body.  You must always remember that playing sports is a way to use your body, but not necessarily a way to improve or maintain your body.  Using your body and improving or maintaining your body are two very different things.  So, if you want to continue to use your body, make sure you are also doing things to improve or maintain your body, such as structured resistance training or Muscle Activation Techniques™.

Action Step:  For every day that you go out and play sports, have at least one day where you are working out to improve or maintain your body.  For example, if you play pickup basketball twice a week, make sure to be getting in at least two days of structured resistance training and/or Muscle Activation Techniques™ in each week.

Related:  Five Principles To Help You Exercise For Life

2) Remember, You Are Not Getting Paid To Play Sports

Tip number two – remember that, at the end of the day, you are not getting paid to play sports.  You have a way of earning income, and it is not through playing sports.  A lot of times, that way of earning income is dependent on your ability to stay healthy.  If you are sacrificing your health by playing sports, understand that you are potentially sacrificing your livelihood.  Just be mindful of how much time you spend playing sports, and if you need to find a different alternative for exercise to make sure your body stays healthy, be willing to do so.

Action Step:  Do a diagnostics check before, during, and after you play sports.  Ask yourself, “If my body was a racecar, would it be ready to go race today at 100%?”  If the answer is no, find a different way to exercise for that day.  The people you see on TV who are getting paid to play sports spend a TREMENDOUS amount of time making sure their bodies are ready.  More than likely, they are younger than you, in better physical condition than you, and are physiologically able to tolerate more stress than you.  So, shouldn’t you spend at least as much time as they do making sure your body is ready to race?

Related:  3 Exercise Tips If You Don’t Like Going To The Gym

3) Know When To Move On

Tip number three – know when to move on.  If every time you go out and play sports you actually feel worse after, it may be a good idea to find another way to use your body.  Perhaps find a personal trainer or a friend who knows how to workout in the gym and learn how to lift some weights and use your body that way.

Action Step:  Seek guidance from others so you can learn how to exercise in a manner that isn’t playing sports.  Remember, sports are something that everybody has to retire from at some point, but exercise is something you should be able to do for life.  Know when it is time to hang up the jersey and find a way of exercising that is sustainable for the long haul.

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