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We all know that to improve performance we need to follow a healthy lifestyle, including a consistently good nutrition plan and training programme. But what about the other ‘less obvious’ factors that can effect performance both in the gym AND in day to day life?
Do you pay as much attention to your sleep routine as you do your nutrition? Maybe you should. There are 750+ scientific studies that have investigated the relationship between sleep and human performance, many of which have studied elite athletes specifically. The results are compelling: Sleep improves speed, explosiveness and accuracy. It enhances our ability to process information and solve problems. It improves our judgment, composure and ability to assess and respond to situations. It accelerates physical recovery from common inflammation, stimulates muscle repair, and helps restock cellular energy in the form of glucose and glycogen. In other words, sleep is one of the most sophisticated, potent, and powerful—not to mention legal—performance enhancers that has competition-winning potential. It is also one of the most under-utilised. Two-thirds of adults fail to obtain the recommended eight hours of sleep nightly. You’re probably not surprised by this, but you may be surprised by how it affects you as an athlete. Obtain anything less than eight hours of sleep a night, and especially less than six hours a night, and the following happens:
Just like you can't out-train a bad diet, you can’t out-train poor sleep. In fact, the physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarf those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise. Put another way: Unless you’re getting at least eight hours of sleep every night, you're undermining all your hard work in the gym and on your nutrition. Wow! We spend too much time improving our mental and physical abilities to leave anything as powerful as sleep on the table. If you’re looking to take your performance to the next level in 2018, you have to make sleep a priority. Here are some ways to make sure you’re getting eight hours a night:
Maybe if you have some holiday time over Christmas this could be your first step towards a healthier happier and stronger 2018!?
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The definition of Lifestyle Disease:
Any non infectious disease that is caused or promoted by YOUR behaviours and the choices YOU make. This can include but not limited to: Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Certain cancers, Hormonal Imbalances (Hypothroid, Pcos, Adrenal Fatigue), Fertility Issues, Chronic Aches & Pains, Gut Issues, Emotional & Mental Health Issues (Depression/Anxiety). Lifestyle related diseases or conditions, medievally diagnosed by your GP and far and away the most common conditions that I come across with clients seeking help. Sadly, whilst it might take a single visit to the doctor to be diagnosed, in the majority of cases its taken years of poor living to reach the point when it is seriously effecting your day to day life. There may have been signs and signals, that lead to the diagnosis, and often one issue leads to another, resulting in multiple problems. The more concerning factor with most lifestyle diseases is that unlike many common virus or bacterial infections that can more often than not be treated with medication & rest, these issues can have devastating effects, frustrating consequences on your daily life and the time & effort required to undo the damage and successfully treat them can be significant - in some cases months/years. Lifestyle diseases occur because of the way we live. To get better, you need to decide to live differently. For some that might involve moving more. It might be you need to make a conscious effort to remove significant stresses from your daily life to improve sleep & reduce stress levels. It might mean overhauling your diet to eat less/better. (It can also, on occasion mean taking more rest if you are a fitness fanatic thats been over training/under recovering and eating over a prolonged period). Whatever the underlying reason behind the issue, it requires a lifestyle improvement, a CHANGE. You can't change the past, but you CAN change the future. And you can make better, conscious choices about what you do from today onwards. If any of the issues Ive mentioned in this post resonate with you, or you know you are on the way to being effecting by lifestyle disease, don't become another NHS/Government statistic. Choose a happier, fitter, leaner, healthier & stronger life. As the sunsets on the weekend this Sunday evening, remind yourself of this: Every time you fell off your bike when you were young, you got back on and tried again. Every time you fall and hit the box in the gym, jump again. Every time you fall off the bar trying to do a kip swing, begin again. Every time your mind wanders when you're trying to focus on something important, begin again. Every time you go off track with your nutrition, begin again. Every time you fail at something, or mess up, or take the wrong path, or follow the wrong route, or love the wrong person or climb the wrong mountain, or let someone down, remind yourself - that this is not the end. There is always another sunrise tomorrow. A new day, another incredible opportunity. Take a deep breath and begin again. #sundayvibes #peaceout #lightsout #sleepwell #anewdawn #anewday Pic: Sunset on Glasgow University  |
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