Natural Solutions to Support Fitness & Performance
Football fever runs deep in the south. From high school to NFL, fans can be found at every level. High school games are where the fandom takes shape. “Friday Night Lights” are a serious part of the culture in southern cities and towns. As players start lining up on the field in August, we forget about the end of summer and set our eyes on the real season – football season.
No matter the chosen sport, during all the training, pageantry and excitement of the competition, the athlete’s health is paramount. If you or someone you love is an athlete, you know that the three main objectives for optimum performance is to stay energized, focused, and prevent injury. Nothing replaces putting in the work but there are natural options you can use to support and enhance your efforts. For coaches, parents, and anyone working directly with student athletes, it’s important to know how to take care of your player mentally and physically.
For many athletes, energy ebbs and flows. Nature’s superfoods are going to give you the best athletic edge. Up your game by up-leveling how you fuel your body. Chia seeds are full of fiber, protein, antioxidants, and provide steady energy by limiting blood sugar spikes. Chia seeds soak up to ten times their weight in liquids, so they keep you hydrated as they work their way through the GI tract. You can add chia seeds to most anything – smoothies, yogurt, meatloaf… Just remember, less is more. A teaspoon is a reasonable serving. Cherries are antioxidant rich and research has shown that runners who consumed tart cherry juice twice a day, had less muscle pain following long distance runs. Bananas are an amazing pre and post workout snack. They help maintain blood sugar, restock the body with lost electrolytes, and the B6 found in bananas acts as an anti-inflammatory. Want to perform at your best? The moral of the story is to eat at your best.
Performance boosting substances are controversial and dangerous. They wreak havoc on the very body your athletic achievements depend. Instead of trying to artificially boost performance, the natural-minded athlete knows that you must treat your body well to see great results. Peppermint essential oil has been tested extensively for its performance boosting abilities. Controlled experiments with athletes have demonstrated immediate improvement in performance measures like jumping, endurance, and respiration. Because of the soothing properties it holds, Deep Blue Rub is a popular choice for massage therapists and sports practitioners. Professionals love using Deep Blue Rub to help ease discomfort, particularly because it holds safe, natural essential oils that provide an alternation of cooling and warming sensations. Just as massage therapists and sports medicine professionals use Deep Blue Rub for a soothing massage, you too can use the essential oil lotion to give yourself a calming, comforting massage at home. Good enough to use on a professional level, you’ll soon find that Deep Blue Rub is the perfect companion for affected areas. Apply 2-3 drops of Copaiba essential oil and cover with Deep Blue Rub to soothe targeted areas after strenuous activity.
If you want to move from ordinary to good and from good to great – you must work! There will be so many reasons to give up. There will be excuses to stop the game. You will be tempted to not bother training in lieu of something else to do. It’s not about talent (apart from a few rare individuals), talent levels off – it’s character that gets you to great. Remember, a good athlete is resilient, well-mannered and respectful whether you are losing or winning. Let the games begin! Go Team!