Professional runners are a different class of people. Not all of us can be what they are and do what they do. But that does not mean that we cannot emulate them to a certain extent. And that’s because what they do is a window into how to live a healthy and active life. Yes, if we can imbibe some of the better habits that professional runners exhibit we can all improve the fitness quotient in our lives. Something that most of us need in any case.
Following in their footsteps and knowing more about them and the sport they stand for has some other unlikely benefits too. You can, for example, gather enough information to try your hand at betting on one of them on many of the online sports betting platforms. If you are not willing to risk much you could try out the numerous free bets available. More than that, though, free bets are just a great way to get the lay of the land before committing yourself to spending actual money. Sports betting follows specific, sometimes complicated rules so getting the hang of them before you ris any of your own money is just a smart idea.
But let’s come back to the aspect of health and fitness. Now we don’t mean you should start comparing yourself to the professional runners. That would be a slippery slope indeed. There’s a lot to be said about hard work but genetics play a massive role in this category of sports. You can’t really ignore that, and sometimes people do come up short just for this very reason. So what is it that you can do?
Warming up the body
This is the first step to any activity. This must become a habit that you inculcate into your life. Whether you are into serious exercising or now, warm up and stretching routines are good for you regardless. Especially if you are not an active soul. If you are one, it becomes essential as these routines help keep you from serious injury and harming your muscles. Even a seasoned sportsman like Michael Jordan relies on it. The only debate is when to do it – during, before or after you exercise. Most professional runners feel it is important to build in the routine inside your exercise regime and not treat it as a separate chore. Of course, for some of it the routine will be the exercise!
Work your core
It’s important to strengthen our core muscles as well. Exercises such as plank can help us deal with the rigours of the day in a much better way. Life and health seems all rosy and nice when we are in the grip of our youth, however as age slowly but inevitable catches up with us our health deteriorates. This can be slowed to a large extent by having a strong core. The example of planks given above is probably the simplest exercise anyone can do to fix their core. Here are six key core exercises for runners.
Sleep
Probably the most important thing that we can learn from professional runners is the need for proper rest. And that’s sleep. A good night’s rest is truly beneficial for us. Nowadays it is fashionable to show just how dedicated we are at our professional roles by showcasing just how sleep deprived we are due to the work. That’s probably the single most foolish thing that we do on a regular basis. Rest is important not just for the body but for the mind too.
A dedicated following of the points here can go a long way in keeping us healthy and active through our years. And that is essential.
