top of page

Our Top 10 Tips for Athletes

Semi-to-elite professional to everyday athletes ask what is the best way to achieve better performance. In this health news article, here are our top 10 tips.

1. Work Hard

One of the biggest mistakes we see in sports is often athletes will turn up for the training session and think just by turning up is all that’s required. In our experience athletes that achieve their goals always train as hard as they possibly can within their limitations. Therefore It is not only important to enter the training environment to complete your training but as you have made every effort to turn up to train you must also make every effort to work as hard as you can just as on the track, field, ring and court.

2. Know your Limitations

Your body is the best and only instrument you will ever own, therefore learn to understand your body and its limitations. This can be applied to many different levels not just sports.

Top ten tips for athletes

Top athletes look after their body and often understand the importance when they require rest or treatment.  Failure to acknowledge an injury or adapt rest periods in your training routine will reduce the time your body will require from adapting and recovering from injury and potentially have an impact on your performance.

3. Relax

The life of an athlete is both physically and mentally demanding. Elite athletes always make time to take time out to relax and do the things they normally wouldn’t do. It is important to choose something that is totally different from your chosen specific sport (e.g. visit friends, family etc.) This is also the ideal time to give your body the opportunity to recover as well as to maintain your motivation.

Need reassuring?
Read what others have to
say about us...

Choose a massage that suits you...

4. Choose a good Support Network

Every top athlete requires support therefore we recommend that you use your supportive networks (e.g. training, education and home networks). Choose people that are likely to assist you to achieve your goals. Finding the right balance between your work, academic, social lifestyle and sporting life can be very difficult however creating the right balance that works for you with the right people to help you achieve your goals is very important.

5. Be Responsible

Being an athlete means you have a duty to act professionally and be responsible for your actions. Therefore it is very important when things go wrong or not your way not to blame others but learn from your mistakes.  

6. Monitor your Performance

A good athlete always reflects on performance. Therefore take time out and think where it went right or wrong and what did you do. Think what would have to happen for better performance and could you improve it. Frequently evaluating your performance is vital and helps you implement and design your training plans so that you can improve as an athlete.

7. Log your Training

Keep a log book such as a diary to document your training activities and sporting events so that you can make any adjustments to improve performance such as fluid, food intake and sleep. This can be a valuable tool to help assist you to develop your learning in understanding your body needs as well as to reflect on performance.    

8. Keep Learning

It is very important that athletes grow their knowledge and learn about the specific aspects of their chosen sport. Famous athletes are renowned for their sporting knowledge and utilise their knowledge to frequently challenge trainers and coaches alike by asking them frequent questions (e.g. why am I doing this?). It is very important that you understand why you are doing things so that you can develop your knowledge to improve performance. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to grow your knowledge and maybe one day you may make an elite trainer, coach or even a therapist.

9. Seek Positive Support

Often we see young athletes being with people that don’t understand what the athlete is going through which can potentially be detrimental to the athletes’ performance - being an athlete is very demanding. We recommend you to choose people that will stand by you, such as those that will support you through the good and bad times. Choosing the right people to be with you can help keep you more motivated, level headed as well as to assist you in your chosen specific sports.

10. Value Yourself

Our final top tip is to remember that you are a unique individual athlete defined by your specific chosen sport that you play, so value yourself.  What may work for others may not work for you. Therefore don’t be afraid to experiment with different training programmes or eat different foods etc.  but most importantly of all enjoy what you do and your sport. 

If you would like further information on how to improve your specific sporting performance please feel free to contact the clinic to discuss your health issues confidentially with one of our therapists.

or Call: 01298 600477
bottom of page