5 great habits to learn from Nigerian athletes

Running tracks and fighting taekwondo may be too much of an exercise for many but the little lifestyle choices these athletes make is often the thin line that determines whether they win or not. As the curtain falls on the 2015 Common Wealth Youth Games, Jovago.com Africa’s largest hotel booking portal shares a tips on 5 things to learn from our sports team this year.

Sleep right

Every athlete knows how important quality 8 hour sleep is to their general health. According to the World Association of Sleep Medicine, “if you want to lengthen the lifespan of your brain cells, then go to bed at the same time as kids.”

Sports personalities while preparing for a big game cut down on activities that keep them awake late into the night and follow-up with a healthy feeding routine for mental alertness and energy. Having a 30 minute siesta in a quiet environment during the day is also important because it provides the body an opportunity to function properly.

Go for the Gold!

Keeping your eyes on the reward will help you put in your best at each task. As most business leaders say, ‘99% of the job is in deciding to win the prize’.  So set targets and make a commitment to meet them.

Focus on winning, create a calendar for your daily projects, stick to it and watch yourself soar…just as the Atlanta ‘94 soccer team did when they competed against defending giants, Brazil. Against all odds, the Nigerian team who left the comfort of their beds in Nigeria with a slim chance of winning, broke a century long jinx and went ahead to get gold at the end of the tournament.

Fuel properly

If skipping meals regularly is part of your daily routine, then it’s time for a body-check. When living longer and being more productive becomes important to you, then following the examples of successful sportpersons is the way to go. Meals laden with sodium, saturated fat and added sugars clog the pores and wear-out muscles.

The Nigerian Athletics Commission conducts a thorough examination of the diet each athlete feeds on to ensure that they deliver the best performance every time they hit the tracks and applying this method can improve your quality of life too. Look for options that are nutrient-dense and free of empty calories. For tips of on how to create a great eating plan, Google has got a stack of information on what to watch out work for.