La Verne Sports Chiropractic – Sports chiropractic, also known as chiropractic sports medicine, focuses on preventing and treating musculoskeletal injuries, as well as optimizing athletic performance. Popular among professional athletes, sports chiropractic is becoming more mainstream as individuals discover its benefits and power to achieving a body in top performing shape. Specializing in chiropractic sports medicine, Dr. Mehr, of Foothill Family Chiropractic in La Verne, has three tips for all aspiring and professional athletes looking to boost their performance:
1) Leverage your diet – Inflammation is common with athletic activity. It is the body’s response to injury and infection. Although inflammation can be a good thing in the short run, overtime it can hinder performance. To fight chronic inflammation and improve performance, one must consider their diet. Some foods promote inflammation, while others fight it. Accordingly, consume more anti-inflammatory foods, such as whole foods. Fill your plate with proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats, and avoid processed foods (those with ingredients that appear to be made in a lab). The protein not only will keep you full longer, but it will supply the essential amino acids your body requires. The complex carbs provide your body with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and energy. Moreover, the healthy fats (i.e. raw nuts, coconut oil, and avocado) are a wonderful fuel for sustained energy.
2) Sleep it off – During sleep, our bodies repair themselves. Accordingly, if you are not getting enough sleep, your body is not adequately repairing itself, and therefore you are unable to perform optimally. In fact, a study conducted on Stanford University’s basketball players revealed that after the players began sleeping 2 more hours a night, they increased their speed by 5%, raised the accuracy of their free throws by 9%, speeded up their reflexes, and overall felt happier. To improve your sleep, get on a regular schedule (i.e. go to bed and wake up at the same time every day). Additionally, a little common sense, but nonetheless, a reminder to avoid caffeine and reduce alcohol as these can disrupt your sleep.
3) Drill It – One of the best ways to improve your athletic abilities is to practice the same movement repeatedly. Doing so allows you to improve your neuromuscular reaction, increase speed, and develop your efficiency. To gain a better perspective on your progress, make sure you track your performance in a log. Did you become faster? Stronger? Writing it down allows you to see how you’re doing and what areas you need to improve upon. Furthermore, as you practice your drills make sure to incorporate conditioning so necessary movements become second nature. For instance, basketball players will perform shooting practices, whereas baseball players will practice catches and soccer players will do kicks.
There you have it! Dr. Mehr’s three tips to improving your athletic performance. As we end this blog, we’re going to leave you with a few famous words:..
“I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor were among the most important.” –Jerry Rice (Pro Football Hall of Fame)–
“I’ve been going to Chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.”
–Tiger Woods–
“As long as I see the Chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.”
–Tom Brady–
“I don’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds both mentally and physically.”
–Michael Jordan–
“Chiropractic makes me feel a few inches taller each time I come out.”
-Christine Brinkley (even models and actresses can improve their game with chiropractic care)–
To experience the benefits of chiropractic care yourself, contact our office today! (909) 596-1038.
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