The annual basketball tournament affectionately known as March Madness is here. The balls have been tipped, and players, coaches, and fan bases have dreams of playing in the final game in Phoenix on April 3rd.
Office pools are abundant, while work productivity generally falls off for three weeks. It’s nail biting action from end to end, and we marvel at the athletic talents these young college kids have.
How do they get into such incredible shape to perform at premier levels for 40 minutes each game? In several ways. Yes, they lift a lot of weights, but there is far more to what propels their bodies into freaks of nature that leave our jaws dropped when they sky to throw down an alley-oop dunk.
For example, the Kentucky Wildcats…seemingly always in the conversation to win it all…incorporate pool running and hot yoga into their workout regimens. The hot yoga exercises loosen their hips and joints while strengthening the core. These boys know how to turn up the heat on and off the court.
Two years ago, the Wisconsin Badgers took a talented team to the Final Four, narrowly missing out on making it to the finale. What did their head coach, Bo Ryan use to employ the Badgers’ conditioning that allowed them to make a serious run? He had them run up hills. For one, he noted that the team was suffering from back, knee, and joint issues from constant running on the hardwood floors at practice and in games. This was a way to take some of the stress off critical areas of the body that need to be healthy to play the game at its highest level.
Villanova (the #1 overall seed in this year’s tournament) has a strength coach who facilitates hydration as a means to get his players in peak shape. He will take the players’ hydration levels before they enter practice to show them how much better they would perform when fully hydrated. After that, he brings into play exercise equipment like the TRX Body Row.
These are just a few examples of how to get the most out of your body, whether in the gym or in competition. RPCoaching utilizes all of the above. So even if you can’t sky for a crowd-roaring dunk, it’s important to put your body in the best possible position to achieve peak performance and improve overall wellness on a daily basis. Give us a call to go over options that we can help you make your fitness routine a slam dunk!
