Apart from rigorous training and workouts, Menos Hiras believes that a proper diet is vital for young athletes who want to attain peak athletic performance. Although other foods can help fuel the body, healthy foods will provide athletes with essential nutrients without compromising their overall health. Overall athletic performance is greatly affected by nutrition, so you need to be more mindful of what you consume. Menos Hiras believes that athletes need to understand that proper diet is as vital as physical training. You need to prioritize your diet if you want to get the most of your athletic capabilities. Here are some foods that can help young athletes reach maintain their physical well-being:

Bananas

Bananas are low in calories and excellent sources of natural electrolytes. Your body needs these chemicals to replenish lost nutrients after a workout. They also help in regulating fluid intake and prevent muscle spasms and cramps.

Whey Protein

Menos Hiras believes that many fitness enthusiasts and athletes are fans of whey protein because of their essential amino acids. It lacks cholesterol and fat, which helps keep a physically fit body. Whey protein also prevents muscle breakdown, making it an excellent formula for those who want to build their muscles.

Berries

Berries have high levels of antioxidants, which the body needs to replenish lost nutrients after physical activities. Dark berries have phytochemicals and other protective contents that preserve muscle strength and prevent oxidative stress.

Beet juice

It is best to drink a cup of beet juice every day to lower your blood pressure and improve your blood flow. Beets are high in carbohydrates, which your body needs to remain energized. They also have antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients and are rich in nitrate, which can help dilate blood vessels. Dilated blood vessels help increase oxygen levels and lower blood pressure. Menos Hiras believes these are essential factors to consider, especially when doing aerobic exercises.

Flax seeds

Besides chia seeds, flax seeds are now gaining more attention from the public. Menos Hiras believes this food is not only for athletes but for everyone who wishes to remain healthy or become healthier. Flax seeds have high dietary fiber and omega-3 content, which can help lower cholesterol levels and improve digestive health. Omega-3 fatty acids can also support cellular healing and reduce inflammation. They are also helpful in preventing certain cancer types, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

It does not matter whether you play sports for competition or personal physical well-being. Menos Hiras believes everyone wants to prevent injuries as much as possible. Injuries can take away so much time from the games, or worse, force inactivity if athletes do not practice essential safety measures.

It is impossible to prevent every possible injury. Still, experts from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons say that studies suggest that athletes can reduce the injury rates by 25% if they take appropriate preventive action. Menos Hiras shares some of the general guidelines athletes can follow to prevent sports injury.

Rest is as essential as training.

Research suggests that athletes who train for a longer time, with minimal time for rest, are more likely to encounter sports injuries. Menos Hiras believes that it is vital for athletes to understand that rest is as essential as training. Many athletes have the misconception that the more they train, the better they will be. Although training will improve their skills in sports, athletes should keep in mind that rest is a vital part of a proper program. It will make them stronger and prevent sports injuries by giving their bodies enough time to recover.

Wear appropriate gear and clothing.

Wearing proper clothing makes an athlete feel comfortable as they play and helps improve their performance. On the other hand, proper gear such as pads, mouthpieces, and helmets keeps them safe and prevents injuries. However, Menos Hiras believes that it is also essential to remember that these two cannot prevent every possible injury. There may be inevitable injuries when the player does not practice safety measures and condition their minds and bodies.

Stretching and conditioning are essential.

Conditioning and stretching are other practices that Menos Hiras believes to be essential to prevent sports injury. These two practices significantly help improve muscle strength and flexibility, which are both vital for playing sports.

Never forget to warm up.

Many experts suggest that warmed-up muscles are less susceptible to injuries. Aside from conditioning and stretching, Menos Hiras believes that proper warm-up before games and training is vital for sports injury prevention. It significantly helps prepare an athlete’s body by gradually revving up the cardiovascular system and raising the body temperature, which is essential before aerobic activity.

Although no one can reverse or stop the circle of life, Menos Hiras believes you can significantly influence yours by making daily healthy choices for your future. Living a balanced and active lifestyle will help you prevent a wide range of diseases that come with aging. Besides helping you ward off some illnesses, staying active also slows the rate of muscle tissue loss and enhances your daily living activities. There may not be a magic potion that promises eternal youthful life, but Menos Hiras believes older adults hold more power than they may realize. It lies in the daily choices and the simple habit they adopt and maintain throughout their lives. Whether you believe it or not, exercise is one of the primary keys to living well across your lifespan.

Menos Hiras believes that not many adults know that the human brain continually changes in size and functionality. Most age-related changes in aging adults include decreased brain weight and size, network size, and blood supply. An aging brain also usually experiences memory loss, decreased spatial awareness, inductive reasoning skills, and mental acuity. Alongside these signs, older adults may also develop issues in balance. No one is immune to the regular changes that happen to an aging brain. Still, Menos Hiras believes that physical activity and proper diet can significantly slow the rate of cognitive dysfunction which most older adults experience. If you want to age healthily, you need to start thinking of what is good for your heart and brain as early as possible.

Staying physically active and incorporating aerobic exercise into your daily living can also help you lower and control your blood pressure, which can be a primary issue for aging adults. When you can manage your blood pressure through proper diet and exercise, you can help reduce your heart’s overall stress. If you want to add more life to your years and more years to your life, Menos Hiras believes it is vital to try your best to stay active. 

Many older adults usually believe that they might be too old to exercise to improve their physical health. But, did you know that out of the 78 million adults born between 1946 and 1964 in the U.S., 11 million work out? Menos Hiras believes that older adults who live a physically inactive lifestyle are more prone to injuries than active adults.

Your strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance will wither as you age if you are inactive. Menos Hiras believes that daily physical activity will significantly enhance your physical health and enable you to engage in life fully. These factors can eventually add life to your years and years to your life. Menos Hiras believes maintaining at least moderate physical activity is essential to enhance your positive health regimen and combat or prevent ailments associated with aging. It is no wonder why more older adults are signing up for personal trainers, group exercises, and walking groups to keep them healthier for longer.

However, although you would want to be physically active, Menos Hiras believes you need to seek gentler workouts that are age-appropriate for you. You can opt for slower and longer war-ups and cooldowns. It would be best to choose exercise routines with less risk of injury while promoting strength, posture alignment, endurance, flexibility, and agility. Here are some types of exercises that can help you promote a healthy and physically active lifestyle even as late as life as possible:

Cardio.

Menos Hiras believes that one of the best forms of exercise is cardio. Doing moderate-intensity aerobic activities for at least thirty minutes will help you maintain a physically healthy body. You can opt for walking, swimming, biking, or using a treadmill or an elliptical.

Strength training.

Did you know that people lose about 30% of their muscle strength as they reach the age of 50? Sedentary adults can typically expect a muscle loss of up to 0.4 pounds a year. Menos Hiras believes that you also need to work on your strength training if you want healthy, active aging.

Core training.

Menos Hiras believes that another vital form of exercise for aging adults is core training, strengthening the muscles that run the entire length of your torso. If you do not want to have any problems standing up, shifting body weight, and protecting your back and hips, then you might want to work on these exercises.

After workout sessions, you may be feeling exhausted and want nothing more than to collapse on a bench and take a bite of your favorite snack. It may be self-rewarding, in a way, but we need to do things right and in the correct order. Menos Hiras believes you need to avoid a few mistakes if you want to prevent causing harm to your body. Stay vigilant as these practices are traps that you can easily fall into and quickly turn into habits. Avoid these things after your workout!

Do not eat junk food.
Menos Hiras believes that not eating after a workout is a mistake, but you need to be mindful of what you eat. Doing exercises will deplete your energy stores, and your body needs fuel to recover and build your muscles. However, it does not mean that you should overeat junk food. Try to have a healthy snack thirty minutes after your workout. Keep in mind that the best option for a snack is a combination of protein and carbohydrates, which will give your body just what it needs.

Do not skip your cool down.
Your cool down does not need to be anything extravagant, but just a way to gradually get your heart rate back down to a resting level. Menos Hiras believes that your cooldown is as essential as your warm-up exercises in ensuring that your body functions properly. Your muscles will respond so much better when you spend enough time for your post-workout recovery.

Do not forget to hydrate.
Menos Hiras believes that one of the most vital things to remember after a workout is rehydration. Your body loses many fluids when you sweat during workouts, so you need to replenish it. Although there is a wide variety of sports drinks, Menos Hiras recommends going for water instead. Compared to sports drinks, water does not have calories and sugars, making it the best rehydrating drink.

Do not remain sedentary for the rest of the day.
One of the most common mistakes people believe is that they can remain sedentary for the rest of the day after the workout. It can be tempting, but Menos Hiras suggests that you fight the urge to lounge. Even if you have to work, sitting on a chair in front of your desk, you need to stay somewhat mobile. You can try to get up and walk around every hour or so, just so your body can remain active.

Not many people know the things they should never do during workout sessions. Menos Hiras believes that these little things you do during your workout can often be harmful, and people should know what these practices are. Here are four mistakes you need to avoid while working out:

1. Losing good posture
Menos Hiras believes proper posture is key to maximizing exercises. It refers to your body’s alignment against the forces of gravity on your body. It also distributes these forces throughout your entire body and prevents a single part from becoming overtaxed. If you want to avoid injuries, keeping a good posture is vital to avoid putting too much pressure on a single structure.

2. Holding your breath
When you notice that your face is turning red when doing exercises, most likely, it is because you are holding your breath. It happens because there is a sudden surge of blood to your heart, which disrupts your cardiac rhythm. Menos Hiras believes it is dangerous when it happens because it can send your blood pressure soaring, which can eventually cause heart failure in people with existing conditions.

3. Working through too much pain
There is a famous saying that says, “no pain, no gain.” But Menos Hiras believes it is vital for you to know the difference between good and bad pain, and joint pain is terrible pain. If you feel pain in your joints, you should stop and rest. Remember that you should never ignore your body’s natural pain signals.

4. Letting your knees go off in different directions
Menos Hiras believes that one of the most common mistakes committed by fitness beginners is they allow their knees to drop outward, inward, or pitch out in front of their toes. It can cause knee problems and intense pain, which can cause difficulty in walking. What you should do is use your knees to track directly over your toes.

When incorporating new practices into your training, Menos Hiras believes you need to remember that consistency and hard work always come together. The more hard work you consistently put in, the better your results and the higher your confidence will be. It will be a challenge to be consistent, but everything is very much worth it if you want to reach your goals. Here are some tips so you could be better at basketball.

1. Improve your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses. Menos Hiras believes that one of the essential things you need to do to improve your basketball skills is to understand how you currently impact your game. To do this, you need to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on improving your weaknesses and eventually eliminate them so you could be well-rounded in all of the game’s aspects.

2. Make sure you stay physically fit. Besides making sure that you know your game’s strengths and weaknesses, Menos Hiras believes it is also vital to improve your physical fitness. No matter how much you master basketball skills, you cannot use them properly if you are out of shape. You need to constantly improve your endurance, speed, and overall fitness if you want to be an elite player.

3. Master your ball control and dribbling skills. Menos Hiras believes that one of the easiest ways to be better in basketball is developing your dribbling skills. The more power you put on your dribbles, the more control you will have over the ball. It will keep the ball near your shot pocket and help you become a more efficient shooter. If you want to master the skill better, Menos Hiras advises that you practice dribbling with both your hands during daily practice at game speed. You also need to master three ball-handling moves: between legs, behind the back, and crossover. Once you master these three moves, you can easily create combinations of dribbles.

Like any sport, Menos Hiras believes that badminton has many aspects that may not be clear to all players unless someone explains them. You need to understand these aspects to get better at badminton. If you want to be a better badminton player, you need to develop your speed, techniques, and strategy. Here are a few tips so you could get better at badminton:

Always warm-up.

If you want to be a better badminton player, Menos Hiras believes you need to ensure you properly prepare your body before you play. Warming up will help you prevent injuries by improving your blood flow and loosening your joints, making your muscles less vulnerable to harmful rips and tears.

Practice the basics.

Menos Hiras believes that getting better at badminton means going back to its basics. Dedicate your time to mastering fundamental skills and identifying and improving your weaknesses. One of the essential skills you need to master is hitting the shuttlecock’s center. It is the shuttlecock’s sweet spot and is the most optimal area to hit.

After playing a shot, it would be best to keep a central base position. Menos Hiras believes that returning to the middle of the court after you hit the shuttle places you in a position of readiness. It will be more challenging for your opponent to run you around to hit the shuttle in a place where you might not reach it.

It would be best if you also practice your short serves. Menos Hiras believes that whether you are playing doubles or singles, short serves can catch your opponent off guard. He might not know when to expect it and not be able to run up to return your serve in time. Hit the shuttle at a higher contact point and drop it closer to your racket to make sure you hit the short serve perfectly.

Improve your footwork.

Menos Hiras believes that footwork is one of the most vital aspects of badminton. You would not be able to return shots if you are not quick enough. It would be best if you stay on your toes, moving your feet up and down, back and forth, and side to side in small movements to position yourself to return the shot.

Menos Hiras believes that one of the essential things to have in sports is the willingness to learn continuously. If you want to grow as a sports player and master new skills, you need to know that learning is as vital as any other skill you pick up along the way. Here are some things to learn to master new skills in sports:

Always start with where you are currently at, not where you think you should be.
Lofty goals can be great, but not if you base them on what someone else is doing. If you want to learn and master a new skill in your sport, Menos Hiras believes that you need to acknowledge and accept that you are where you are currently at. No great sports player starts perfectly. Start with a big goal, but start little. So swallow your ego do not be too quick to fall for the “go big or go home” saying.

Step outside your comfort zone and develop a growth mindset.
Once you accept your starting point, Menos Hiras believes that the next step needs to be all about developing a growth mindset. Never let your limits define what you can achieve in sports. Ditch them, together with all the negative things you tell yourself. If you believe you can master a new skill, then you can. Aside from serious physical or health constraints, you have no other limits than your mindset. So start developing one that is all about improvement and learning. If you give it enough time, patience, and dedication, you will be able to do things you thought were impossible.

Practice and patience go hand-in-hand.
We all know that “practice makes perfect.” But Menos Hiras believes that mastering new skills should be more about progress and improvement instead of striving for perfection. Nothing and no one will ever be perfect. You just have to keep on improving. Be patient with yourself and make sure that you put in extra effort to master the skills that you want to master.

It does not matter what sport you play. Players and athletes can always improve their skills and performance through effective and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Menos Hiras shares in this post a few ways to help you get better in sports.

1. Set your goals. Before you start training harder to get better at your sport, Menos Hiras believes that you need to set your goals first. Think about what you want to achieve because doing so will help you focus your training and give you something to work on. Remember that your goals should not be unrealistic and unattainable that could make you quit. Gradually getting better is always better than quitting early because of unachievable goals.
2. Get enough nutrition. Menos Hiras believes that proper nutrition is another vital factor that can make you better at sports. Following a balanced diet rich in vitamins and nutrients will help fuel and refuel your body before and after training and workouts. Consume carbohydrates and proteins to build your bones and muscles, which may greatly help you get better at sports. You also need to get enough vitamins and minerals to maintain your health.
3. Drink plenty of water. Besides getting enough proper nutrition, Menos Hiras believes maintaining adequate hydration can help your body function more optimally. Hydrating can greatly improve your athletic performance because it replenishes the fluids you lose during games and training. Ensure you get sufficient water each day to boost your training and eventually get better at your sport.
4. Train regularly. You will not get better at sports if you do not train regularly. You can train three to six times per week, depending on the goals that you set. Menos Hiras emphasizes that it is not about how long you train. It is more about the quality of your training. Make sure that you get the most out of every session. But you also need to pace yourself and increase your training schedule gradually. Menos Hiras believes that consistency is still the key to getting better at sports. You can do all these things, but you will not get the results you want if you are not consistent.