Fit To Succeed

Professional athletes possess exceptional physical ability.  It requires talent, discipline, hard work, and dedication to become an elite athlete.  Some athletes never reach their full potential because they don’t take their nutrition and fitness seriously or work as hard on their craft as they should and consistently look for ways to improve.   Others have Hall of Fame careers, and win multiple championships in their respective sports.  With year-round training becoming a normal practice, athletes are realizing the importance of making nutrition and fitness a priority.  This should not only pertain to elite athletes. Most of society neglects their health.  Regardless of anyone’s level of achievement, it shouldn’t come at the cost of poor health.  The consequences can jeopardize quality of life and maximum efficiency.  Athletes can serve as examples of what valuing nutrition and fitness can do for a career—and illustrate how disregard will short-change a legacy.

Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., each carry a family tradition in boxing along with their fathers’ namesake.  The “juniors” have taken two different approaches to their careers.  While both prizefighters were introduced to the sport at a very young age, what separates them is desire. Mayweather appears to have genuinely developed a passion for the sport, while Chavez seems entitled because of his family legacy.  Mayweather is an undefeated champion (46-0). The 36-year-old boxer is as sharp as ever—dismantling the previously undefeated Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, 23, on Sept. 14. Mayweather takes pride in keeping himself in peak shape year-round. He has excellent trainers in uncle Roger Mayweather and father Floyd Mayweather, Sr.

On the other hand, Chavez gives the impression that he does not take his training seriously.  He tested positive for marijuana after his first defeat against Sergio Martinez in September 2012, and his trainer, the renowned Freddie Roach, criticized his preparation for the fight.  In his most recent Sept. 28 fight against Brian Vera, he struggled to make a contracted weight that was renegotiated twice. It appears Mayweather will go down as one of the best boxers in history. Chavez, with an impressive 47-1-1 record at age 27, has yet to fully tap into his potential.  While natural ability, environment, and training over a long period of time enables some athletes to become very good at their respective sport, their dedication to taking care of their bodies enable them to reap the full benefits of training.

Two NBA Legends—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal—illustrate this difference in approach to nutrition and fitness throughout their careers. Abdul-Jabbar played 20 productive seasons (1969-89) in the NBA, a six-time champion and league MVP.  Out of his 20 seasons, he only played less than 65 of 82 games twice in his career, and remains the league’s all-time leading scorer. Abdul-Jabbar attributed the longevity of his career to taking up yoga in 1976. "I believe that yoga is one of the reasons that I was able to play as long and as healthy as I did.  Yoga is somewhat hard to quantify in terms of benefits because you see them in all the injuries you don't get," the basketball legend explained.

Shaquille O’Neal played 19 seasons (1992-2011), a four-time champion and league MVP in 2000.  He led three different franchises to finals appearances and rose to become arguably the most dominant big man in NBA history.  Twelve of O’Neal’s 19 seasons he played 67 games or less.  His injury-plagued career was mostly attributed to lack of conditioning and recovering from surgeries.  Imagine if O’Neal took his nutrition and fitness as serious as Abdul-Jabbar: the impact he could have left on the game and how many more championships he could have won.

Elite athletes can love playing their respective sport, but detest the preparation that it takes to master it. Some individuals have a passion for exercising, but struggle with proper nutrition.  Great genetics can lead to complacency.  The importance of nutrition and fitness can assist us all in our careers and quality of life.  Physical activity helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression as well as improves mood.  It helps maintain brain function in older adults.  That is why more organizations are investing in educating employees on nutrition and fitness along with providing resources such as on-site fitness facilities and workshops.

 

Most of us aren’t elite athletes, but not taking nutrition and fitness seriously can jeopardize our overall health, quality of life, and careers. Mayweather, Chavez, Abdul-Jabbar and O’Neal are accomplished in their respective careers.  Imagine how a proper nutrition and fitness regiment could enhance your quality of life and effectiveness in your career.  It can be a 9-5 desk job, technical, or blue collar.  It doesn’t matter.  Don’t cheat your level efficiency by neglecting to take care of yourself.  Regardless of how anyone defines success, we all want to be healthy to enjoy the fruits of our labor.