It has been shown that acupuncture can help the body in many ways. From repairing the digestive system to boosting Qi, enhancing athletic performance to mending strains and sprains, acupuncture has many uses and most of these uses are beneficial for athletes of any level.
It has been shown that acupuncture can help the body in many ways. From repairing the digestive system to boosting Qi, enhancing athletic performance to mending strains and sprains, acupuncture has many uses and most of these uses are beneficial for athletes of any level.
In addition to using acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine, there are other ways athletes seek to up their game as fall sports are just round the corner. Below we will offer several was that you can naturally boost your game.
One of the simplest ways to increase performance is by watching what you are consuming. You ever heard the saying you are what you eat? Chances are you have, if not, well I am glad that now you have, because there could not be a truer statement.
By carefully calculating what we put into our bodies we can increase athletic performance in addition to bettering all aspects of our life. It doesn’t have to all start with a full meal, there are little additions you can make to foods and snacks within your normal dietary routine, which will increase performance and herbs are one of the most crucial things to add to your diet in order to better your physical potential.
Arnica – Arnica is an herb native to the mountains known for its very interesting and healing properties. Arnica is utilized by lots of distance runners. It is known to wipe out muscle soreness, which is pent up after long-distance runs. Some popular ways arnica is consumed, is in teas and dairy-based desserts. It will help you help those muscles so you can sustain a high level of athletic performance.
Astragalus – Ah, another fun name to say. But, a very beneficial name to be saying, it is always good to have astragalus around the house. This herb is known to boost overall health and goes by the names Huang Chi or Huang Qi. With names like that, which directly apply to energy, you know it is a good choice to increase your performance.
Straying away from the herb’s side of things, let’s look at some specific foods to add to your diet in order to boost energy and performance levels.
Beets – Beetroot contains lots of nitrates and does wonders for your circulatory system, this is key for an athlete. You need to have a healthy-functioning circulatory system in order to complete the tasks you wish to accomplish, adding a steady dose of this veggie to your diet will help with that.
Salmon – How many times can you say Omega-3s? Omega-3s, Omega-3s, Omega-3s. What a coincidence, three times! But, truthfully you could say Omega-3s much more than this amount. Salmon, like most fish, is packed full of these fatty acids, which are great for muscle repair and anti-inflammatory properties.
Another natural way to up your game is to help yourself recover from a work out with a therapeutic massage. Massage will help increase blood flow to your achy muscles, move out lactic acid which builds up during a workout, it moves lymph fluids and will help you recover more quickly in time for the next big game! Massage can also help in injury prevention and recovery.
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is also a great way to up your game. As you probably saw during the Rio Olympics, many athletes had strange circular marks on their bodies. These are marks from cupping, a therapeutic technique to encourage blood flow and energy flow to the areas targeted. You can think of cupping almost like reverse massage-instead of compressing the muscles in that area, you are utilizing a lifting, vacuum-like technique. No, don’t go grab your vacuum cleaners to help ease your achy legs after a run. Be sure to go to a trained, licensed practitioner to be sure it is being done correctly and safely.
Acupuncture is also a great way to up your game by increasing your sports performance. And it’s not only for elite Olympic athletes! Acupuncture can help everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors to daily walkers. Acupuncture can help relieve muscle tension and strains and improve circulation, it can help reduce inflammation to help your body recover faster after a workout or injury and it can also help reduce pain.
Whether it be adding a powerful-enhancing herb to your day to day routine, or changing some of the foods you eat within your diet, or getting acupuncture or massage there are vast amounts of ways to up your game naturally. We are barely scratching the surface with this list.
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