If you’re a fall athlete like me, then you know how important it is to maintain healthy habits. Here are 5 tips to keep you fit on and off the field this season:  

1. 1. Strength and agility training. This is critical for becoming a better athlete and looks different for everyone depending on your sport. Strength and agility training can make you stronger and improve your stamina on the field. Some exercises can include strength training, the agility ladder, bands, and medicine ball drills.  Remember to check with your coach before trying something new. 
   2. Getting a good night’s sleep. This is essential to not only your performance but overall well-being. An article released by, Sleep Foundation, states sleep decreases the risk of illness and better develops any new skills learned in practice. It was also proven that middle and high school students are more prone to injury with less sleep. It is recommended that a student-athlete gets seven to nine hours of sleep per night. 
   3. Staying hydrated. According to the CDC, drinking water helps to balance body temperature, and protect your joints, spinal cord, and other tissues. Drinking fluids replaces water lost while exercising.  Some athletes, myself included, prefer to drink sports drinks during a workout, which contain electrolytes. A good way to keep hydrated is to have a water bottle with you throughout the day. 
   4. Maintaining a balanced diet. Eating a healthy diet is important to your success as an athlete. The USDA recommends that your diet includes a balance of fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy in order to get all of the necessary nutrients. Eating healthy foods replenishes energy to perform well not only in your sport but in everyday activities. To learn more about proper health and nutrition, check out this quiz.
   5. Keeping a regular schedule. Time management is an important part of balancing practices, homework, and spending time with friends and family. Try to avoid procrastinating work so you can better focus during practice. Utilize free time throughout the school day, like during office hours or free periods to finish your homework. A great way to help balance your schedule is planning out your day, for example, when you are going to work out, practice, study, etc. 

I hope these five tips will help you improve your daily habits and bring you success as an athlete this year.