Tips on Exercise and Staying in Shape from Some of the World’s Top Athletes

6th November 2024 Print Email

There’s a vault of information online about the best ways to get fit and eat more healthily.

But, sometimes, it could all feel like a bit of a drag… motivation is often the kryptonite of getting into, or staying in, shape.

Maybe the advice of some of the most illustrious athletes on the planet will prove to be more motivating. It’s a level to aspire to, if nothing else!

No Limits Novak

Those betting on sports might have noticed that Novak Djokovic is the favourite to win the Australian Open in 2025… not bad for a guy who turned 37 back in May.

A betting calculator reveals that a £10 wager on the Serbian at odds of 7/4 would yield a return of £17.50 – that goes to show just how bullish the bookmakers are about his chances.

The fact that Djokovic is even still competing at the top level is remarkable in itself: his contemporaries, such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, have all retired.

So what’s his secret? The answer is a little bit of everything. The 37-year-old lifts weights, performs calisthenics and is a yoga convert, while adhering to a gluten and dairy-free diet.

Today warming up in the gym before my practice I used a medicine ball by slamming it on the floor pretty hard. As a result, I wrecked a wooden floor. @rolandgarros please forgive me! pic.twitter.com/Cao8I0dopS
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) May 24, 2019

Those are the lengths you have to go to if you want to be an elite sportsman as you approach your 40th birthday.

All-Round Superstar

There’s an argument to say that Nafi Thiam is one of the fittest all-round sportswomen on the planet.

The 30-year-old is the three-time Olympic gold medallist in the heptathlon, which requires her to deliver remarkable prowess in disciplines as diverse as the 800m, long jump, javelin and 100m hurdles.

So, Thiam is blessed with extraordinary cardio fitness and muscular strength from head to toe; as well as a healthy appetite to get out of bed and train each morning.

It’s that inner drive to succeed that has propelled her to such success, with Thiam believing that anyone – no matter their fitness level – can excel when they find strength within and ‘do everything right.’

“I give my all at every training session, I do my treatments, I do all my exercises, I go to sleep early, I eat well so that I can't have any regrets and say to myself, 'Oh well, it's my fault, I could have done that, but I didn't,” she has said.

Deep Breath

It’s enough to make anybody wince: the 2024 Tour de France had a total elevation of more than 52,000 metres.

Energy sapped, muscles ablaze… how could anyone cycle up and down the Tour’s peaks in such rapid time?

"It's very emotional for me"

Jonas Vingegaard was in tears after winning stage 11, 3 months after his horrific crash in Basque Country ????????#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/VmCfUHFYsM
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 10, 2024

Jonas Vingegaard, the former Tour de France champions, has a ‘train hard, eat smart’ mindset, but he also prioritises short, intense sessions of exercise over longer workouts.

“If you constantly go for longer workout sessions, you could get to the point that you didn’t like it anymore or that you will push yourself too far,” the Dane said.

So, if you need some motivation or tips to up your fitness game, consider the advice of some of the best athletes on the planet.

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Tips on Exercise and Staying in Shape from Some of the World’s Top Athletes