Malcolm O'Kelly is a Leinster hero. He made more than 175 appearances for Leinster in a career that spanned 15 years, so he knows a good bit about maintaining high physical standards. After sitting down to 'Clear The Air' with Peter Stringer in our video series with Dyson, Malcolm shared a few tips that he found were essential for staying fit and healthy.
Malcolm's tip are as follows:
- Hydration - water is as important to an athlete as petrol is to a sports car. Without proper hydration, peak performance is impossible. Drink water before, during and after your work out. Some good ways to keep hydrated all day is to keep a bottle of water in front of you, especially at work. If you're not keen on plain water, put a few slices of fruit in it to flavour it. Eating hydrating foods such as watermelon and pineapple will also help you keep hydrated throughout the day. But be careful, drinking too much water can cause over-hydration, which can dilute important substances in your blood. It's about getting the balance right.
- Yoga - we've seen the sports world gradually embrace the power of yoga over the last decade. Malcolm swears by it. Not only is it good for your physical health, it's also good for your mental health which plays an important role in the performance of athletes today. If going to a yoga class by your own is too daunting, ask one of your friends to go along, you won't regret it.
- Core development - elite performance starts at the core, and Malcolm advises readers to swim and do pilates in order to build that vital core strength. Core strength not only improves balance and performance, but it also helps to prevent injury and back pain, which can be a problem for high performance athletes, especially in rugby. You don't even need a gym to incorporate core work into your workout, 10-15 minutes core work each day at home can be hugely beneficial.
Malcolm also adds that clean air at home can go a long way in everyone's life, and that's why he recommends using a Dyson air purifier.
READ ALSO: 'He Rang Me The Next Day'- Malcolm O'Kelly On Being "Humiliated" By Ronan O'Gara
Want to clear the air? Dyson purifying fans sense and capture pollution, then project purified air throughout your whole room. With the Dyson link app, you can control your indoor environment at any time. Visit Dyson.ie for more information.
