OK, so maybe you can’t dunk. Maybe you always drop the ball. Maybe you, like us, spent most of your time warming the bench on the basketball team in junior high.
(And then again, maybe you, like Lisa Leslie, could wear out the Worm on the court. In that case, you go, girl.)
And while you might never be a world-class athlete earning your keep doing jumpshots, you can still take a little inspiration from the fabulous basketball divas lighting up the eight teams of the WNBA.
There’s much to be inspired by: Superstars like the Los Angeles Sparks’ Leslie, New York Liberty’s Rebecca Lobo and the Houston Comets’ Sheryl Swoopes have all proved that physical power and glamor can be synonymous.
Of course, all that athletic prowess is the result of hours spent on free throws, endless dribbling and layups. WNBA players practice five days a week, usually with a two- or three-hour workout in the morning, followed by another two-hour session in the afternoon. On the sixth day, they play a gameand on the seventh, they take a much needed rest. Even when they’re on the road, as soon as they get off the plane, they’re headed for the gym.
We were lucky enough to catch a few players just long enough to glean a fews tips about fitness and nutrition. Here’s what Houston Comets shooting guard Cynthia Cooper, New York Liberty forward Susan Wicks, Cleveland Rockers point guard Jenny Boucek and the Rockers’ strength and conditioning coach David Donatucci had to say:
– CONSISTENCY IS KEY
You’re determined to lose that extra 5, 10 or 15 plus pounds that have settled around your midsection, or your hips or your thighs. So you dash to the gym, where you knock yourself out doing 1,000 crunches and run around the track until you’re dizzy. The next day, you need to mainline Advil in order to get out of the bed.
Don’t do it, advises the Rockers’ Boucek, you’ll just get discouraged and sore, and next thing you know, your sweats and sneakers have been tossed into the trash heap. Far better to focus on the quality of your workouts, doing a little bit at a time. Consistency does pay off in tangible results: When Cooper first started working out, she says she could barely do a single men’s pushup. Now she has worked her way up to three sets of 20 pushups.
Adds Boucek: “If you can get into a routine and do something every day and you’re consistent with it, you’re going to be in shape and successful.” But to be successful, you’ve got to find a sport that makes your heart sing as well as pump. If you’re into the solitary, meditative approach to exercise, try swimming, biking or jogging. If you’re the social type, check out team or group sports like softball, volleyball and tennis.
“If it’s not fun, you’re not going to do it,” Boucek says. “If it doesn’t fit into your schedule, you’re not going to do it. Find something that helps you get into your zone.”
Decide what you want to achieve from your workout weight loss, strength, flexibility, stress relief, and tailor your regimen accordingly. Set small goals for yourself, and take the “staircase approach,” advises Donatucci. The first week, exercise for 20 minutes three times a week; the next, increase your exercise time by 5 or 10 minutes.
Realize that exercise should challenge you physically, but not wear you out, Donatucci says. If you’re out of breath and doubled-over in exhaustion, you’re overdoing it: “You shouldn’t feel like you need a nap afterwards.”
– MIX IT UP
Boredom is the enemy of any exercise routine. That spinning class might do it for you for the first few months, but eventually your attention will start to wander. Even in basketball practice, WNBA players don’t just play ball. Instead, they lift weights, run sprints, and even do obstacle course drills to increase flexibility and stamina.
Off season, the Rockers’ Boucek swims, rides her exercise bike and plays soccer, tennis or beach volleyball, while Cooper indulges in a slow, easy morning run, followed by crunches and pushups.
– LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Oh yeah, your body is your temple. But it’s also your oracle too. So listen to it, because it truly does know best. Cooper, for example, doesn’t drink, smoke, take medicine or vitamins because she doesn’t like putting anything “artificial” in her body. When she’s tired, she rests. Her method may not be for everyone, she admits, but the lesson she has learned over the years will work for everyone.
“When I’m tired, my body says sit down, so I do,” Cooper, the mother of an adopted 3-year-old, says. “I really listen to my body. And that’s why I’m able to play (professional ball) at 34.”
– YES, YOU REALLY ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Forget about fancy diets; all you need to be in tiptop nutritional shape is a little common sense, says Donatucci.
The popular diet books that tell you how to eat your way into the high-protein “Zone” aren’t necessary, Donatucci says. Instead, make sure that at least 40 percent of your diet consists of carbohydrates like pastas, rice, fruits and vegetables. Protein legumes, lean meats, fish and poultry–should account for no more than 30 percent of your diet, with fats like peanuts, peanut butter, olives, butter and avocado making up the rest.
Says Donatucci: “For most of us, carbohydrates and lots of fruits and vegetables are going to be the answer to a lot of our problems.” Even living on the road, the athletes don’t veer far from their good eating habits. Wicks takes dried fruit, nuts and vitamins along to keep hunger pangs at bay on long plane rides and selectively nibbles on airline food.
– SLOTH IS A VIRTUE
Taking time off from your workout is essential. This means giving your body a complete break at least one day a week. No crunches. No jog around the block. Rest. Athletes call this “recovery,”a crucial element of the training process.
“Your recovery time is just as important as the time you spend in the gym,” says Wicks. “You’ve got to give your body a chance to rest and recover and grow. Otherwise, you’re just breaking down your body.”
So sleep, drink a lot of water and fuel your body with healthy food. Your body-and your workout-will thank you for it.
– CHEAT A LITTLE
Every once in a while, the call of the Snickers will be overwhelming. Every once in a while, there’s no shame to your game if you succumb to the lure of chocolate, or a Big Mac or key lime pie. Let’s face it; a little pigging out is good for the soul. Even Rebecca Lobo confesses that her favorite grub is Cookies N’ Cream ice cream.
“Of course you can have your treat,” says Wicks, who owns a health club called, appropriately enough, “The Gym,” in Long Island, N.Y. “Treat yourself once in a while – but make sure it’s a really good treat.”
Final words of advice: “Finish what you start,” the Comets’ Cooper says. “If you started out trying to lose 10 pounds, do it no matter how long it takes. Don’t give yourself a time limit. Set your own pace and your own goals. Meeting your goals just builds your self-esteem and confidence. You just feel like you’re on top of the world.”
