From Player to Playmaker [on Laker coaches' exercise and n..

http://www.nba.com/lakers/community/081201_playertocoach.html

From Player to Playmaker
December 1, 2008

Copying the fitness and nutrition regimens of your favorite Lakers
player may seem like a gargantuan goal. While proper fitness and
nutrition are ideals many of us strive to achieve in our daily lives,
there are small percentages of us with the luxury, let alone the
motivation to dedicate seven days a week and three hours a day to this
pursuit. The players of the Los Angeles Lakers have trainers and
nutritionists by their side to ensure these athletes are in peak shape
during the season since after all, their job is to be an athlete.

There are a few Lakers employees that at
one time played professional basketball and now face the similar
struggle of balancing work, family, and personal health. What is it
like to make the transition from professional athlete to workingman ?
I asked the coaches of the Los Angeles Lakers about the changes they
made to their nutrition and exercise regimen after their transition
from player to coach.

Whether you were a high school letter winner, a collegiate all star, or
someone who enjoyed fitness at one point in your life and had to
abandon a regular routine because of injury or an increasingly busy
schedule, many of us know it is difficult to make a transition from one
lifestyle to another.

It's been nearly 13 years since Lakers' "Superman", Kurt Rambis graced
the court. He openly admits his fitness is not what it used to be.
Kurt described to me the process he went through to find an appropriate
level of fitness after his retirement. "I used to beat myself up in
terms of how hard I would push myself running or lifting weights." One
day of no exercise turned into two, and to compensate for this lack of
activity Rambis would work harder in order to make up for the missed
days. Many of us can identify with this battle. The work becomes
frustrating and painful.

Rambis went through a period of time where he gave up exercise all
together because it was no longer enjoyable. He eventually came to
adopt the mantra "something is better than nothing", a wise piece of
advice indeed. His recommendation is this: keep it varied. Exercise
should be fun, not boring and should never turn into something you
don't enjoy. Kurt advises a routine balance between cardio and
strength training. He lists the elliptical, stationary bicycle, and
occasional beach jogs among his favorite ways to maintain his health.

Though Kareem Abdul Jabbar credits his slender
physique largely to genetics, this former player has found a number of
proactive ways to maintain his health outside the court. Kareem is a
huge follower of the yoga movement, and centers his exercise largely
around it. In addition, he engages in several bouts of strength
training throughout the year. He believes the key elements to a
healthy lifestyle include a balanced diet in conjunction with
cardiovascular exercise and stretching four to five days a week. Being
around a great facility full of exercise equipment makes working out a
bit easier on the coaching staff but Kareem maintains stretching and
cardio can be done in the comforts of ones home whether it be by
picking up a jump rope or investing in a stationary bike.

Kareem has always maintained a fairly healthy diet of lean proteins and
fruit, however he had to change the volume of food he consumed after he
stopped playing professionally. "I hit 300 lbs at one point after I
retired." He identified this as the wake up call to change his
habits. "I was eating like I was still playing. It took me about six
weeks to adjust since I was so used to consuming a lot."

Both Kareem and his ex-wife, an avid marathon runner, have tried to
provide a good example for their children's health habits. He believes
both his ex-wife and his own continued passion for exercise at their
age has helped to influence their kids to maintain an active lifestyle.

One of the most recent retirees on the
coaching staff is former Lakers point guard Brian Shaw. "It's an
obvious fact" he says "that if you ate a certain way while getting all
the exercise from the particular sport you played and you stop playing
that sport, you can't continue to eat the same way." All his life Shaw
was able to wolf down whatever he wanted due to his high level of
activity. He tells me the fight to maintain his nutrition is a
constant battle especially with the lifestyle he lives. Extravagant
meals are constantly available after games, on plane rides, or at
hotels. Shaw takes small steps and cuts out little things he once
enjoyed. "Drink water instead of soda or juice, it's surprising how
much sugar you consume when drinking those kinds of beverages" he
warns.

As far as exercise goes, Shaw is a fan of the treadmill and lifts
weights whenever he can find time in his busy schedule. He admits that
although he is around fitness equipment, it is hard to find the time to
squeeze a workout in with all the administrative duties he has as a
coach. Finding the appropriate level of fitness was a similar struggle
for Shaw especially since players who maintain the peak shape he once
shared surround him. He encourages those who have had to face a
similar transition to find a level of exercise that is comfortable. In
college Shaw was required to run the mile in five minutes before he was
able to practice on the court. He admits he can no longer hit this
time but he's accepted this as a reality of life. He still runs the
mile, and tries to finish it around seven minutes. "It may take a
little longer but as long as I'm getting that workout in, I'm reminded
I'm doing my part to stay healthy."

Nutrition and fitness are both key ingredients to a long healthy life.
We face many shifts throughout our life, no matter our age. Each
person may face a different set of circumstances, or deal with the same
situations in their own way. Change is difficult but it is a process
we must all become familiar with. Kurt Rambis disclosed an analogy I
wish to share with all those facing a turning point in their athletic
lifestyles. It is much easier to keep moving a heavy boulder up a hill
then to stop for a break and get the boulder moving again. Although
routines will change, and ideas and fitness will have to be tweaked, it
is important to find a balance between diet and exercise that will work
for you.

$Bill wrote:
>
> Kareem has always maintained a fairly healthy diet of lean proteins
> and fruit, however he had to change the volume of food he consumed
> after he stopped playing professionally. "I hit 300 lbs at one point
> after I retired." He identified this as the wake up call to change
> his habits. "I was eating like I was still playing. It took me
> about six weeks to adjust since I was so used to consuming a lot."

I wonder what Shaq will look like when he's in his 40s.