José Bautista’s Key to Success: Implementing a Holistic Approach to His Body

In a recent article on SportsNet.ca, Toronto Blue Jays player José Bautista talks about his key to success.  He credits it to adopting a holistic approach to managing his body, and treating the root cause.  At age 35, he shows no signs of slowing down, playing 308 of 324 games in the last two seasons and missing only one of 55 games in the current season.  

In 2013, Bautista suffered a hip injury that served as an opportunity to up his game and become even better.  Bautista changed his mindset and everything he did became a fundamental and calculated part of a process to prepare his body for a game and to repair his body after each game.  ​

Bautista insists the combination of his entire regimen has changed him not only physically, but mentally, too.  ​

His process-focused approach not only improved his physical abilities, but also his confidence, focus and energy.  Bautista is a role model to all of us who want to be the best that we can be, an example of what discipline, hard-work, commitment and dedication can help you achieve.

Bautista identified his body’s needs and created an individualized routine that works for him.  It addresses his goals, strengths and weaknesses  The cornerstone of his routine - a good diet.  He talks about nourishing his cells, so that they’re available to him, and how it just won’t happen if he’s eating “normal people food”.  He’s implemented a diet abundant in antioxidants that prevent damage to the body during times of stress, nutrients that prevent and reduce inflammation, and repair and detoxify the body by supporting the liver.  

He also talks about breathing exercises, just five to ten minutes at a time, two to three times a day.  They help calm his mind, improve focus and even muscle function.  He talks about understanding what his body feels like under different situations - if his muscles are tight, if he doesn’t sleep well or if he eats certain foods.  This allows Bautista to know what his body requires, to do things with ease, which diminishes wear and tear and stress on the body and allows him to be fresh for longer.   

Bautista’s regimen perfectly exemplifies the six naturopathic principles (https://aanmc.org/6-principles/).  He’s connecting his mind to his body through meditation and breathing.  He’s eating a diet rich in nutrients, to reduce inflammation, prevent injury and repair the body after each game.  The omega-3s and anti-inflammatory nutrients support his overall health.  Rather than simply building muscle to recover from injury, he addressed the underlying cause of the injury, the muscle imbalance.  Finally, he’s educating himself about the body and and seeing what makes him feel best.

At age 35, Bautista seems to have found the secret to longevity as an athlete.  He’s improved every part of his game, creating results that have led reporters to ask if he’s found a way to defy time.  As impressive as these results seem, everyone can improve their confidence, energy and focus by establishing a routine that focuses on prevention, repair and one’s innate abilities, 
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For the original SportsNet.ca article, go to http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/jose-bautista-dominates-body-maintenance-game/.