3 Daily Habits Proven to improve athletic performance
1% improvement everyday is a lot easier than you think when you stop worrying about external variables and instead focus on the things you can control. The key to taking back your life and improving your everyday performance is much simpler than you might think. Follow these (x) habits every day and watch how fast your performance increases, your workouts get easier, and your overall wellness improves.
1.) Follow the 10,3,2,1 Rule. This is very simple and easy to follow. 10 hours before bed, no more caffeine. This means if you need to be in bed by 10pm, no caffeine after 12pm. 8pm, no caffeine after 10am. 11pm, no caffeine after 1pm. You get the point. Studies have shown that consuming caffeine 9-12 hours before bed can affect your bodies process of naturally creating melatonin, so 10 hours is a nice middle ground, but its important to note that this varies person to person. (Clark & Landolt, 2023) 3 hours before bed no more food. So if your going to sleep at 10 no more food after 7. Studies found that eating 3 hours or closer to sleep increase the likelihood of nocturnal awakenings by 40%. (Tanaka et al., 2020) 2 hours before bed no more work and 1 hour before bed shut off many screens. Dozens of studies have shown how the blue light from your TV, computer, and phone screens can affect your bodies circadian rhythm and turning off all screens 1 hour before bed seems to be the golden number to prevent things like insomnia from developing (Hjetland et al., 2025)
2.) Hydrate. On average you should be shooting for drinking your weight (kg) in oz of water everyday. This is at the very minimum. Studies have also shown the drastic affects proper hydration can have on your energy, strength, and athletic performance. Studies have found that even as little as a 2% hydration loss can drastically affect ones strength, speed, and jump performance. (Arnaoutis & Neophytou, 2025)
3.) Go Outside. Being outside for as little as 12 minutes has shown to have benefits on improving mental fatigue and self regulation mechanisms like your immune system and circadian rhythm. (Sun et al., 2024) Being outside in the sun also increases natural vitamin D levels that are needed for things like immune health, hormone regulation, and even higher serotonin levels. (Niering & Seifert, 2024)
Introducing these 3 simple habits each day will guarantee results in how you feel day to day and how your workouts feel each time. Just these 3 little tricks and your performance on the field and numbers in the weight room will skyrocket.
Sources:
Arnaoutis, G., & Neophytou, C. (2025). The effect of acute dehydration upon muscle strength indices in elite karate athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Clark, I., & Landolt, H.-P. (2023). Caffeine and sleep: A systematic review of caffeine dose, timing, and sleep effects. Sleep Medicine Reviews.
Hjetland, G. J., et al. (2025). Screen use before bedtime and its association with insomnia and sleep duration in young adults. Frontiers in Psychiatry.
Niering, M., & Seifert, L. (2024). Impact of daylight exposure on injured athletes: Implications for rehabilitation outcomes. Journal of Sports Rehabilitation.
Sun, Y., et al. (2024). The restorative effects of nature exposure on self-regulation resources in mentally fatigued soccer players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Tanaka, E., Yatsuya, H., Uemura, M., Murata, C., Otsuka, R., Toyoshima, H., & Tamakoshi, K. (2020). Does the proximity of meals to bedtime influence the sleep of young adults? Sleep Medicine.
