How Capitals star Tom Wilson stays in shape away from the ice originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
As a professional athlete, Capitals' winger Tom Wilson knows just how important is it to stay healthy. Fitness is an important part of his career, and it's not just on the ice that he tries to emphasize living a healthy lifestyle.
Of course, when away from the rink it's a little less intense.
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"When we’re outside the rink we don’t really want to see weights or anything like that," Wilson told NBC Sports Washington's Alexa Shaw as part of the NBC4 Telemundo 44 Health & Fitness Expo. "So it’s usually hitting up a trail or something a little less intense...when we’re away we like to put the feet up when we can, but it’s also important to take the dog for a walk, hit up a trail. We’re fortunate in Arlington to have a bunch of those. On a nice day it’s always nice."
You can sign up for the expo here to see Tom Wilson's full conversation with NBC Sports Washington.
While Wilson has always tried to prioritize fitness in his life, the last year made things a little difficult. The coronavirus pandemic forced people all over the world to find more creative avenues for exercising. For Wilson, that meant biking.
"I had a Peloton. That’s obviously very trendy nowadays but I was fortunate enough to have it before the wave kind of hit. So when we were kind of in lockdown to start I just found myself on the bike every day," Wilson said. "We weren’t sure whether our season was going to come back, so that was something that was fun and kept you motivated to get on the bike and get a sweat...I think that was the toughest part for us as professional athletes was just staying in it. Usually there’s a lot of predictability with our season and our programs, but obviously the pandemic took a lot of predictability away from anything so you just had to go with the flow and enjoy life and enjoy the time off but obviously had to stay fit and stay dialed in."
The idea of living a predictable lifestyle is important for Wilson and other athletes who know exactly when they have to be at their physical peaks for high level performance.
But it's also crucial for those just beginning their fitness journey, according to the star. And it's also important to simply commit to getting started.
"There’s so many different levels of fitness and health and nutrition. I think just starting somewhere is extremely important. It doesn’t have to be 100% right away," Wilson continued. "I think routine definitely helps, whether it’s getting the routine of drinking water, or going for a walk, or doing 20 minutes on the bike every day. Just having some routine where you find a time in your day to put it in...you need to be able to be consistent with it, and you need to be accountable. So even if it’s picking up a workout buddy and just holding each other accountable that always helps too. But start really anywhere: fixing your diet, drinking water, I think so many different people can do it in different ways that would be beneficial."
The NBC4 Telemundo 44 Health & Fitness Expo, one of the biggest consumer wellness expos in the country, is going virtual for its 28th year, taking place on March 19 and 20. Tom Wilson's full conversation with NBC Sports Washington will be available as part of the expo's website, where you can also find more information and sign up for this year's event.
