Michael Essien Quotes

As an athlete, there are advantages being with a team and getting regular physio.

As an athlete, my health has always been important to me.

After my first day of competition I put on compression socks. They help me recover for the next day.

There's no doubt about it; playing football and how tough it is on the body afterwards.

A year ago I had a back injury and followed a good nutrition program to help speed up my recovery. I focused on exercise and staying healthy in order to get back out on the ice.

My knee was torn up. I tore every ligament in my knee. It was a very, very bad injury. I had to do what the doctors told me to do, and I did that. The next year, I came back and led the league in rushing.

I am an athlete, and I focus more on the issues that concern me: training, perform, eat, sleep.

Nutrition is important, training is important - but so are rest and recovery, massages, acupuncture. Your body is your temple, and you've got to take care of it.

I still play a bit of tennis, but only a knockabout to help with my recovery after a game.

My idea is that players need to recover first, train later.

Swimming helps with recovery a ton.

Honestly, I just try to take care of my body as much as possible: eating, recovery, just making sure that I'm always on top of staying healthy and making sure my body is 100 percent throughout the season.

The work I do with my physiotherapist has been instrumental in keeping me healthy, and it's a big reason why I'm able to continue to improve my game.

My job is to keep my players fit and fresh for the important games.

It is terrible to be injured; you want to return to playing football.

I went to Brazil to learn more about my body and my physique: what to do before training, during training, after training, even after the match.

We're professional athletes. I feel like I got treated better in college wrestling. I had a physical therapist on hand at all times, no matter what, when I was in college.

When I was three, my parents were told that I would never be able to recover from rheumatoid arthritis. Doctors from the biggest and the best of hospitals had said that the condition would never be cured. But with naturopathy and yoga, I recovered and became a wrestler, and even got the opportunity to represent my country in wrestling.

I am aware that I have come to the end of my martial times, but training with pain I want no longer. My body is battered by countless trainings. I collected nine operations; the body has become prone to injury.

You must be in supreme physical condition. If your body isn't right, you cannot play in the Premier League.

When I look at the great athletes, I think of the Kobes and the LeBrons and the Tom Bradys of the world, obviously they take rests and recover, but they also continue to work, too. Working out and keeping up with that, with your conditioning, is another part of health and keeping your longevity throughout the years.

During the season, I'm sore everywhere.

Knowing about my body, different aspects of my body, it's been a big thing. It's really helped me as far as injury and whatnot, so I know exactly if something feels funny, I know what I'm capable of doing to help myself get back stronger and get back healthy.

Eventually, I developed compartment syndrome in my calf and had to get surgery. I run three to five days a week now, mixed in with walking and other things. I want to run just because I enjoy it.

During the season, nutrition is so huge.