Former Sunderland standout Michael Gray (currently at Sheffield Wednesday) writes a blog for BBC Sport that gives insight into what life is like as a professional footballer. He had some really unique insight into what has helped extend Ryan Giggs' tremendous career.
If one person inspires me to keep playing it has to be Ryan Giggs. He is a credit to his profession and a great role model to thousands (if not millions) - over 800 games for arguably the biggest club in the world and still playing at the top of his game.
Maybe he doesn't play week in, week out, but every time I see Giggsy play he still has the desire to win. That is all down to Sir Alex Ferguson and how he manages his players.
I remember Giggsy used to miss a lot of games because of hamstring injuries. When I spoke to him last he told me how he had changed what he did during a week's training and how he had recovered and if what he told me was good enough for him then it was certainly good enough me - lots of ice baths during the week and after games, not the nicest thing in the world but very effective.
Giggsy also does yoga; something that I learned was good for me later during my career. When I was at Sunderland I used to do Pilates, which helped me a lot. I did two 30-minute sessions a week.
Stretching is really important before matches, making sure your body is warm before games to get the best results, and cooling down after matches is something that has been introduced during the last six years.
Lactic acid builds up in your body after matches and this seems to be the best way to release it. When I was younger I never understood the importance of stretching and warming up, when all I wanted to do was get out on the pitch and play. My views have had to change over the years and I've certainly reaped the benefits of modern technology.
If one person inspires me to keep playing it has to be Ryan Giggs. He is a credit to his profession and a great role model to thousands (if not millions) - over 800 games for arguably the biggest club in the world and still playing at the top of his game.
Maybe he doesn't play week in, week out, but every time I see Giggsy play he still has the desire to win. That is all down to Sir Alex Ferguson and how he manages his players.
I remember Giggsy used to miss a lot of games because of hamstring injuries. When I spoke to him last he told me how he had changed what he did during a week's training and how he had recovered and if what he told me was good enough for him then it was certainly good enough me - lots of ice baths during the week and after games, not the nicest thing in the world but very effective.
Giggsy also does yoga; something that I learned was good for me later during my career. When I was at Sunderland I used to do Pilates, which helped me a lot. I did two 30-minute sessions a week.
Stretching is really important before matches, making sure your body is warm before games to get the best results, and cooling down after matches is something that has been introduced during the last six years.
Lactic acid builds up in your body after matches and this seems to be the best way to release it. When I was younger I never understood the importance of stretching and warming up, when all I wanted to do was get out on the pitch and play. My views have had to change over the years and I've certainly reaped the benefits of modern technology.
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