Cristiano Ronaldo on The Key to His Longevity: "Consistency Takes You to Perfection" - Men's Health Magazine Australia

Cristiano Ronaldo on The Key to His Longevity: “Consistency Takes You to Perfection”

A physically and mentally one-of-a-kind athlete.
Therabody

Much has been written about Ronaldo’s incredible post-match rituals. The 36-year-old has a strong focus on his physical and mental wellbeing, with a specific focus on recovery – something that he says is key to sustaining excellence and extending his prime.

“It’s consistency and hard work with the use of all the ingredients that are available to me, like the Theragun for example, that helps keep my body in the best shape,” he explains to us over email. “It’s critical to work hard and at the same time to recover well. Not just the day after a match, but during the weeks, the months, and the years later.”

“Longevity is the most important thing, and as you can see my longevity is great. I’m 36 years old and I can still compete with the best players and can still maintain the shape I was in when I was 20 years old. It’s not easy, but consistency takes you to perfection.”

Perfection is exactly right – the five-time Ballon d’Or has scored 22 goals in 27 games, he’s reported to have 7% of body fat, an astounding 50% muscle mass, and ultimately a physique that literally is comparable to a 20-year old.

This morning, it was revealed that Ronaldo has partnered with creators of the Theragun®, Therabody, with plans to use the platform to amplify the importance of whole-body wellness.

“I remember the first time I used a Thergaun was in 2017. The first feeling I had was “cool” or “different” because it’s nothing like other things available on the market,” he explains. “I use it almost every day. Before each game, I have to use the Theragun. I like to use it on my feet because it makes me feel very relaxed the day before a game.”

“My body is the most important thing to me; it’s my weapon. Your mind and body control everything, so you have to take care of the best things that you have and I do– consistently,” he adds. “I work hard everyday to take good care of my body and mind.”

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As part of his own personal focus on whole-body wellness, the renowned Juventus striker eats up to six meals and take five naps in a single “typical” day.

He is known to start his days with ham and cheese and a side of yogurt for breakfast. When he gets hungry a little later in the day, Ronaldo likes to snack on avocado toast. He then typically eats two lunches and two dinners to fuel the rest of his day – the first lunch of chicken and salad followed by fish of some variety accompanied by salad, eggs, and olives. And In the evening, he’ll either stick with fish — swordfish, tuna, or braised cod — or switch to some type of meat.

“In football you have basic points – from training well to eating properly to drinking properly and so on, but recovery for me and from my point of view is the most important thing. If you prioritise recovery after training, you will be much better for the next training session and for the next game. I list recovery as the second or third most important thing to me.”

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By Nikolina Ilic

Nikolina is the former Digital Editor at Men's Health Australia, responsible for all things social media and .com. A lover of boxing, she has written for Women's Health, esquire, GQ and Vogue magazine.

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