25 Health Mistakes This Ex-College Athlete Made in Her 20s "So You Don't Have To"
Remember when you thought you had it all figured out in your twenties? We've all been there. Former college basketball player turned fitness enthusiast Keltie O'Connor knows this feeling all too well. With 672K YouTube subscribers and years of experience in fitness and wellness, she's learned valuable lessons about health that she wishes she had known earlier. Here are her insights that could help you avoid common pitfalls and fast-track your wellness journey.
Get Smart About Frozen Foods
"Buy frozen berries," Keltie advises in her video. "It's a cheap, affordable way to get fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants." She emphasizes that frozen fruits and vegetables are an economical solution for maintaining a nutrient-rich diet.
Embrace Salt in Your Diet
Contrary to popular belief, Keltie explains that salt isn't always the enemy. "If you're an athlete and you're sweating a lot, you're losing electrolytes. Those cramps you're getting in the middle of the night could be from not having enough sodium in your diet."
Protect Your Skin Daily
"I loved tanning beds growing up," Keltie admits, reflecting on past mistakes. She now emphasizes the importance of using a hydrating full-body sunscreen daily, not just during beach days or vacations.
Diversify Your Fitness Influences
Keltie recommends following a variety of fitness professionals: "Follow experts with degrees and certifications, local professionals, and people similar to you but 5-10 years ahead in their journey." This prevents getting stuck in fitness echo chambers.
Master Proper Form First
"I wasted a lot of years because I got too eager with weight training," Keltie shares. She emphasizes the importance of perfecting form before increasing weights to prevent wasted time and potential injuries.
Prioritize Quality Sleep
According to Keltie, sleep is "the best legal cognitive and performance-enhancing substance." She discovered that morning workouts improved her sleep quality compared to evening sessions.
Value Flexibility
"Being inflexible isn't a flex," Keltie states firmly. She explains that greater flexibility and mobility lead to better athletic performance and fewer aches and pains.
Address Muscle Weakness
Keltie learned that persistent tightness might indicate weakness rather than just inflexibility. "Sometimes what feels like tight muscles is actually underdeveloped muscle groups," she explains.
Embrace Short Workouts
"A workout doesn't have to be an hour," Keltie emphasizes. She promotes the value of even 10-minute training sessions when that's all you can manage.
Double Cleanse Your Skin
Keltie shares her skincare revelation: "I realized I didn't even wash my face properly." She now advocates for a two-step cleansing process to thoroughly remove makeup and dirt.
Avoid Diet Culture Traps
"Don't be fooled – it's still a diet," Keltie warns about various eating trends. She encourages focusing on understanding nutrition basics rather than following restrictive eating patterns.
Find Your Fitness Community
Keltie stresses the importance of community in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. "When sports ended, I felt very isolated," she recalls, emphasizing how finding a fitness community changed everything.
Stop Obsessing Over Small Calories
"That 30 calories from your coffee creamer is not going to make you gain 30 pounds," Keltie states, addressing common calorie anxieties. She encourages enjoying food within reasonable balance.
Fuel Your Workouts Properly
"You don't run to eat. You eat to run," Keltie emphasizes, highlighting the importance of proper fueling for exercise rather than using exercise as punishment for eating.
Invest in Quality Footwear
Keltie recommends replacing running shoes at least annually. "It's expensive, but you know what's more expensive? All the physio you'll need from running in worn-out shoes."
Start Your Day with a Walk
"Starting your day with a walk outside will change your life," Keltie shares. She credits her morning walks for sparking creativity and clearing mental fog.
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Protect Your Eyes
Keltie warns about excessive screen time, noting how her vision deteriorated after long hours of video editing. She recommends the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Understand Your Skin Conditions
"The bump on the back of your arms is not pimples, it's KP," Keltie explains, referring to keratosis pilaris. She found relief through regular exfoliation and moisturizing.
Think Long-Term About Body Changes
Keltie cautions against following body modification trends, sharing her personal experience with breast implants. "Body types go in and out of fashion," she notes, suggesting focusing on more temporary trends like clothing instead.
Manage Your Finances
"Financial health is one of the pillars of health because of the amount of stress debt will cause you," Keltie states, emphasizing the importance of basic financial literacy.
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Dance More Often
Keltie promotes dancing as both excellent cardio and a mood booster. "Dancing ranked as number one even over SSRIs in improving mood," she shares, though noting this isn't a replacement for prescribed medication.
Practice Mindfulness
"Anxiety is fear of the future. Depression is a regret of the past. Happiness is being in the present," Keltie reflects, sharing her approach to mental wellness.
Embrace Aging
"It is not downhill after 25," Keltie assures. She explains how proper self-care can actually make you feel better with each passing year.
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Create a Supportive Environment
Keltie emphasizes how environment shapes habits: "Your apartment, your office, your school, your locker, your car – that's everything. Your habits can change by just changing your environment."
Appreciate Getting Older
"Aging is a gift and every year older isn't a failure, it's a success," Keltie concludes, encouraging a positive perspective on aging while still maintaining good health practices.
As Keltie notes, you don't have to implement all these habits at once. Start with what resonates most with you and gradually build your own sustainable, healthy lifestyle. These insights aren't just for 25-year-olds – they're valuable at any age, helping you create a healthier, more balanced life. And if you enjoyed this article, don't miss 40 Health Symptoms That Can Be More Serious Than You Think.