Copying the fitness and nutrition regimens of your favorite Lakers player may seem like a gargantuan goal. While proper fitness and nutrition are ideals many of us strive to achieve in our daily lives, there are small percentages of us with the luxury, let alone the motivation to dedicate seven days a week and three hours a day to this pursuit. The players of the Los Angeles Lakers have trainers and nutritionists by their side to ensure these athletes are in peak shape during the season since after all, their job is to be an athlete.

There are a few Lakers employees that at one time played professional basketball and now face the similar struggle of balancing work, family, and personal health. What is it like to make the transition from professional athlete to workingman? I asked the coaches of the Los Angeles Lakers about the changes they made to their nutrition and exercise regimen after their transition from player to coach.

Whether you were a high school letter winner, a collegiate all star, or someone who enjoyed fitness at one point in your life and had to abandon a regular routine because of injury or an increasingly busy schedule, many of us know it is difficult to make a transition from one lifestyle to another. 

It’s been nearly 13 years since Lakers’ "Superman", Kurt Rambis graced the court. He openly admits his fitness is not what it used to be.  Kurt described to me the process he went through to find an appropriate level of fitness after his retirement.  "I used to beat myself up in terms of how hard I would push myself running or lifting weights." One day of no exercise turned into two, and to compensate for this lack of activity Rambis would work harder in order to make up for the missed days. Many of us can identify with this battle. The work becomes frustrating and painful.

Rambis went through a period of time where he gave up exercise all together because it was no longer enjoyable. He eventually came to adopt the mantra "something is better than nothing", a wise piece of advice indeed.  His recommendation is this: keep it varied. Exercise should be fun, not boring and should never turn into something you don’t enjoy. Kurt advises a routine balance between cardio and strength training. He lists the elliptical, stationary bicycle, and occasional beach jogs among his favorite ways to maintain his health.

Though Kareem Abdul Jabbar credits his slender physique largely to genetics, this former player has found a number of proactive ways to maintain his health outside the court.  Kareem is a huge follower of the yoga movement, and centers his exercise largely around it. In addition, he engages in several bouts of strength training throughout the year. He believes the key elements to a healthy lifestyle include a balanced diet in conjunction with cardiovascular exercise and stretching four to five days a week.  Being around a great facility full of exercise equipment makes working out a bit easier on the coaching staff but Kareem maintains stretching and cardio can be done in the comforts of ones home whether it be by picking up a jump rope or investing in a stationary bike.

Kareem has always maintained a fairly healthy diet of lean proteins and fruit, however he had to change the volume of food he consumed after he stopped playing professionally. "I hit 300 lbs at one point after I retired." He identified this as the wake up call to change his habits.  "I was eating like I was still playing. It took me about six weeks to adjust since I was so used to consuming a lot."

Both Kareem and his ex-wife, an avid marathon runner, have tried to provide a good example for their children’s health habits. He believes both his ex-wife and his own continued passion for exercise at their age has helped to influence their kids to maintain an active lifestyle.

One of the most recent retirees on the coaching staff is former Lakers point guard Brian Shaw. "It’s an obvious fact" he says "that if you ate a certain way while getting all the exercise from the particular sport you played and you stop playing that sport, you can’t continue to eat the same way." All his life Shaw was able to wolf down whatever he wanted due to his high level of activity. He tells me the fight to maintain his nutrition is a constant battle especially with the lifestyle he lives. Extravagant meals are constantly available after games, on plane rides, or at hotels. Shaw takes small steps and cuts out little things he once enjoyed. "Drink water instead of soda or juice, it’s surprising how much sugar you consume when drinking those kinds of beverages" he warns.

As far as exercise goes, Shaw is a fan of the treadmill and lifts weights whenever he can find time in his busy schedule. He admits that although he is around fitness equipment, it is hard to find the time to squeeze a workout in with all the administrative duties he has as a coach. Finding the appropriate level of fitness was a similar struggle for Shaw especially since players who maintain the peak shape he once shared surround him. He encourages those who have had to face a similar transition to find a level of exercise that is comfortable. In college Shaw was required to run the mile in five minutes before he was able to practice on the court. He admits he can no longer hit this time but he’s accepted this as a reality of life.  He still runs the mile, and tries to finish it around seven minutes. "It may take a little longer but as long as I’m getting that workout in, I’m reminded I’m doing my part to stay healthy."

Nutrition and fitness are both key ingredients to a long healthy life. We face many shifts throughout our life, no matter our age. Each person may face a different set of circumstances, or deal with the same situations in their own way. Change is difficult but it is a process we must all become familiar with. Kurt Rambis disclosed an analogy I wish to share with all those facing a turning point in their athletic lifestyles. It is much easier to keep moving a heavy boulder up a hill then to stop for a break and get the boulder moving again. Although routines will change, and ideas and fitness will have to be tweaked, it is important to find a balance between diet and exercise that will work for you.