NFL legend Troy Aikman shares his holistic health routine and the rebuilding of his body and mind
By ljdevon // 2025-09-08
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You've got to love the mentality of Troy Aikman, former NFL quarterback and three time Super Bowl champion turned NFL broadcaster. Aikman, now 57, didn't let retirement, aging, and the specter of head trauma and CTE take him down. Instead, he reinvented his health and wellness routine and rebuilt his body and mind after football. The same discipline that made him a Hall of Famer, is now being directed toward something even more important - a quality of life and longevity that has redefined his post-NFL life. Aikman’s post-NFL life isn’t about clinging to past glories. It’s about pushing further, digging deeper, and asking questions most retired athletes never consider. How do you maintain peak physical condition without the structure of a team? Can the mind be trained as rigorously as the body? And what does it really mean to fuel yourself—not just for survival, but for thriving? His answers, forged through meditation, intentional nutrition, and a fitness routine that balances intensity with recovery, offer a blueprint not just for aging athletes, but for anyone who refuses to accept decline as inevitable. Key points:
  • Troy Aikman’s transition from NFL legend to wellness advocate reveals a disciplined, holistic approach to aging—prioritizing mental clarity, physical recovery, and nutrient-dense nutrition.
  • His daily routine includes 30-minute morning meditations, yoga for mental and physical flexibility, strength training four days a week, and active recovery through walking and sleep optimization.
  • Aikman’s diet, inspired by functional medicine pioneer Dr. Mark Hyman, eliminates dairy and refined carbs, emphasizes protein and vegetables, and incorporates intermittent fasting—a stark contrast to the high-calorie, processed diets common in professional sports.
  • His lifestyle brand, EIGHT, reflects his commitment to purity, offering a beer made with 100% organic grains and no fillers, catering to a growing demographic of health-conscious consumers.
  • The former quarterback’s philosophy challenges the notion that elite performance is only for the young, proving that mindfulness, intentional recovery, and clean fuel can redefine aging.

The mental game: How meditation and yoga became Aikman’s secret weapons

For a man who spent his career dissecting defenses in milliseconds, the idea of slowing down might seem counterintuitive. Yet Aikman’s most transformative gains in his 50s haven’t come from lifting heavier weights or running faster—they’ve come from stillness. “I’ve been meditating for eight, maybe 10 years,” he told mindbodygreen, describing his daily 30-minute practice as the foundation of his mental resilience. The turning point? Reading The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, a book that re-framed meditation not as a vague spiritual exercise, but as a practical tool for mastering the mind. “Before that, I was doing it, but I didn’t know if I was getting the benefits,” Aikman admitted. “Now, I know why I’m doing it. I know I’m making progress.” That progress isn’t just about stress relief—it’s about cognitive sharpness, the same laser focus that once allowed him to anticipate blitzes before they happened. Meditation, he’s found, isn’t passive. It’s a workout for the brain, one that enhances decision-making, emotional regulation, and even physical recovery. Then there’s yoga—a practice Aikman initially approached for its physical benefits (he’s the first to admit he’s “not the best at stretching”). But like meditation, yoga became a mental game-changer. “I was getting even more out of it for my mind than for my body,” he said. The breath work, the deliberate movements, the forced presence—it all mirrors the mindfulness he cultivates off the mat. For a man who spent decades operating in high-stakes environments, yoga offered something rare: a way to recalibrate without competition, a way to find his "center" when he is under the gun. This mental discipline extends to his sleep habits. Aikman refuses to set an alarm unless absolutely necessary, trusting his body’s natural rhythms to dictate his wake-up time. It’s a radical departure from the NFL’s grueling schedules, where sleep was often sacrificed for film study or treatment. Now, he treats rest as non-negotiable—a critical component of recovery, just like his post-workout stretches or hydration.

From the weight room to the dinner table: Aikman’s approach to fueling performance

Aikman’s physical regimen is what you’d expect from a former elite athlete: four days of strength training and five days of cardio per week, with active recovery walks on off days. But the real evolution in his routine lies in how he fuels that activity. Gone are the days of steak-and-potatoes NFL diets. In their place is a meticulously curated meal plan inspired by Dr. Mark Hyman, a pioneer in functional medicine who advocates for food as medicine. Aikman’s diet is built on three pillars:
  • Protein and vegetables as the foundation, with dairy and refined carbs eliminated.
  • Intermittent fasting, which he credits with sharpening his energy levels and mental clarity.
  • Whole, organic ingredients—no shortcuts, no processed fillers.
His typical day of eating reads like a blueprint for metabolic efficiency:
  • Lunch at 12 p.m.: Salmon (wild-caught, rich in omega-3s), brown rice (fiber-packed, slow-digesting), and broccoli (a cruciferous powerhouse for detoxification).
  • Afternoon smoothie: Spinach (magnesium, iron), almond butter (healthy fats), protein powder (muscle repair), and blueberries (antioxidants).
  • Dinner at 5 p.m.: A small protein source (chicken, fish, or lean beef) paired with a mountain of vegetables—think leafy greens, roasted roots, or fermented options for gut health.
  • Evening snack: Homemade granola (nuts, seeds, minimal sweetener) to satisfy cravings without derailing his system.
This isn’t a diet born of deprivation. It’s a strategic upgrade, swapping inflammatory foods for those that enhance recovery, reduce oxidative stress, and sustain energy. Aikman’s partnership with Oregon State University’s food science department to create EIGHT, his organic beer, further underscores his commitment to purity. “We have no adjuncts, no fillers—no corn, rice syrup, or added sugar,” he explained. It’s a product designed for what he calls “early risers”—people who demand performance without compromise, even in their indulgences.

The broadcaster’s legacy: Redefining success beyond the field

Aikman’s post-NFL life could have followed the well-trodden path of many retired athletes: commentary gigs, occasional endorsements, and a slow fade into nostalgia. Instead, he’s building a second act that’s as intentional as his game-day preparations once were. His work as a FOX Sports and ESPN broadcaster keeps him connected to football, but his real passion lies in sharing what he’s learned about longevity, resilience, and the intersection of mental and physical health. His message is simple but radical: Excellence isn’t confined to your 20s and 30s. The same principles that made him a three-time Super Bowl champion—discipline, adaptability, and relentless self-improvement—can be applied to aging. Whether it’s through his meditation practice, his clean-eating habits, or his advocacy for recovery as a priority, Aikman is proof that the game never really ends. It just changes form. For a generation of athletes (and non-athletes alike) raised on the myth that peak performance is a finite resource, Aikman’s approach is a challenge to reconsider what’s possible. Maybe the greatest play of his career isn’t the 94-yard touchdown pass to Alvin Harper in the 1994 playoffs. Maybe it’s the quiet, daily commitment to being better tomorrow than he was yesterday—no matter the scoreboard. Sources include: MindBodyGreen.com ProFootballHOF.com Enoch, Brighteon.ai
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