By NBA.com
Posted Jan 7 2010 6:47PM

After 15 years in the NBA, Grant Hill just reached a major milestone — he completed his first calendar year without missing a game. Quite a big deal, considering it appeared Hill was on the brink of retirement due to ankle injuries earlier in his career, playing in only 47 out of 264 games during a five-year period.

Perhaps no NBA player understands and appreciates the importance of healthy living and physical fitness than Hill, who went six for six in All-Star appearances with the Pistons and Magic before the injuries struck.

To commemorate NBA FIT Week, Hill, 37 (but who says he feels like 30), spoke with NBA.com’s John Hareas and discussed how his approach to working out, diet and nutrition has evolved over the years and why it’s important to him being an NBA FIT member.

NBA.com: You just completed your first year without missing a game in the NBA. How much has your approach to physical fitness played a role in being more durable as you’ve gotten older?

Grant Hill: I think it’s played an important role. For me, it’s been an ongoing discovery learning about your body and what it takes to stay healthy and certainly that was tested during some of those challenging years when I was hurt.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself at that time — I’m a seeker by nature — I really used it as an opportunity to learn more about the body, more about nutrition, more about health overall in general, not just in regards to getting back and playing on the court but having an active, healthy lifestyle as I get older in life.

NBA.com: What did you learn during this time?

Grant Hill: Learning to listen to your body. Your body talks to you and you have to learn how to listen to it. When you’re young and your ego is involved, you think you can overcome or override anything.

Also, understanding diet and nutrition and the role it plays and constantly trying figure out what’s best and what works for me. I think diet plays an important role. Managing your body, little tricks, such as using ice, massage theraphy, sleep, stretching, how you work out — all of these things, you become smarter and you figure out sort of what works and what doesn’t work.

I’m constantly trying to learn as much as I can. I don’t feel like I know it all but I certainly have learned a great deal over the last five or six years.

NBA.com: How has your diet and food choices evolved over the years?

Grant Hill: I think early on you learn the importance of cutting out fast food. As you get older, you stay away from sugar and a lot of the sugary drinks and drink nothing but water. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, fish, occasionally chicken.

I think the thing for me is that it’s not so much what works for everybody but what works for me. I think certainly there are some things that are consistent. I think a lot of the bad foods, the heavy foods, the fried foods, I think those are things everyone can learn from, stay away from or at least in moderation.

I don’t pretend to know the answers necessarily or pretend to have the perfect diet but I know certain foods that are good for you or are healthy don’t necessarily work well with me. I don’t feel as good when I eat those foods. Everybody is different. Everybody reacts differently to different foods.

NBA.com: How different is your offseason now than earlier in your career?

Grant Hill: When I first came in, the offseason was an opportunity to play a lot. I played a lot of basketball. I played year-round, whether it was pick-up games or playing with some of my teammates in the NBA. Whatever the case may be, I was always on the court.

Then I spent many years in the offseason doing rehab and trying to get back out onto the court, recovering from injuries, surgeries and things of that nature. Now, I’m at the point where I’m healthy, which in the last few years has been kind of uncharted waters.

What I’ve found is that cross training is a neat way to stay in shape, staying away from the physical and mental grind of playing basketball every day. What that consists of — and I try to do a lot of recreational activities outdoors — kayaking, standup paddle surfing, tennis, cycling — fun, outdoor activities that you can’t do during the season.

Living in Florida in the offseason exposes you to the sun, which I think is good. Things that I’m getting a workout in but it doesn’t feel like I’m working. It feels like I’m going out and having a good time.

Sometimes, you can just go out for a nice five-mile walk, going out for a walk with my wife. I think the important thing is to try to get the body moving every day. Obviously, I will lift weights and I will use the elliptical machine. If I don’t have access to weights or if I’m in a hotel room, I’ll do push ups, sit ups. The main thing is really trying to get a sweat every day, get the body moving.

The body is meant to be moved. If you don’t move it, you certainly lose it. I know it’s a bad cliché but it really hit home for me when all of those years I’m in a cast and the muscles in the cast around the ankle atrophy and that’s because they’re not being used. Seeing the visual of that really reinforced the importance of getting a sweat every day, getting out and moving and getting some exercise. You don’t always have access to a bike or a health club, but as long as you have a little bit of room, you can get a work out right in your hotel room or right on your living room floor and that’s what I try to do.

NBA.com: Is working out year-round a motivating factor to end your career on your terms opposed to an injury?

Grant Hill: It doesn’t drive me necessarily. Freak things can happen and obviously I’ve been through a lot and I don’t want to go out that way. I would like to be able to say you know I’ve had enough, it’s time to move on. I do understand that as you get older, it’s more important how you train. You can’t not do anything for two months and then expect to pick it back up and be able to play or work out at an intense level and not risk a chance of getting hurt. You really have to be smart. You don’t necessarily have to work long but you have to work smart at what you do. My motivation is, I want to be healthy. I want to fit in my clothes when I’m 50 (laughs). I figure by then whatever’s in fashion now will be back in fashion at that time.

As you get older the one thing that you have to fight is gaining weight and certainly weight gain has a lot to do with a lot of the diseases that are out there. How you eat, how you move and exercise, your attitude toward life, how you train, how you get your rest — all of these things are factors, I think, in how you age. Not that I’m vain or anything like that but hey, I’m an athlete, something that’s been great to me my whole life. Up until now, I’ve benefitted greatly having a father as a professional athlete — being one myself — and I would like to continue to be active as I get older in life.

If there is one thing I’ve learned throughout the ordeal of my injuries was how to take care of myself and how to hopefully prepare myself as I get older.

Look, retirement is going to happen. Injuries — you can do everything right and something freakish can happen. I certainly lived that, actually my colleagues have told me that as well, but the main thing is that it’s not a sprint but a marathon and life is a marathon and hopefully I can be as active as I can and be healthy as I get older in life.

NBA.com: Why is it important to you to join the NBA FIT cause?

Grant Hill: I think anything that spreads the message — I like to say that the NBA is one of the biggest PR firms in the world and the fact that they are putting their name, their brand behind the idea of staying in shape and being fit is important.

Look at the issue in our country with healthcare — certainly that’s been very polarizing. Even childhood obesity — you look at a lot of the problems in our country as it regards to health, wellness and fitness and certainly getting out, eating right, staying in shape, being fit, studies have shown reduced the chances of all different types of diseases and so forth.

So, if we can get young people, older people to get out and do that, then that’s great. The fact that the NBA’s doing it, I’m so excited to be a part of it and hopefully with more and more interviews, we can continue to spread the message.

Grant was drafted 3rd overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He entered the league to high expectations, where many expected him to be the future face of the league in a time when Michael Jordan was retired. In his first season, he averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.77 steals per game, and became the first Pistons rookie since Isiah Thomas in 1981–82 to score 1000 points. Hill ended up sharing NBA Rookie of the Year Award honors with Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first Piston since Dave Bing in 1966–67 to win the award. After signing a lucrative free agent contract with the Orlando Magic, Grant was hampered by career-threatening injuries. Overcoming adversity, Grant worked his way back through strenuous workouts and rehabilitation. In 2007, Hill signed a free-agent contract with the Suns. Since being with the Suns, Grant career has been turned back around. In the 2008–2009 season, Hill appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his career, and averaged 12.0 ppg, 4.90 rpg, and 2.3 apg, scoring 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Phoenix Suns season finale.

Off the court, Grant’s life is equally interesting. He is the son of former Dallas Cowboy Calvin Hill, a 3-Time All-Pro running back and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1969. His mother, Janet, was a Wellesley College graduate who shared a suite with Hillary Rodham when both were freshmen there. Grant Hill has been married to R&B singer Tamia since July 1999. They have 2 children: Myla Grace, 5, and Lael Rose, born August 9. Along with being a 7-time All-Star and a 5-time All-NBA selection, Grant is also known for being active off the court. He won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2005 and 2008. Hill also has a great love for the arts. He owns a substantial collection of African-American art, centering on the work of Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett. A selection of 46 works from the collection was featured in a touring exhibition at a number of American museums from 2003 to 2006.

Living a healthy lifestyle is important to Grant as well. Recently, Grant sat down with NBAFIT.com for a Q&A to discuss fitness, nutrition and tips on living a healthy and active lifestyle and how fitness and nutrition has played a major part in his career.

Below Is Questions & Answers

The NBA is known for its tough 82 game schedule. With all that goes into completing an NBA season, how important is it for you to remain active during your downtime during the season and during the off-season?
It’s very important to stay active and busy in the off season to stay in shape. As soon as the season ends, I try to participate in sports and activities that I don’t normally get a chance to do during the season. I do everything from playing tennis to cycling, paddle surfing, swimming, chasing around my 7-year old and two-year old daughters. I find those recreational activities to be fun, I like being outdoors and it’s a way of working out and getting your body right as you prepare for the upcoming season. As the summer rolls into late July and August, I start to get back on the courts and play basketball, but there never is a downtime. I’m always doing something; the body was made to be active. The reasons I do it are to stay in shape, it feels good, and its fun and I enjoy it.

What you put into you body is very important to your overall performance. What foods or beverages do you incorporate into your daily routine that helps you perform at your maximum level?
I drink a lot of water and I think that a lot of people miss out on drinking enough daily. It’s important to stay hydrated. For me it’s been a staple of my diet for a very long time. I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and some sort of protein like fish and chicken. You can eat healthy at your meals, but your snacks can get you in trouble. I have incorporated a lot of nuts, goji berries, and just healthy snack items. I try to eat organic, but that’s not always possible and much easier when I go home than when I’m on the road. I eat a lot, but the key is to make healthy decisions. You want to say no to something that’s unhealthy. I was just in Philadelphia, and a lot of the guys wanted to eat Philly cheese steaks, but I know if I eat it, I’m going to feel horrible. I am pretty disciplined what I eat, not everybody has to be that hard core, if you eat healthy the majority of the time, I think you’re on the right track.

NBA players are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. Other than playig basketball, what would you say are some of the benefits of being and eating healthy?
I think other than playing basketball, in general you feel good when you work out. When you work out and eat right, your body is feeling better. If I go a day or two without working out or if I have too much birthday cake or put something in my body that’s not the best for me, I feel it. I like to feel good; I like the release of the endorphins that naturally occurs when you work out. I like the feeling of my body not being sore and tired. I like waking up early in the morning and having the energy to start the day. It’s pretty simple I enjoy how I feel when I eat right and work out.

Many people around the world do not eat healthy and that goes for athletes as well. How have you changed your diet since becoming an NBA player?
I was one of the people who did not eat healthy first coming into the NBA. I ate a lot of fast food, but everything I eat now, I pretty much did not eat then. It’s been a learned process, but my dad (NFL legend Calvin Hill) was always particular about what he ate and exercised. I certainly have picked his brain and people in my life over the last 16 years of my playing career have influenced me to eat right. At first it was all about becoming more efficient on the court then it was about learning about nutrition and diet. Finally it was about an overall healthy lifestyle. I want to be active when I’m 50 or 60 years old and play with my kids and grandchildren. It didn’t affect you before to have 3 Philly cheese steaks like it would now so I’m glad I’ve learned and spoken with a variety of people and tried different things. My teammate Steve Nash is very particular as well about what he eats so we bounce things off each other. What works for him works for me sometimes, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s process of elimination and what works for you. Generally, the thing that’s similar between the two of us is that we’re both conscious of what we put into our bodies.

The NBA game is fast paced and physical. As an NBA player how important is it to develop a strong core since running, jumping, physical play, endurance and athleticism are key to having success?
My 20-year high school reunion is this year, and when I think back to high school, the workouts are somewhat archaic. They didn’t focus in on the core, and certainly a lot has changed since that period of time. Now, we understand just how important the core is. You don’t have to go to a health club and bench 300 pounds; it’s about having functional strength. In terms of basketball, there is a lot of running, jumping, cutting, and a lot of very intricate movements. It’s imperative that you work on core. The core is what holds you together, the core is what enables you to land and to jump, and it’s your power base. That’s something I spend a lot of time on every day. Every NBA strength coach now understands and realizes the importance of core work across the NBA.

As an NBA player how important is sleep to your overall performance?
Sleep is very important! The older you get it’s harder. When you’re getting the right amount of rest, your body heals and recovers. It’s tough because of our schedule and late nights. In essence, we’re really nocturnal. We perform at night; sometimes travel at night after games. You arrive at home; you arrive at hotels at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. You certainly learn how to nap and get your rest. It’s important and you have to get rest in general, not just as an athlete. So many people are sleep deprived. Whether you’re running down the court playing with the world’s best athletes in the NBA or you’re in corporate America, you have a family and kids at home, if you’re not getting the right amount of rest, it will affect everything you do. A lot of people talk about diet and exercise but somehow, some way sleep gets lost. I think sleep is just as important as those two.

In order to reach your maximum performance level for games, what meals do you eat pre-game? Post-game?
It’s easier at home to control what you’re eating. At home I eat an oatmeal batter made into a waffle and use agave nectar as a syrup. Agave is a natural sweetner that doesn’t have the rise in sugar levels that syrup or honey has. I tend to eat that in the morning for breakfast and usually a salad and some sort of fish, a sea bass or salmon. I may have that once or twice before a game, and then usually an hour or two before the game and in the locker room we have a fruit platter or tray of some sort. That’s what works for me. Since I’ve become really particular in the last few years about what I eat, my energy level and my recovery level post-work out are so much better. I try to eat afterwards a salad and try to get some protein in my body, but keeping it simple, staying away from heavy pastas, sauces, butters, all those types of things I feel great. I feel better now than I did 5 years ago. My body feels better as I go through the season. I’m not as tired and sluggish and I sleep better. I’m not sore. A lot of that has to do with what I eat.

It’s harder to nap now. You might have a game in Phoenix late tonight and tomorrow night in Portland, you don’t get to Portland until 4 in the morning and then you have a breakfast meeting at 11am. There have been times I can’t sleep in the morning after that meeting. I am sleep deprived before the game. There are times in the morning when I’ll get up and go for a nice walk before the game. We played a back to back in Washington and then Philly. I woke up in Philadelphia and went on a 20-block walk and went to a bookstore just to get out and get the body moving. It generally helps me feel better later on in the game. Even if I’m not out sweating, I’m getting the body moving. I tend to feel better after that.

Growing up, what kind of exercise activities did you participate in? How often did you go outside?
Growing up exercise and strength training were pretty archaic. I think back to when I was a child and I compare it to my children’s experiences. I had so much more unsupervised playtime with my friends. We would go out at night, and not come back until you heard your mom calling your name. Football, hide and go seek, dodge ball – we had all these different activities we’d do in the street. We were getting a great level of fitness by working out, by being outdoors, by playing. We were developing ourselves as athletes; I think that was a time of innocence. My 7-year-old can’t go anywhere unsupervised. She has a bike, and she can ride it, but it’s hard to go anywhere. Times are a little bit different, and it wasn’t as organized, having individual instruction and if you played outside you were active. That’s the one thing as I look at my life from childhood, through adolescence and now, I’ve always been active. My wife calls me a busy body, I’ve always been active. Even on vacation I don’t want to just sit by the pool, I want to hike or swim in the ocean or scuba dive or try my luck at surfing. I have to stay busy, and I ask myself why, but it’s because I enjoy it and feel good as a result.

As you played basketball in school, what kind of routines did you perform in order to stay in shape?
Basketball wasn’t my first love; it was my first love during basketball season. I was always active; it might be racing somebody during recess or the whole classroom playing soccer, basketball, dodge ball or kickball. I think it helped that I was a gifted athlete so you tend to gravitate toward something you’re good at, but I was always developing myself as an athlete. I never thought or dreamt that I would become a professional athlete, I was just having fun. You know what? I’m still having fun. When I’m done playing basketball and hang it up for good, I think I’ll find a way to have fun with something else.