Dwyane Wade has prioritized his overall health and wellness, including his mental health, since retiring.
Source: Thorne
Dwyane Wade spent 16 years in the NBA, putting together a glittering career that included three championships, 13 all-star selections and a leading scorer title.
But at the age of 41, Wade tells CNBC Make It that he feels healthier now than he ever did while he was on the court.
The difference, he says, lies in a change of his priorities. As a player, Wade valued his physical fitness above all. In retirement, he has focused more on his overall wellness, including his mental health and time spent in solitude.
“I feel like I’m in better shape now than I was actually as a player. I was very muscular, but I didn’t take care of my body in the way that I should’ve because I didn’t have the knowledge,” he says.
“I care more about [my daily wellness practices],” Wade adds. “I understand their importance.”
I feel like I’m in better shape now than I was actually as a player.
Dwyane Wade
Former NBA Player
Wade and his son, Zaire, 21, who’s a professional basketball player in the Basketball Africa League, recently launched a partnership with wellness company Thorne to incorporate more healthy practices into their lives for longevity.
After retiring in 2019, Wade no longer had the day-to-day medical advice that was built into his work as an NBA player. As a result, he found himself experiencing aches and pains more often.
“I had to go out and find my own information. I was looking for the things that could help me perform in all of the ways that I need to perform as someone who still looks at himself as an athlete. But I’m aging,” says Wade.
Now, Wade likes to start his mornings with meditation. “We should all have a moment of silence for ourselves,” he says.
Dwyane Wade spent 16 years playing in the NBA.
Nathaniel S. Butler | National Basketball Association | Getty Images
And though other former athletes happily give up the gym once they retire, Wade still likes to keep in shape, joking that he’s “a narcissist about how I look.” The 2006 NBA Finals MVP sticks to a strict training routine.
“No matter what time it is, I get up every day, I get downstairs and I get to work,” he says. “I feel like it’s good to get that heart rate up [and] challenge yourself in the gym.”
After his workout, Wade gets in the steam room and uses a cold tub to help his body recover. Then Wade, who says he “doesn’t eat a lot of vegetables,” takes his daily greens supplements from Thorne.
Since learning what works for him, Wade’s routine has evolved from when he was in his 20s.
“I have my whole line-up in a sense,” he says of his multi-step morning routine. “I’m a person who believes in that. Like I have a f—ing face routine!”
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