{"id":933001,"date":"2026-10-18T21:16:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/933001\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T21:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:16:15","slug":"nrl-and-boxing-giant-paul-gallen-reveals-his-daily-health-and-wellness-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/933001\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL and boxing giant Paul Gallen reveals his daily health and wellness routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chief executives, leading sports stars and media personalities have never been more aware of what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle<\/a>. After all, they\u2019re among some of the busiest people in the country.<\/p>\n

These days, it\u2019s all about self-care, balancing peak performance with the mental load \u2013 and making sure we all get those precious eight hours. But is a regular gym session, a coastal walk or an ocean swim enough?\u00a0<\/p>\n

We asked Australia\u2019s leading personalities about the routines and habits that support them in being the best at their game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Ritual.\u00a0Nine<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a man who needs no introduction<\/a> (but we\u2019ll do it anyway).<\/p>\n

NRL giant, State of Origin legend, maiden premiership-winning captain, crossover boxing star: Paul Gallen is one of Australia\u2019s most enduring professional athletes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He played out a 19-year career with the Cronulla Sharks, killing the club\u2019s 49-year title drought when he captained the team to its 2016 premiership, and led the Blues to victory in an Origin series that ended the Maroons\u2019 eight-year winning streak.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Gallen<\/p>\n

How many teaspoons of creatine do you have every morning, Gal?\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

Gal was one of the oldest playing members of the league when he called time on his NRL career in 2019, selling out Shark Park in his final home game. But his sporting career was far from over \u2212 he\u2019d already started the transition to boxing.<\/p>\n

Now, the 45-year-old is slated to come out of boxing retirement to fight NRL enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona<\/a>. With the gloves back on and regular stints on Nine\u2019s 100% Footy, Sports Sunday and The Sunday Footy Show, good health is a non-negotiable for the 45-year-old.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But what does good health actually look like to one of the country\u2019s most active stars? Well, we pinned him down for a chat to find out for ourselves.<\/p>\n

Alrighty, Gal, the first question is simple: What is the habit or morning routine that sets you up for a successful day?<\/p>\n

Every morning when I get up, I have about four or five glasses of water, a teaspoon of salt and two teaspoons of creatine. Then I have a little glass of juice, whether it be orange juice or apple juice, whatever\u2019s in the fridge.<\/p>\n

Salt?! What\u2019s behind that?\u00a0<\/p>\n

You dehydrate overnight a little bit, so the salt helps me hydrate, and I probably started taking creatine daily about three years ago.<\/p>\n

And what about at night: Do you have a ritual that guarantees a good night\u2019s sleep?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in bed by 9.30pm every night. I fall asleep OK, but I don\u2019t sleep through the night. I don\u2019t sleep much longer than three to four hours straight. Sleep is so important, and I\u2019m lucky enough that I don\u2019t have to get up that early most of the time. As long as I\u2019m up by 8.30am, so I can take the kids to school by 9am, I\u2019m good.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The sports giant famously got in the ring with Sonny Bill Williams.\u00a0Photo by Darrian Traynor\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Is there anything that helps you get back to sleep when you wake up in the middle of the night?<\/p>\n

No, there\u2019s nothing I do during the night to go back to sleep. That\u2019s, for some reason, my thinking time \u2026 I don\u2019t do a lot of thinking during the day, I find I keep myself pretty busy, so I don\u2019t have a lot of time to sit down and think about what\u2019s going on. So I find when I go to bed, that\u2019s my thinking time.<\/p>\n

For the past couple of years, I have started taking magnesium before I go to bed. It\u2019s good for your muscles and helps with recovery. I don\u2019t know whether it\u2019s placebo or not, but I feel like it relaxes me.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Thought you were busy? Think again. On top of his athletic career, Gal is also a TV fixture. \u00a0Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

We can imagine being as active and busy as you are, food is a big part of your routine. What\u2019s your go-to lazy meal or snack when you need to stay fuelled but don\u2019t have the time or energy to cook?<\/p>\n

Probably pizza. Back when I was playing footy, you\u2019d have to probably concentrate a bit more on carbs. I feel pizza\u2019s a decent cheat meal, so to speak.<\/p>\n

Oh, what\u2019s your order?\u00a0<\/p>\n

I gotta say I can\u2019t go past ham and pineapple, but if I\u2019m feeling a little bit, I suppose, exotic, I\u2019ll just get a chicken pizza. That\u2019s not really that exotic, is it? <\/p>\n

But a ham and pineapple or chicken pizza is good enough for me. Now, let me tell you, I often hear people saying pineapple does not belong on pizza. Ham and pineapple, how can you get past it?<\/p>\n

Any places you particularly like to get your pizza from?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crust.\u00a0<\/p>\n

OK, over to the workouts: If you have only 15 minutes in a day to be active now, what kind of movement or workout do you try to get in?<\/p>\n

Deadlifts. If I only had one movement to do, whole body deadlifts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dare we ask what you\u2019re deadlifting?<\/p>\n

Oh look, it was a lot bigger when I was playing footy, but at the moment, if I can get anywhere [between] 160kg to 180kg, [that] is okay. But my best-ever is 243kg.<\/p>\n

Are there any tasks in your life that you\u2019ve automated or outsourced to save brain power?<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to say my wife because I don\u2019t want to sound like it\u2019s sexist, but, honestly, I would be lost about my wife. She is an angel, and she won\u2019t love me talking about her. She refuses to get involved behind the camera or in front of the camera. She hates the limelight [because] she\u2019s very shy. But she does a fair bit for me. I can honestly say if I didn\u2019t have her, I\u2019d be lost.<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/p>\n

Gal says he\u2019d be lost without his wife Anne, pictured here alongside him at the 2019 Dally M.\u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n

Obviously, you have an incredibly like full-on work life. Have you got any boundaries that you\u2019ve set in your career professionally that have helped you manage your own stress?<\/p>\n

Back when I was playing footy [or] whenever I had an event, for two days prior I didn\u2019t read the papers. That\u2019s one thing I don\u2019t do. I don\u2019t read papers. I wouldn\u2019t touch social media [either]. I wasn\u2019t reading anything positive or negative towards me.<\/p>\n

What about now?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Social media is a bit of a big one for me. Unfortunately, because of who I am, what I am, what I’ve done, people still talk bad about me on social media. At the end of the day, the opinions that matter are the opinions that [belong to] my immediate family and closest friends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We get [hung up] on what other people think of us. I don\u2019t really think we need to, but unfortunately, we all do. I\u2019m not immune [to it]. Definitely staying away from social media is a big one for me.<\/p>\n

If there was one habit you could make room for in your routine, what would it be?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sauna every night. I\u2019ve been actually going down to the Sharkies a little bit lately because I was preparing for the marathon, doing ice baths and saunas, and I definitely feel that after a sauna I sleep better.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/p>\n

Gal is a rare one-club player in the NRL. \u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s true or not, but if I had a sauna in my house where I could just jump into [it for] 15 minutes, jump in the quick shower for five seconds before I went to bed, I reckon that\u2019d be pretty cool.<\/p>\n

Last question, Gal: If you could get every Aussie to try one habit that you think makes your life that little bit better, makes you perform that a little bit better. What would it be?<\/p>\n

I suppose positive affirmations. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had an unwavering confidence in myself, and haven\u2019t had to rely on others. I don\u2019t think I could ever rely on others. And I think that\u2019s where I\u2019ve got through. So whether that\u2019s saying positive affirmations to yourself\u2026 self belief, that\u2019s the number one thing for me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chief executives, leading sports stars and media personalities have never been more aware of what it means to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":933002,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,802,85],"class_list":["post-933001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boxing","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=933001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933001\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/933002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=933001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=933001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=933001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}