- NFL quarterback Russell Wilson said he spends $1 million on his body per year.
- Wilson previously said he has two private chefs, two hyperbaric chambers, and a physical therapist.
- Wilson has been one of the NFL's best players in recent years as he's entered his mid-30s.
Russell Wilson doesn't spare any expense when it comes to his health.
The 33-year-old Seattle Seahawks quarterback said he spends $1 million per year to maintain his body, during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel alongside his wife, the singer Ciara. Wilson added that his goal is to extend his NFL career for another 12 years.
"It's a process. It's a lifestyle. I think when you are trying to play as long as I'm trying to play. I'm trying to play until I'm 45," Wilson told Kimmel. "Yeah, for me, the mentality, the focus level, everything you have to do has to be surrounded around that."
Wilson is looking to outlast Tom Brady, who retired this month at the age of 44 after following one of the most strict diets and lifestyles of any professional athlete for the last 16 years. Wilson would have to play another 12 seasons to eclipse Brady and meet his goal, meaning he would also have to spend at least $12 million more.
Wilson is set to make $37 million in 2022 as part of his four-year, $140-million contract with the Seahawks, so his body expenses are within his budget.
Here's a look at how he distributes his $1 million body fund:
Wilson has two private chefs that curate his 5,000-calorie-per-day diet
Wilson explained some of his health-related expenses during an interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast in October 2020, and he said one of his most important expenses is the salaries of his two private chefs.
Wilson's chefs are responsible for helping the star quarterback meet his 5,000-calorie-per-day threshold by preparing nine meals just for him, his dietitian Philip Goglia told ESPN.
According to Goglia, Wilson's meals are:
- Meal 1: Tablespoon of almond butter; a tablespoon of jam
- Meal 2: Two cups of cooked oatmeal; six whole eggs; a piece of fruit; one chicken breast
- Meal 3: A piece of fruit; 12 almonds
- Meal 4: Eight ounces of protein (such as two chicken breasts); a yam OR a cup of rice OR a potato AND a vegetable
- Meal 5: Eight ounces of protein (such as two chicken breasts); a yam OR a cup of rice OR a potato AND a vegetable
- Meal 6: A piece of fruit; 12 almonds
- Meal 7: A piece of fruit; 12 almonds; whey protein
- Meal 8: Fish or steak AND salad or vegetables
- Meal 9 : Fruit and tablespoon of blackstrap molasses
One of Wilson's chefs, Andrea Witton, said one of the biggest challenges is getting him to eat his vegetables, in a video interview Wilson posted to his YouTube channel. She added that sometimes she has to hide the vegetables inside an entire chicken breast just to get him to eat them.
Wilson owns two hyperbaric chambers
Wilson told Simmons that he owns two hyperbaric chambers, which he said he uses three to four times per week.
Hyperbaric chambers are compression chambers that people use to perform oxygen therapy, which is designed to increase a person's oxygen absorption.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and increasing a person's oxygen absorption are said to come with anti-aging and overall health benefits, including more energy and endurance for physical activities, improved health of a person's cells, faster wound recovery, quicker cognitive reactions, and holistic pain relief, Insider's Rachel Hosie previously reported.
Wilson has a whole team of physical specialists, and they've helped him stay nearly injury-free for his entire career
Wilson, who hadn't missed a game to injury in his career up until 2021 when he missed three games with a finger injury, told Simmons that he pays an entire performance team to focus on keeping him and his wife Ciara in the best health possible throughout the year.
His team includes:
- A full-time physical therapist, Drew Morcos, that assists in his workout and practice recovery
- A full-time mobility, Janet Jin, trainer that tracks and adjusts his movement patterns to help him avoid injuries and unnecessary strain on his body
- A full-time massage therapist that performs regular massage treatments on Wilson 10 hours per week, according to ESPN.
Morcos told ESPN that his work helped the quarterback recover quicker than usual and from a leg injury in 2016. Morcos said he worked with Wilson to improve flexibility in his hips, which ensured he didn't have to miss any games after the injury but it also helped him avoid an MCL tear.
Jin, who Wilson hired in 2017, told ESPN that she works with Wilson on mobility, stability, and activation, and her biggest priority is to make sure that all of his muscles are functioning and none are stiff when it comes time for a practice, workout, or game.