Good eats and plenty of sleep.

• Position: Your Life - Brief article

Do you have dreams of becoming a professional athlete? Then you better lace up your skates. Of the five most popular professional team sports in North America, those who play high school hockey have the best opportunity--a one in 598 chance--to compete professionally. However, people have better odds of being killed in a car accident--one in 113.

However, just because your childhood dreams of being a superstar have been dashed does not mean you cannot train like an athlete, insists Greg Wells, author of The Ripple Effect: Eat, Sleep, Move, and Think Better.

Wells points out that those who are able to get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Good sleep helps strengthen the immune system, boost problem-solving and creativity, reduce stress, build muscle, regulate appetite, and manage mental and emotional health.

A lack of physical activity...