Lewis Hamilton swears by 'non-negotiable' new routine

Lewis Hamilton has revealed he forces himself to take ice baths and stretch every morning, as his routine has adapted to combat the rigours of ageing as an athlete.

Now 40, the Ferrari driver is entering his 20th season in F1 and is the second-eldest driver on the grid, behind only the seemingly evergreen Fernando Alonso, who made his own grand prix debut in 2001.

Whilst he did not need to be so regimented earlier in his career, Hamilton has detailed his routine, which is stricter than it used to be, in order to extend his time in F1 and remain competitive.

"It’s shifted, progressed, evolved," the seven-time F1 drivers' champion explained to Men's Health.

"I still love to run – I ran this morning. I did a run which varies between six and eight miles. Then ice bath. But before all that, stretching is the first thing I do as soon as I get out of bed.

"In the afternoon, I might do a HIIT session, but I can’t really do too much weights because otherwise I get too heavy. So mostly it’s Pilates and yoga."

However, whilst his workouts sometimes have to fit around his busy schedule outside of F1, there are two elements he views as essential and unwavering.

When asked what his non-negotiables are when it comes to training, the 105-time grand prix winner replied: "Ice baths.

"Recovery is something that I never really focused on in the past. I would just do the workout and then go on with my day.

"So stretching and ice baths – those are the two things that I force myself to do."

It is not merely physical training that Hamilton partakes in. Given the extensive mental demands of motorsport, a lot of attention goes into cognitive and emotional health.

The British driver revealed that ice baths also help him stay sharp and positive throughout the strains of a 24-round F1 campaign.

"When I was younger, I think the training was really my therapy – and it still kind of is, particularly the runs," Hamilton said. "That's where I get most of my thinking done.

"Adding things like yoga, adding things like breathwork. Breathwork has probably taken the longest to get into because it takes time. Then meditation.

"I think the ice bath helps with that, too, because you need to learn to breathe and overcome the thoughts of wanting to give up, wanting to get out. Those things really help me stay positive through the year."