Anatomy of a polo professional's year: how England's Max Charlton stays fit and makes a living

Being long and lean

It would have been extremely difficult if I had been left-handed. Its all about core strength, being flexible and nimble, thats the ideal you are looking for. When you are going to the gym, its not about lifting weights. If you look at the best polo players, they are long and lean, and whippy. Id say Im playing fit.

Keeping the mind clear

Mental preparation? Im all about that. Warming up pre-game is not beneficial to me; I like a team chat and then think about the game ahead. I also see a sports psychologist on a regular basis. I have a few OCDs and superstitions and so I try and clear those out. I have always been like that but I have only just found it was how I worked. It was the same with other sport I played. The route for me was mental and it works for me.

Why relaxing pre-match works for me

A lot of players warm-up and down, but personally, I dont like to do a lot to warm-up. Some players like to have a run, or a stretch, I like to relax and prepare myself mentally. Then its all about stick and ball. But after the game I do stretch. Winston Squires the England trainer, pictured above with teammate George Meyrick advises that we should go for a run, and a lot of people will do exercises. I found that if I warmed up too much, I lost my concentration. Ive always found that if I have a relaxed, endured a calm period before I play, it brings out the best in me.

The anatomy of the year for 7-goaler Charlton

April to September: the English season..

You tend to have one patron (owner) per level, so you can commit to one team at each - be it 18 goal, medium goal, low goal. You have to play as much as you can, because we are paid per game, and not per season. Its unfortunate, but thats the dynamic. Its wrong when you look at other countries, which is per season, but we are trying to change that.

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Anatomy of a polo professional's year: how England's Max Charlton stays fit and makes a living