Niall Horan says staying at the top of his game now takes more intention than it did in his early career. The singer and coach on “The Voice” recently opened up about the daily habits that keep him fit, focused, and ready for the demands of touring. Horan said it’s everything from prioritizing sleep and recovery to using data-driven tools that help him stay accountable to his health.
Niall Horan’s Secret Weapon
The former member of One Direction, now a solo artist, Horan said his secret weapon to a healthy lifestyle is Whoop, which he appeared on a recent episode of their podcast. In fact, Niall likes the health device so much that he just invested in the company.
Niall said, ‘What I like about Whoop is it keeps me accountable. That’s the main thing I liked about it.” During the pandemic, Niall said he and his friends were “getting competitive with it. It was the thing. I had friends, like, I looked at his thing, and he played basketball for an hour. I was like, this guy’s never played basketball in his life. He was just trying to outdo us.”
Horan said that healthy competition is what keeps him motivated. That motivation could be just trying to achieve his own personal best.
“I find it good to keep yourself competitive with yourself and trying to get to that strain,” Niall added. “Instead of being lazy, I’ll take the dog out for a second walk just so I can get some steps, see if I can get that up.”
Sleep Is Huge For Niall
Another big aspect of staying fit is getting a good night’s sleep. He makes sure to do that as part of his daily routine.
Horan said, “Sleep’s the most important for me. I imagine I need minimum seven hours to function. Last night I got eight and a half. I’m up at 95% recovery this morning, which I haven’t seen in ages. I think I had like 80% sleep efficiency last night, so it was a good one.”
The “Slow Hands” singer needs to stay fit to take on the rigors of touring and playing to millions of fans.
He said, “To support a 90-minute arena show with 20 songs, I need to be fit. I can’t mess around the way I did when I was younger. On my last tour, I didn’t drink for nearly the whole year, and it made such a difference. My sleep improved, my clarity improved, everything. Touring is brutal on your body, so I try to control what I can: eat clean, work out, nap when I need to, avoid anything that messes with my vocals. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what lets me step on stage and give everything.”
It’s all about listening to his body and his heart when it comes to performing.
“You have to go and find what feels like you – what comes out of your mouth naturally and doesn’t feel forced,” Horan said. “That takes time. You write songs that don’t fit, you chase ideas that feel wrong, and then eventually you recognize the sound that’s yours. People can tell immediately when something isn’t authentic. So much of being an artist is just knowing yourself well enough to trust what feels right.”
