What makes for a healthy lifestyle when you’re a superstar musician? Former One Directioner turned solo artist Niall Horan’s secret weapon is a Whoop. In fact, he likes the health device so much that he’s just invested in the company.
‘What I like about Whoop is it keeps me accountable,’ Niall says in a new Whoop podcast. ‘That’s the main thing I liked about it. During COVID we 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.’
A bit of healthy competition is what keeps Niall motivated, even if that is 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,’ he says. ‘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.’
And a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things for Niall when it comes to a daily routine.
‘Sleep’s the most important for me,’ he says. ‘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.’
Making sure his daily routine is as good as it can be, gets Niall the results he wants.
More than most, Niall needs to be fit to take on the rigours of touring and playing to millions.
‘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.’
He’s happy to play for his fans and wants to make sure he does the best job that he can.
‘We had this thing the whole way through our career, and I still have it now, where we’re just happy to be anywhere,’ Niall says on the podcast. ‘ I look out at these arenas full of people and think, this would literally be an empty room if you didn’t buy tickets. You have to hold onto that feeling. If you lose gratitude, you’re done. That mindset kept us grounded from day one, and it still keeps me grounded now.’
Niall prides himself on listening to both 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,’ he says. ‘That takes time. You write songs that don’t fit, you chase ideas that feel wrong, and then eventually you recognise 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.’