Steph Curry says his recovery routine may not be glamorous, but it works

Stephen Curry is undeniably one of basketball's best-ever shooters — but even would-be GOATs can't cheat time.

As the 37-year-old four-time NBA champion enters the twilight of his career on the court, he told Business Insider he's still playing at such a high level thanks to his exacting recovery routine.

Sticking to it is key if Curry is to achieve his goal of outplaying the end of his Golden State Warriors contract when the 2026-2027 season wraps.

Cold plunges and compression boots are merely just a part of the Olympic gold medalist's routine. His wife Ayesha's "exceptional" cooking and the time he spends with his four children — who are between the ages of 12 years and 9 months — at their home in Atherton, California is part of Curry's secret sauce.

In the latest installment of Business Insider's "5 to 9" series, Curry, who was promoting his partnership with Plezi, the drinks brand he co-founded, shared with BI what he does in his spare time.

When do you wake up?

My wake-up time depends on whether it's a game day or a practice day, but I get up around 7 a.m. on average.

Ayesha and I try to do school drop-offs and morning routines with our kids as much as possible, but it does take a village and we can't do it every day.

I usually get to practice around 9 a.m.

Do you eat breakfast before you go?

Most of the time, I eat breakfast at the facility right before practice.

I'm a creature of habit, so I like to have a yogurt parfait with granola and some mixed berries and some type of egg dish — whether that's an omelet or a scramble — sometimes with some spinach mixed in. I'll have half a waffle for some carbs and sometimes a protein shake on the side. So it's a healthy breakfast.

Sounds like a great breakfast. Is it a chore or a pleasure to eat so much for work?

It's definitely a chore, which is my wife's biggest call-out with me. I really have to force myself to eat and keep my calories up. I do like good food and to eat for fun, but I'm more someone who eats to live rather than lives to eat.

Pretty much every elite athlete I've ever spoken to has said the same. Are you disciplined with your diet?

I'm fairly disciplined. You want to have room for a cheat day once in a while just to be a human being and have a little fun.

It varies throughout the year, though. My birthday is in March, and after that, it's the lock-in period leading up to the playoffs and the stretch run when you're trying to chase championships on the court. So I'm a little more disciplined then.

But other times, like in summer, there are no rules. You just want to make sure you're having everything in moderation and trying to eat as cleanly as possible.

Endless choices for dinner

Do you cook dinner in the evening?

I like cooking but I never cook because I have a beautiful wife who's an exceptional chef.

Lucky you.

I know, for sure. She loves taking care of the family.

Sometimes, she'll say, "What do you want for dinner?" And I can never answer that question because the options are endless. So I get her to give me three options to pick between. But you name it, she can make it — and it's always good. She makes it look so easy.

Are your kids picky eaters?

Our oldest and our 6-year-old are, but once our oldest started to cook for herself a bit, she expanded her palette. Our 9-year-old eats whatever's on her plate. She was eating oysters at 3 years old. She wants to try everything, and eating is the love of her life.

Do you think a lot about nutrition for your family?

Yes. That's why we love working with Plezi. It's a brand that's mindful about what you're putting in your body, giving kids and families an option for nutritious products that also taste great.

Recovery is essential

Obviously, you have an intense training schedule, but what does movement look like outside work?

It's a way of life. When I'm playing golf, I try to walk the courses as much as possible instead of riding the golf cart. I like to go on long walks or ride bikes around the neighborhood with my kids. My son just wants to race everyone.

We, as a family, like to spend our time being active, on the move, and outside, and we've seen how much good that does for our minds and bodies. There's no better thing than getting fresh air and being in nature, too.

Do you have any recovery and longevity essentials?

You think about it more and more as you get older. I'm in my 16th year and just turned 37, and I've realized everything does matter, especially sleep: the amount you get, the consistency, and good sleep habits.

It's important to have a routine. And for me, getting in cold tubs, the sauna, compression sleeves to make sure you got good blood flow in your legs, different supplements — they all give me a little boost.

If I skip one of those, I feel it, and it doesn't give me the maximum recovery that I need, especially at this stage. So, I commit to my recovery and find fun in the process because that's more rewarding than what happens on the basketball court.

It's time-consuming. It's not always glamorous, but it does work. The results are proven, and it all allows me to play at a high level, even at this age.

What does your ideal evening look like?

A good family dinner, for sure. Yes, I have my recovery routine, but I also make sure I've got time to be with the family and watch a movie with the kids. We are very much homebodies and so when you have the entire family at home, it's always great to enjoy that energy and the laughs.

I then either watch a good TV show with my wife or put on a game. I watch basketball all the time, so I'm always doing homework and scouting and all that type of stuff. I try to get to bed at a decent time to be ready for the next day.

Do you have a nighttime wind-down routine?

Yeah, I wear Normatec compression boots when I watch a show in bed, read a book, or talk to my wife.

After that, I put on an audio track, a sleep sound device meant to trigger the brainwaves and help you get deep sleep. So, those two things get me in the mood to go to bed.

I go to sleep between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., depending on the night. My wife and I try to go to bed at the same time, but it doesn't always work.

I'm a night owl, so I keep her up later than she'd like. For some reason, I'm really productive at night.