Karl-Anthony Towns, the 30-year-old NBA All-Star and New York Knicks player, works hard to stay healthy and in gameday shape. But there’s a clear line: when he physically can’t do his job, he’s out. That distinction, honed over his 11 seasons in the NBA, reflects a deeper understanding of pain and his role as a professional athlete.
For Towns, physical discomfort and mental focus are tightly linked. It’s a mindset shaped long before the league, dating back to his childhood in New Jersey, where managing literal growing pains was all part of staying competitive across multiple sports. In a new partnership with Advil, Towns is encouraging people to rethink what he calls an “autopilot” approach to pain relief.
Through the brand’s Advil Exchange Program, consumers can now scan expired over-the-counter pain medications to unlock savings on newer options. And while he’s experimented with everything from cold plunges to red light therapy, Towns recently told The Healthy that his core routine remains surprisingly straightforward—strength training, sleep, sunlight, and a walk outside with his fiancée, Jordyn Woods. Ahead, read more about how he stays at his physical best.
Find out how your favorite stars stay well when you subscribe to The Healthy newsletter
The Healthy: You’ve partnered with Advil to talk about managing pain. What’s something about pain—physical or mental—that people misunderstand, especially when it comes to elite athletes like yourself?
Karl-Anthony Towns: When you don’t feel your best physically, it can affect you mentally. It’s amazing to be working with Advil, an anti-inflammatory that’s helped me not only as a professional athlete, but even when I was a kid growing up in Jersey playing basketball, baseball, and soccer. I was growing at a faster rate than other kids, dealing with growing pains, and being able to stay healthier physically led to better performances because my mental was intact. Even now, 11 years in the NBA, it’s something I still rely on.
Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
The Healthy: Can you talk a bit more about working through pain as part of your job—how it affects your focus on the court, and how you decide when to push through versus when to step away for long-term health?
Karl-Anthony Towns: For me, not playing in an NBA game means I’m unable to do my job. Recently, I had a right elbow impingement—I couldn’t shoot or pass a basketball, so I couldn’t play. Once the inflammation went down—again, shout out to Advil—I was able to get back out there the next game. My threshold for playing might be higher than most, but as long as I can play, I’m going to. Even sometimes when I probably shouldn’t, because I’m not at my best, I still feel like I can go out there and help the team.
The Healthy: Pain management is often framed as reactive. What does a proactive approach to staying healthy look like for you, both during the season and off?
Karl-Anthony Towns: We could go down the list of devices, red light therapy, sauna, but at the end of the day, the best way to be proactive is lifting. I’m a big believer in strength training. Lifting prepares your body for the stress of playing basketball and training to be your best. It’s the best way to prevent inflammation and injuries, and honestly, it’s the cheapest compared to all the other stuff.
The Healthy: You mentioned some of those wellness tools. So when we’re talking about cold therapy, red light, hyperbaric, and more. What is the one piece of “extreme wellness” you’ve tried that actually lived up to the hype?
Karl-Anthony Towns: I’m a big fan of infrared sauna. Cold therapy is great. I’ve done cold plunges for a couple weeks. It gives you mental clarity and that feeling, especially if you start your day with it, like you can take on anything. It’s like coffee without the coffee. Sauna is at the top of my list—I like infrared but dry is good too, any way to sweat. Strength training is always number one. Stretching too, simple stretching.
Hyperbaric [oxygen therapy], I need more time with. I do like red light therapy—I used a red light bed in Minnesota and really believe in that. IVs too, I like IVs more than vitamins. But honestly, the best things are usually the cheapest. Go back to what humans have always done: strength training, getting sunlight. It’s crazy—we get caught up thinking expensive things are better, but sometimes the simplest answer is the best one.
The Healthy: Strength training sounds like one physical thing you’ll never stop doing, but how about one self-care ritual you refuse to skip? Everyone from Shaq to Angela Bassett has been sharing theirs.
Karl-Anthony Towns: My fiancée and I were just talking about how we need to do whatever Angela Bassett is doing! For me, it’s really about the night before. You can talk about the day, the pregame nap—but having good vibes going into the night is everything. Getting good rest, but also putting yourself in the right headspace for the next day. I have a great partner, and no matter how big the next day is, we try to just laugh, relax, and have a good night. That carries into recovery, because mentally I’m already in a good place before I even wake up.
Elsa/Getty ImagesKarl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrates with his fiancée Jordyn Woods
The Healthy: You’re known for your versatility on the court. Does that translate into your approach to overall wellness?
Karl-Anthony Towns: I try to stay grounded—not just with grounding machines, but mind, body, and spirit. I believe in the work I put in. I believe in my faith, my support system, and my skillset. Grounding myself in those things is the most holistic approach for me—just putting myself in the best position to succeed.
The Healthy: Let’s talk nutrition. What does it look like for you and what is one meal that makes you feel plugged in?
Karl-Anthony Towns: It’s not as crazy as you’d think—it’s just protein, greens, and carbs. Being Dominican, I grew up eating what my mom made: chicken and rice. To this day, I still believe in it—chicken, rice, and broccoli. I’ve basically been eating the same thing for years, and I still love it.
The Healthy: What is one thing you do purely for the sake of play, with zero intention of it being productive or healthy?
Karl-Anthony Towns: Collecting Tops cards—sports cards, Disney cards. I’m a collector, and I even got my fiancée into it. Also just being in nature. In Minnesota especially, we’d come home and go for walks, bike rides, or drive to a park just to explore somewhere new. Even in New York, we still try to find ways to do that.
The Healthy: Anything else you want people to know about your approach to health or this campaign?
Karl-Anthony Towns: The body is such an amazing thing, but the body only goes as far as the mind will allow. And I think that believing in the work you put in, when you step in the kitchen, when you step in the weight room, do everything believing it will benefit your body and your mind and you will do amazing things. Take care of your mind and at the same time, take care of your body, but believe in the work. Believe in everything you do and every decision you make, whether it’s financial or it’s body-wise, just believe in it and try your best to make the best decision.
