Colts' Dwayne Allen: Being fit 'will change your life'

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - This may be the off season for the Indianapolis Colts, but that doesn’t mean the players are taking time off. Colts tight end Dwayne Allen’s success on the football field all starts with hard work off it.

Colts fans see Allen on Sundays scoring touchdowns, but in order to keep getting the cheers, he has to stay fit and healthy. It’s so important to the Colts tight end that he makes it a priority to work out.

"It wasn't something instilled in me from my family, but I am a health science major at Clemson,” Allen said. “I'm finishing my degree this off season and I went into health science because I knew that was something important to me — learning about my body, learning how the body works and learning how to live a healthy life,” said Allen. "What the NFL is doing with Play 60 — the whole get out, be active, play 60 minutes or more a day — is so important. I wish something like that was going on when I was coming up because it could have helped me out a ton.”

Allen gets on the treadmill a couple hours per week, depending on the distance he chooses to run every week.

“It's important to get in here and get that cardio working and get that aerobic exercise going,” he said.

Allen said he always ends his work-out the same with stretching — something he didn't really do until college.

"So now I go through different stretch routines just to improve that flexibility,” said Allen. “And also the best time to stretch is whenever you are cooling down, right after workouts. That's when it's the best time to increase flexibility.”

The Colts player had some advice for people who are unsure about working out and need a little encouragement.

“Get out there, be active, just do it,” said Allen. “It can change your life. It will change your life."