An Olympic Strategy For Your Health & Fitness
The 2022 Winter Olympics have come to a close and, all controversies aside, watching the games always leaves me in complete awe and admiration of all the athletes and what they have achieved.
Olympic athletes represent so much more than a medal they may or may not win. They are a representation of pure commitment, strength, sacrifice and determination that pushes them past limits and allows them to do incredible and seemingly superhuman things with their bodies--- things the rest of us normal humans can’t even dream of doing.
As I was watching a few events, I realized there is so much we can take from an athlete’s playbook that can apply to our own health and fitness, without going to those extremes yet still push us closer towards optimal health.
As a former competitive figure skater, I tried my best to compete at that stratospheric level, and I went as far as I could. Yet I knew there is so much more than just physical ability that must fall into place in order to peak at that exact Olympic moment. It's the most important moment:
THE peak moment
In the case of the Olympics, the gold metal is the ultimate goal and an Olympian's training prepares them and demands of them to hit their peak at the exact right moment to achieve that goal. Luckily most of us don't have this kind of pressure, however; we all have our own peak moments in life where we both want and need to be at our best.
Ok... you may not be training for an Olympic medal, but your own peak moments can feel just as important to you. So it’s vital to treat them as such.
In the case of your own health and wellness, think about when you want your own peak moments to happen this year and then create a plan and strategy around that date. Things that fall into this category can range from weddings, presentations, pre and post baby, a new recreational sport or simple daily tasks being done without stress or pain.
Knowing when you want to reach your peak moment can help you stay motivated, on track, and committed even when you encounter setbacks. It will help you persevere and stay committed. In exercising both perseverance and commitment you will see progress in your own transformation.
Keeping our Olympic athletes in mind, here are some things to think about when planning your own fitness and nutrition strategy in order to reach your own peak moments.
Physical Body: Have a fitness plan that equally conditions your entire body. Avoid over training in any one thing and incorporate workouts that complement the sports and hobbies you truly enjoy and want to continue for the long haul.
Food: Have an eating plan that matches your physical demands. Make nutrition a priority so that it aligns with your peak performance goals. Think in terms of necessary nutrients that will allow you to perform at your best using them as fuel to complement your physical performance.
Mindset and mental health: Find ways to deal with outside pressures and stress other than stress eating or binging in unhealthy ways.
Recovery: Incorporate recovery times that align with your peak moments. Powering down is imperative to increasing strength and energy. Resting and restoring are important components in your physical and mental well-being.
Balance: Make sure you have a balanced routine (and I'm not talking about standing on one foot 😊) with both exercise and food. Avoid extremes with any one type of exercise or with any one type of food. Enjoy the things that bring you happiness.
It's fun for me to think about how we can adapt an elite level performance strategy to our daily lives.(I know....I can see some eye rolls and smiles with this statement😉) We all have our superhuman moments, even if you don’t realize it, so do your best to make sure they can happen when you want and need them the most.
What are some peak momentsfor which you are striving to be your best? I would love to hear!