How To Be A Well-Balanced Athlete

There’s much more to health than just your physical fitness. Although sometimes the “meat head” in me is hyper-focused on the weight room – I want to make sure we’re always looking at the full picture. Being a well-balanced athlete means paying attention to all facets of your life. So this one may feel a little like “Come sit by the fire and let’s sing Kumbaya” but hang in there with me! A healthy level of wellness will improve the overall performance of your riding.

What is wellness?

There’s the standard definition that states “the absence of illness, injury and disease,” but don’t go to sleep on me yet. There’s another version of this definition that really aligns with sports performance.

“Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.” (National Wellness Institute) Are you feeling the hippy vibes?

There are six dimensions of wellness to focus on:

1. Emotional (having self-esteem, sense of direction)
2. Occupational (enriching your life through work)
3. Physical (benefits of regular physical activity/healthy eating, self-care)
4. Social (how you contribute to your environment/community)
5. Intellectual (creative and stimulating mental activities)
6. Spiritual (development of belief systems/values)

THE BEST STATE OF MIND TO HAVE

When you’re riding or competing – the best state of mind to be in is focused, stress-free and confident. But maybe you’re having a disagreement with a close friend or partner; maybe there’s a project at work stressing you out; maybe your fast food habit seems to be catching up with you.

There’s a multitude of things that could be affecting any one of those six dimensions of wellness. But hey – you’ve now officially conquered the first part of the wellness definition. You’re aware. Pat yourself on the back and start moving on to part two – make deliberate choices to focus on each dimension**. They’re all equally important and it will show in your riding. Now finish this off with Child’s Pose and let’s get after it.

We’ll get into more detail on each dimension in future posts, so come back for some more Kumbaya time!