Good athletes are typically good at listening to their coaches. But they’re not always so good at listening to themselves. Truth is, your body knows what you need better than your brain and all the thoughts spinning around inside your skull.
This week’s articles are all about what the body needs – and how listening to our minds can sometimes lead us astray.
Editor’s Picks of the Week
Listen to Your Body for Fewer Injuries and Greater Progress
Coach Logan Christopher gives concrete examples of what happens when you don’t listen to your body, versus what can happen when you do. He also gives suggestions on how to check in with yourself just before a workout and then modify according to how you feel.
How to Coach New Clients: Don’t Go Too Far
When you get a new client, you can’t trust that he or she knows how to listen to his or her body. As a coach, you’ve got the be the eyes and ears for what your clients actually need. Coach Andrew Read shares mistakes he made as a beginner trainer and what he knows now.
Take Nothing for Granted: 9/11, CrossFit, and Breath
When you’re dealing with a chronic condition, you have to listen to your body in a whole different way than the average person or athlete. Coach Patrick McCarty shares this touching and impressive story of two athletes who worked Ground Zero and the health issues they now face.
The Modern Male and Body Image: It’s Okay to Talk About It
One of the biggest ways our bodies and minds are not in communication is in relation to our body image. We see ourselves differently than we physically are. We push ourselves or starve ourselves, rather than listening to the true needs of our bodies. Coach Amber Larsen explores this topic in regards to men, something not discussed often enough.
3 Simple Tools for Overcoming First Fight Jitters
When you are new to a sport or competing for the first time, the thoughts in your head can be so loud that you are not connected with your body, technique, and performance. Coach Jonathan Puu gives advice on how to handle your nerves before your first muay Thai match, but this advice would help for just about any athlete and any sport.
A Way to Meditate: For People Really Bad at Meditation
The disconnect between mind and body is there for all of us to some degree. One of the tools we can use to quiet our mind and hear our body is meditation. But if you’re having a hard time tuning in to your body, meditation can be a really hard thing! Coach Bethany Eanes shares some simple instructions on how to get quiet and listen.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
