Why Is An Athletes Wellbeing So Important

Wellbeing .... What does that actually mean?
Well ... we all may interpret it differently

Wellbeing to me is a life that has a sense of purpose, a soul that has freedom and a body with health and vitality.

And where does that fit in to the sports industry, achieving goals and a level of 'success'. and what to do when we end our careers

Drive determination and focus are key components on the path to success their importance is immeasurable, It's these components which sustain the success of an athlete but it is also these that, when employed for long periods of time can produce a detrimental effect on an athletes well being.

Its exhausting sustaining such a high level of enthusiasm, Imagine athletes as high performance cars, they move fast win races but even these cars need time to cool down and receive repairs.

There are always newer models being build designed to work harder, move faster and out perform current models.
You are working at your physical optimum level, training harder, and constantly perfecting your technique but another is still a head of you in the race. What if you are getting older and find yourself struggling to keep up with the others. And what if you are on top but others are nipping at your heels?

All these issues can produce high levels of anxiety, depression, frustration etc. Lets not forget the added pressures and expectations from your sponsors, management, fans. Although we can often receive valuable help from sports psychologists, therapist and other experienced individuals, How do we stop our overall well being from being effected during the moments of our everyday lives, How do we induce the feelings we had when we first tasted success, when the joy of the activity out weighed the need for a win. How do we find joy and happiness in the little things and stop the element of winning being the high (the drug) that keeps us happy.

Our mind is the strongest tool that we have in our arsenal and it takes true strength to utilize its incredible power. Although we can seek help from others..... ultimately it is down to ourselves.

Gluten Free Diet Beneficial for Athletes Yes or No?

For thousands of years we have consumed, cultivated and milled wheat, spelt, barley and rye.  We have used it as a staple part of our diet with nourishing benefits.  These gluten free substances were milled in a manner which were wholesome and simple, the milling process helped retain all the natural goodness.
Then in the industrial era the process changed.  Many crops were protected with synthetic chemical based substances, Mechanical technologies were used to harvest and mill, all which increased the crop yield produced to keep up with consumer demand.  Finally we learnt how to alter the genetics of these valuable substances for a lighter, fluffier bake. (click here for further details of the modern milling process)

Roman Stone mill and oven

But what does this mean....?  Well lets start with the basics.  Gluten consists of two proteins Glaidin (which is what people react badly to) and Glutenin.
Flour when mixed with water forms a cross linked network of proteins, this produces an elastic type dough helping the dough to rise.
When this protein is digested and exposed to the cells of the immune system of an individual with a sensitivity to gluten, there arises is a miss communication. The immunity cells mount an attack considering the protein to be a potential threat.

For those with coeliacs disease the gluten also attacks the walls of the digestive tract.  The result of this is an over activity of the immune system, inflammation in the bowl causing the malabsorption of food and nutrients and the need for the digestive system to be cleared to remove the problem.  This is why many coeliacs lose a lot of weight even if they are eating large amounts, the body empties itself before food can be properly processed.

Studies have also shown that those who do not have gluten sensitivities can also have some negative reactions to gluten (modern milled) including bloating, fatigue and stool inconsistencies.
Other studies have shown that many cases of neurological illness may be caused or exacerbated by gluten.

So how does a gluten free diet enter the world of sports. Well there is some controversy here. We must not forget that whole wheat products are beneficial to the body.  Studies have been performed to compare the effects of gluten filled diets to gluten free diet in athletes (take a look at the link to see the results the gluten free athlete).  Unless an athlete has a gluten sensitivity/ coeliacs there is no medical proof to suggest that a gluten free diet will improve their performance.
But here are some benefits which many athletes have reported

Weightloss/ feeling lighter on your feet

Increased strength
More energy
Mentally sharper
Better quality of sleep
Feeling fresher and more alert 

I think it is wise here to mention that when entering a gluten free diet athletes often turn to different types of food which also help improve overall health, packed with essential proteins and blood sugar stabilizers
Foods such as Lentils, chickpeas, various types of beans, gluten free porridge, brown rice, quinoa etc.
I am possibly bias towards the gluten free life as I have coeliacs disease myself. Since removing gluten completely from my diet (this includes vinegar made from barley......be careful gluten is hidden everywhere). My life has improved dramatically. especially the lifting of a debilitating mental fog.   Removing even a small amount of gluten from your diet may not produce miracles but it can't hurt!

Reasons Why Athletes should Meditate

Why does the word meditation scare people so much?

For some there is a preconceived image of meditation, that to meditate we either have to be religious, disconnected from reality, 'away with the fairies', wearing robes or Lycra with braided hair, drive around in camper vans giving out daisies........ You get the picture!

The process of meditation can be performed by anybody and is as beneficial for a high powered executive as it is for those following a more 'simple' way of living.... All you have to be in open minded.

Meditation has proved beneficial in all walks of life including sports, business, child care, rehabilitation, the penal system etc 

This is because meditation is not one straight road with only one way of driving down it. 

There is no one reason or one way to meditate

• Are you looking to relax?
• Are you looking to increase your energy levels?
• Are you looking to develop concentration?
• Are you looking to develop insight and understanding?
• Are you looking to feel better about yourself?
• Are you seeking inner peace?
• Are you looking for control over emotional responses?
• Are you looking to help create focus or find the answer to a question?
• Are you looking to remain with in the realm of rational thought?
• Are you looking to reduce pressure and anxiety?
• Are you looking to heal the body?
• Are you looking to come to terms with illness, bereavement?
• Are you looking to get over a break up or cope with loosing at your talent?
• Are you looking to forgive yourself and others?
• Are you looking for the meaning of life?

The list is endless! But what intrigues me is the role of meditation in the growth and development of professional athletes.... especially post play

Letting go of mistakes made and games lost is essential, carrying that kind of baggage on to course, pitch, court, track etc adds extra labor to a game (and often unknowingly done). that extra, silent, unseen weight can have very damaging effects on performance. Unfortunately it is often vented on family, friends, fans, media. this is where the feeling of inadequacy begins, addictions and physical crutches are formed and where athletes begin to distance themselves from others. 

Before these seeds of doubt root and grow they should be eliminated immediately! This is where meditation is at it's most valuable.

I find meditation is the only form of therapy which reduces feeling of frustration and produces valuable answers when I need them the most, and I'm not the only one.... many athletes are reported to perform a daily meditation. Gary Player is reported to Meditate daily 

Take a look at the link below

10 Reasons Why Every Athlete Should Meditate - Huffington Post

Yoga For Golfers Cornwall, Classes Available

Join us to help gain an extra edge in your game

Yoga for Golfers Cornwall

Starts Monday 16th at Trevose Golf Club

Understanding The Body to Maximize Golf Performance (with TrackMan)

Becoming a supple leopard!!!

Great meeting with the lovely Gavin Armstrong PGA professional based at Trevose Golf Club Constantine Bay, Cornwall .

It is always nice to meet with like minded health fanatics like myself.
As a yoga instructor I have always been taught to be aware of body alignment and postures, to grow in to the position and to consider each movement in relation to the joints, hips and torso alignment.

However this meeting has set me down the road less traveled!
Originally with a professional cricket back ground Gavin Armstrong is no stranger to the concept of improved athletic performance, Now gracing the golfing scene his view of the golf swing is rather refreshing.

Surrounded by high tech equipment I watch as he takes a swing, 'This equipment' (The TrackMan Radar) he explains 'measures everything you need to know about your swing' The TrackMan accurately records ball speed, attack angle, club path, face angle etc. It also captures the golf swing with a built in HD video camera or with the use of external cameras'. Gavin's goal is to increase his swing speed to 140 mph and compete in the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, having reached 130 mph his goal is not far off!

 

                                                                        TrackMan

'So'.... I ask inquisitively 'where would you like me to fit in to this'

Gavin regularly attends my yoga for golfers classes, which concentrates not only on correct body alignment, flexibility and strength, but also includes space and body awareness, emotional and mental focus and control, stress release, nutrition and natural ways to heal the mind and body and spirit.

He then explains to me the concept of dysfunctional movement in the body, a concept I hadn't really considered in full before....'take a look at this book' (Becoming a Supple Leopard by Dr Kelly Starrett) and he hands me what seems like a weight training aid. 'Lets see if we can combine a few skills'........ noticing my expression, he laughs and says .....'you've got a lot of homework to do!'

'Don't worry' I confidently state 'ill carry it with me everywhere... I'll even use it to do dead lifts in my spare time'

Some light bed time reading!!!!

Follow my blog as we address holistic health, wellbeing, strength, fitness, golf tuition, yoga ... and generally think outside the box when considering golf performance! See how our journey unfolds.

Get Refocused Go Back To The Start Again

The past few weeks I've been debilitated by the fog in my head, dithering about with know real direction. I have been getting very frustrated.......... I realised I needed some guidance

So I referred to a post I wrote a few weeks ago about clearing the mind.

"1. Write it down!...........A letter (that you'll never send).......a list........a story. Empty the confusion, the negativity the stress from your head."

Teaching Yoga can be very fulfilling but it can also be very frustrating and often quite draining. When you turn a passion in to a career sometimes the pure joy withers away.

Photo taken at 'The Point' at Polzeath Cornwall

Taking my own advise I wrote down a comprehensive list of all the reasons why I love Yoga........

1. To actively understand and feel responses in the body
2. Control of muscle movement and precision
3. Discipline
4. The use of different asanas (poses) to obtain particular results (flexibility, strength, balance, toning of the organs, stimulation of the digestive system, circulatory system and respiratory system)
5. To be at one with self , removing distraction and crippling thoughts, helps one to stop and live in the moment (grounding)
6. Calms the body at times of anxiety, frustrations, teaches recognition of emotional responses, and creates the ability to stop mid emotion assess and recover.
7. Breath control, learning to release tension and improve sleep, aid to control thought processes
8. Induces a state of inner peace and controlled reaction
9. Is non competitive and teaches to reduce competitiveness with ones self. Non judgmental, induces compassion for others
10. Can be practised any where
11. To unlock all the secrets of the body and invoke pure energy in to manifestation.

This had a profound effect because I remember now why I was so passionate about teaching.  Yoga is taught and experienced differently by each individual, there is no right or wrong way (as long as it is safe for the body and not detrimental to health and wellbeing)

All approaches that heal and protect the body (strength conditioning, physio etc...) have a valid place in fitness and sports, yoga can offer another option to your arsenal and can be used to complement all orthodox practices.
Yoga teaches skills that can help the individual disconnect themselves from the stress, anxiety and disappointment, to go home and use the skills yoga has taught them to let go of the frustration the competition and to find the pure joy and excitement of their desired profession.  To reconnect with their families and learn to be non judgmental and release stress in a productive safe way.  To know themselves, their dreams and goals in the purest of forms by taking time everyday to do something non competitive and restorative.  To know themselves better. To have something for themselves with out the pressures of doctors, physio's, management, media, the public, their sponsors. To be calm, to let go, to embrace some thing very special. Yoga helps people understand themselves on a personal level to be at peace with themselves. Helping recovery from depression, to induce solid changes and positive encouragement. To dig deep down on the rainiest of days and still make the sun shine...... or at least find a brolly.

This is why I started the practice.  Remembering the beginning of your dream, the passion and the joy it gives you and others is the most effective way to highlight your achievements so far and give you the propulsion to keep pushing forward.... 

When ever you are lost ALWAYS go back to the start again!

The Greatest Speech Ever Made

Staying Physically Fit As We Age

The ageing process in all living things is inevitable and irreversible, however we maybe able to slow the process down.
I am not a scientist ... but understanding the concept below has definitely made me re think the way I treat my body

The physical concept of ageing appears to happen in stages; body development, then body establishment when the body reaches full development and thirdly degeneration. 
From conception cells begin to divide to form life. As the very first cells divide, their offspring are assigned specific tasks, as these offsprings divide their children become specialised in the assigned tasks .. and so on... 
Each cell divides up to 50 times it then halts division and continues to live fulfilling its purpose until it eventually dies. 
The cells divide and each replica carries an imprint of its parent cell. However each time a cell divides its life cycle is less than that of its parent so eventually degeneration begins as the cell lives get shorter. 
This is important, let me explain that again...... every time a cell divides its children are less potent than the parent, that parent cell is less potent from their parent cell. The further we move away from the cells at conception, the short and weaker the life of the cells become.This is what ageing is all about.

So why is this important to understand?.........Well it's very simple...... getting the full life potential and strength out of each cell will help slow down degeneration......slowing down ageing of the body.
This results in a more youthful appearance, a body which is stronger and has good energy levels, but most importantly keeps the body working to an optimum level with good recovery rates and less problems as we age.

For sporting professionals this is incredibly important. 
Professionals push their bodies to the limit (and beyond). 
The pressures on the body are greater and more constant than the average individual. Injuries are more regular. The youngest athletes naturally have more energy and strength. The endurance required is hard to maintain as we age.

So what can we do?

I'm not going to lie and tell you I've been a saint all my life, in my early twenties I push boundaries, ate poorly and partied hard! I was lucky..... a debilitating illness made me step back and take note of my health. Yes I did say lucky......the path I decided to take towards health changed my life. 
I know from experience and through personal research that most people only make changes when it becomes necessary. 
The changes I made were radical and I pride myself on being driven, determined and mentally strong. Whilst I am aware that health unfortunately is not made a priority by many people there are changes that can be made which do not need to be as radical as mine but will improve health as we age...... and perhaps sew that seed which encourages further change in the future.

1. Get a good nights sleep........ Yes it is that simple! Our down time is when the body 'cleans house'. As the body is engaging in only what is necessary to function, there is less pressure and better opportunity for repair. The body can use this time to remove harmful or toxic substances from the body, These are waste materials produced by complex chemical reactions taking place in living cells. 

2. Cut down on the consumption of potentially harmful substances. Alcohol, Nicotine, Caffeine etc. If the body requires removal of toxic substances which are naturally occurring from chemical reactions in the body, just think how much more work is required to remove external toxins which could be avoided. Lets also remember the importance of cell health. A cell saturated in external toxins is less healthy, will live a shorter life and will produce weaker offsprings.

3. Exercise....... Get the body moving to help speed up the removal of waste, take in lovely fresh clean oxygen, Pump blood in to the muscles, keep the body strong, flexible ...... One of the first problems we have as we age is lack of flexibility, This causes movement to be labored, inhibits movement in the muscles, Reduces the support around the bones and leaves us more prone to injury with slower recovery.

4. Eat your way to health...... processed food saturates healthy cells and will often build unhealthy levels of cholesterol, Cholesterol as been linked to Alzheimer's and will aid in the deterioration of brain cells and function. Sugar.....This is something I am most passionate about. It is a false energy provider and is highly addictive. 
Excess sugar will effect insulin level regulation. It can overstimulate the body and brain... and will result in weight gain. Sugar can attach itself to collagen cells and aid in it's deterioration, This includes the loss of skin elasticity and cartilage formation. 
I advise trying to adopt a cave man approach..... If it isn't naturally occurring, If it has been manipulated by man then the body will be put under extra pressure to process and remove it. Introduce another portion of fruit and veg to your every day routine, Always use variation to ensure all the vitamins and minerals required for function and repair are consumed. 
Supplements can be used but they are synthetic and adds extra pressure to the processing system. Try to consume all the requirements through diet if you can. Protect cell health from free radical damage (to be explained in me next post) by consuming foods high in antioxidants.

5. Some supplements can be essential......Keep joints strong and lubricated with 'Glucosamine sulfate' a chemical found in the human body, utilsed to build tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and the thick fluid that surrounds joints. Evening primrose capsules help to reduce inflammation.

These changes can be advantages at any age, However the earlier you start the better. I was fortunate to put all of these practices (and more) in to motion at the age of 25. And i'm not afraid to say I have more energy and strength than some 7-8 years younger than me.