From clinic to athlete

You may think that there are few similarities between the two extremes of my client base, which range from people in ‘end of life care’ through to elite athletes who represent Great Britain.  However, I have found that they have the following common factors that are vital for everyone wishing to achieve a new goal.

1.                       Needs – both groups need programmes tailored to their needs, goals and available support to give them a chance of completing their goal and succeeding.

2.                       Mindset – both groups need to have coping mechanisms that help them determine their response to a stressful situation.

3.                       Training – benefits are not going to be seen unless they push through the monotony of training and maintain focus on the goal, whether it be symptom relief or a gold medal.

4.                       No pain no gain – the level they work at needs to feel at least moderately hard, which means it will probably feel uncomfortable.  Whether this is chair stands or high intensity interval work.

5.                       Back on the Wagon – if they have a result that has put them back, they will show the determination to restart without thinking ‘I failed last time, so I will fail this time.’

Try using some of these strategies to help you achieve your health and fitness goals and you will succeed.