I often wonder in today's day and age and the emphasis put on individualism, if we forget how important it is to have good coaches. Watching the Olympians you realize that you are truly watching the best athletes in the world at their specific sports. Their physical feats and mental concentration is amazing. But behind every athlete is a set of coaches, trainers and others that have prepared them to go for the Gold. So if the greatest athletes in the world need a team of coaches to allow them to perform at optimal levels, why don't each of us also look to find some coaches to help us in our life. Do we look for people and advice from experts to help us with our body, mind and spiritual growth and development. Our bodies, minds and spirits are constantly changing, the question is how are they changing? Is it for better or worse?
As a physical therapist, I enjoy the opportunity daily to help coach my patients to improve their physical health and optimize their function. Hopefully we can all find coaches to help us on a regular basis to improve our body, mind and spirit and not have to wait until injury or ill health to search out a coach to help us.
What other lessons have any of you came away with during these Olympic games?
A very good point! I think massage is an essential part of every Olympian's regimen. I often tell my patients that they should make massage a regular part of health maintenance, even if just once every three months. We change the oil in our cars at least that often, so why not invest in keeping our bodies running well too.
ReplyDelete@Lisa. Couldn't agree more. Continual improvement in our soft tissue mobility, needs to be a regular part of any complete exercise program. High end athletes such as those in the Olympics benefit from this, we need to do the same for our bodies. From simple self soft tissue work with a tennis ball or foam roller to more professional hands of a skilled massage therapist or physical therapist.
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