I often wonder on what kind of mindset we need to create the cultural shift that national programs like Active 2010 and Healthy People 2010 are aiming at. I myself am hoping to make those same cultural shifts happen within my own network of people, be they friends, family, clients or peers and have come to a thought.
We need to stop separating ourselves from elite and professional athletes and see the professional athlete that is us.
If it is not your goal to live a long and healthy life, able to do, play, think and act as well as you wish and well into your 90s stop reading. My bet is we all keep reading.
With the reality firmly in your mindset that you plan to live long and well, you need to look at how to do that. Your guides are those athlete peers you have, but you have a step up on the elites, you don't put half as much stress on your bodies as most of them do!
However, what the best and longest lasting of them do is stress their bodies enough and manage that stress well enough to give their bodies exactly what they need to perform. The elite athletes have another advantage though, they have coaches and entire teams dedicated to keeping them able to perform at essentially one specific task. But look what they can accomplish as a result of it!
You need to find and build a team to manage your health and success and you need to realize one very important thing: You don't have an off-season to rest and repair the damage done by your work, your sport.
The take home message from this should be: "I am an endurance athlete. I need to find a coach and build a team to help me manage my health and help me take stock of what my work and lifestyle truly cost and contribute. I need to use everyday to my advantage because I get no off-season... and if I do, I need to use it!"
Really choose to be and stay well by thinking well. Think, act and do like the best if you want to be your best.