Every time, without fail, that a client and I are discussing the sports that we participate in my face lights up. ‘Like a beacon guiding someone through stormy waters’ was how one client described it. He had lost his motivation for competing and when we discussed what he wanted to achieve his reply was ‘I want to feel the way about competing that you clearly feel about exercise. You look so happy.’ I am happy. I love to exercise. I love to be fit and healthy.
Strength training has had a huge revival for women in recent years and when I started CrossFit last year I was hesitant about lifting heavy weights after a long sojourn which was filled mainly with cardiovascular training. The 7am classes with hard core snatches, cleans and workouts of the day are not easy but they are rewarding and the feeling of accomplishment with every increase in weight is very satisfying. Cue the happiness factor every time I think or speak about exercise and sport.
My client on the other hand, is a competitive swimmer and we identified early stages of burnout in the initial sport psychology assessment. This was a positive finding ultimately as it meant that together we could go about fixing it and brining back that love of exercise. Together we looked at the various factors which were contributing to his burnout and discovered a diminished feeling of personal accomplishment and a notable negativity towards other athletes. Both were recently acquired and straight forward to rectify. Once we identified the negative thought processes and the reasons behind them we hatched a plan to bring back that passion for sport that my client had experienced for so long.
For me, exercise is a priority and always has been. Variety keeps it fresh and interesting and the benefits have been enormous. My client, I am happy to say, two months on, is now back competing, delegating some of his work load, thinking positively and enjoying his sport once again.