Winning Wellness: What Olympians and Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Can Teach Us About Health Goals
This summer, one of the biggest news stories is that the country’s top-tier athletes—Olympians to the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders—have second jobs. While there’s a story about their payment for their profession, that’s not where we’re going today. Instead, I want to focus on the duality of their lives to accomplish their dreams and take care of their health to the fullest extent.
We live in a world where we are told we can do both and have it all, but to do that, we have to do the work and put in the hours, consistency, and time to make it happen. That’s why taking charge of our health may feel like too much work, too much commitment, and never the right time. Becoming the CEO of our health and wellness is like having a second job! However, like a professional athlete, the daily hard work and dedication pay off when you win.
This post explores these parallels, offering insights and strategies to help you manage your health goals as diligently as an athlete trains. It proves that the pursuit of personal well-being is indeed akin to the dedication seen in professional sports. Hard work, but worth it for the gold medal, aka achieving YOUR goals!
The Reality of Elite Athletes
The glamorous portrayals of athletes on social media and magazine covers rarely spotlight the backstage efforts and the ordinary day jobs many of them have to finance their dreams. Olympians in less-commercial sports and cheerleaders like those from the Dallas Cowboys often hold part-time or full-time positions to make ends meet. This dual commitment underscores a reality where passion and career intersect, requiring a balancing act of rigorous training schedules and work commitments, with the larger goal always in mind.
Dual Lives: For instance, a 2018 report highlighted that a significant number of Olympic athletes rely on secondary forms of income to support their athletic careers, a situation mirrored by many professional cheerleaders. The hard work behind their achievements is monumental, often unseen, and highly demanding.
Discipline and Sacrifice: The discipline required to train at odd hours, often before or after long work shifts, exemplifies tremendous dedication. These athletes’ routines, involving early mornings, late nights, and meticulous time management, are testaments to their commitment to making their health and wellness dreams come true.
Examples of Perseverance: Stories from athletes who have competed in the Olympics while managing careers in fields as diverse as teaching, nursing, or sales can inspire anyone. Their success stories are not just about winning medals but about overcoming daily challenges through resilience and daily hard work.
Parallels in Health and Wellness Goals
Just like elite athletes, when we strive for personal health and wellness goals that matter to us, our journey requires similar (but different, I promise!) dedication. Whether it’s losing weight, building strength, having a more positive relationship with food, or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, consistent effort and a disciplined routine is common to both.
Setting Goals: As athletes set training targets, effective nutrition & wellness plans require clear, achievable goals. This could be as simple as walking 10,000 steps a day, meditating for 20 minutes, or meal-prepping to ensure you’re getting enough protein during the week.
Balancing Act: Many juggle these nutrition & wellness routines with demanding jobs and family responsibilities - aka being busy every minute of every day. The key is integrating these activities into your daily life so they complement, rather than compete with, your other responsibilities. The SPW® view is anything new you are doing should be as easy as brushing your teeth.
Adopting Athlete Mindsets: Viewing your health journey through the lens of athletic training (get after your own gold medal!) can transform your mindset. Your health comes first and It’s about prioritizing just as you would a crucial project at work, making it to your kid’s graduation, or a key competition in sports.
Practical Strategies for Sustainable Wellness
Taking charge of your health can seem daunting and can sometimes feel like a second job. However, with the right strategies, support, and accountability, you can simplify the process and make your health regimen work seamlessly into your busy lifestyle.
Routine is King: Just as athletes adhere to strict training schedules, setting a routine or blocking off time in your calendar can simplify your wellness journey and ensure you stick to the daily work. Determine the best times for exercise, meal prep, and relaxation - or whatever goal you’re focusing on - and stick to these commitments as closely as possible—consistency breeds habit.
Life happens. If you miss one time it does NOT throw off your progress. But if you continually miss, it does!
Small Steps Lead to Big Changes: Olympians get to the gold, and DCC makes the team when they start small. By setting manageable goals that lead up to big achievements, they (and you!) are setting themselves up for success. Think about it, when you get something done that’s challenging but do-able, don’t you feel good? And sometimes, don’t you feel GREAT and start doing a happy dance? Integrating small health habits into your daily routine—like swapping soda for water or adding a portion of vegetables to each meal—these small changes can lead to significant health and wellness improvements over time.
Leverage Technology: Athletes use technology to track performance and gain insights into their training. MedTech is incredibly helpful in helping you meet and stay motivated with your health & wellness goals. Fitness trackers, health apps, and nutritional tracking are just a few ways to check-in with yourself. These tools can provide the data and feedback necessary to tweak your routine and improve your health.
Maintaining Motivation and Overcoming Setbacks
Staying motivated can be challenging, especially when progress seems slow and especially when life pulls you in many different directions. Here’s how to maintain focus and push through the challenges, just like an elite athlete does:
Find Your ‘Why’: Athletes train with a clear purpose—whether striving for a personal best, winning a medal, or achieving the splits in Thunderstruck. Similarly, identify and envision themselves pursuing greatness through health and wellness. What is your why? It could be enhancing energy levels, improving your relationship with food, or ensuring you can play actively with your kids now and in the future. Whatever it is, use it as your North Star.
Build a Support Network: Just as professional cheerleaders and athletes rely on their teams and coaches, building a network of friends, family, or colleagues who support and believe in your health & wellness goals is key. This also includes joining online communities where you can be heard and seen by supportive individuals for what you are trying to accomplish.
Celebrate Every Victory: No win is too small. Celebrate every pound lost, every big moment you feel less stressed, or every day you choose a healthy meal over going all in on a craving. Acknowledging these small victories can provide the boost needed to keep your momentum going.
Long-term Sustainability
Just as professional athletes plan for long careers, it’s important to consider the long-term aspects of your health & wellness journey.
Adapt and Evolve: Your body changes, and so should your health goals. What works today might not work next year. What you want to accomplish now may not be the same in five years. Be open to adapting your diet, exercise, and wellness routines as your body’s needs change with age, lifestyle, or health conditions.
Prevent Burnout: Just as athletes take breaks to prevent burnout, rest days are a must for your health & wellness. Understand that taking a break is not a step back but a part of the process of building your ideal you.
Conclusion
Like the rigorous and disciplined lives of Olympians and professional cheerleaders, managing your health and wellness effectively requires dedication, planning, and perseverance. The second job fuels the first.
Taking on a new health & wellness routine in your own life can feel like a second job. It’s what you think about, spend your time on, and plan for. However, it doesn’t have to feel like that! With the right mindset, tools, and support, you can achieve your health goals and maintain them long-term. Remember, the goal is not just to survive your busy life but to thrive within it, embracing the challenge with the spirit of an athlete.
If you’re interested in the right accountability and support to meet your goals and get the results you want, sign up for 1:1 nutrition and wellness coaching with the team at SPW®. We offer plans for those just getting started to those who want to optimize their foundation. Sign up today.