Wellness at Work

Too often, people work like they were in training for the Olympics
... even Olympians rest...

Definition of "Olympian"

a. Majestic in manner.
b. Superior to mundane affairs.
c. Surpassing all others in scope and effect:

When one thinks of an Olympian, the ideas of great effort, long term training, and immense talent come to mind. Indeed these are essential elements of success. The Olympian goes above and beyond the call of duty.

The Olympian Worker has all these traits and excels in his/her performance. In addition, they make the most of the energy within, they communicate well with each other, and they employ effective "Recovery / Rest" techniques. This last necessary component to excellent performance is the most easily overlooked by Olympians of all types.

Whether you are an entrepreneur of your own life and household, an entrepreneur of your own business, or a corporate worker, you must take care of yourself in order to do your best work for yourself and for those you care about.

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ATHLETE OVERTRAINING AND UNDERRECOVERY: Recognizing the Symptoms and Strategies for Coaches by Kirsten Peterson, Ph.D. USOC Coaching and Sport Sciences

  • “I can’t take time off! Every minute I’m not working out is a minute my
    competition has to get ahead of me.”
  • “I get my confidence from knowing that I work harder than everyone else out there.”
  • “No pain, no gain.”

Statements like these are all too common in the world of sport, particularly at the elite level, where success versus failure is often measured in the smallest of increments. Yet coaches and athletes today are walking an increasing fine line between maximizing performance and going over the edge into over training. Training loads are increasing, by some estimates, at a rate of ten to twenty percent every five years. Mark Spitz, for example, won his seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics by swimming 9000 meters per day. Within twenty years, however, the average college swimmers were surpassing this mark, and by 1995, Olympic swimmers were putting in over 35,000 meters per day (Raglin and Wilson, 2000).

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RECOVERY STRATEGIES FOR SPORTS PERFORMANCE

by Angela Calder,B.A.,M.A. (Hons), B. Appl. Sci. (Coaching) University of Canberra, ACT Australia

“If there was one single factor that helped this team to perform to the level they did at Atlanta, it was the recovery program that was put in place … and monitored throughout our 1996 program.” Barry Barnes Head Coach, Australian Men’s Basketball, 1996 Atlanta Olympic Report.

Athletes work hard to prepare and perform successfully throughout a competitive season or for major events. Unfortunately, many ignore or forget the performance benefits gained through including recovery strategies within their daily training programs. Indeed there is a tendency for many athletes to limit the use of recovery techniques to times when they are ill or injured. Yet recovery strategies have far more benefits for athletes than merely as tools to assist with rehabilitation or recuperation.