Page 34 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 90

34 Issue #90 July 2020 www.sportsenergynews.com

In The scouting and speaking to me earlier in However you feel about different

the year. They thought someone was aspects of your health, don’t get
playing a joke on them when I showed discouraged. The entire point of
ZONE up, like I was the younger brother. I evaluating this is to gain clarity on

knew nothing about nutrition, proper what kind of plan you need to put
hydration, adequate sleep, balanced together for your wellness. As you
workouts, etc. It was around that time unpack how you feel about wellness,
a coach took me under his wing and you can then break it down into more
trained me in a more balanced, healthy detail. Don’t be afraid to dig deep to
way. determine why your feelings are what
With Justin Roethlingshoefer
go back to the gym. I was overzealous, In my experience, I’ve learned there they are. We must be honest with
to say the least. Obsessive might be a are three groups of people who have ourselves before we can improve.
Own Your Wellness better word. different approaches to working on In the last article, we discussed

grew up in Western Canada, and It all stemmed from having this body their health. The first group starts out determining your values to guide
I like most Canadian kids, I lived for image and the positive reinforcement I fast and furious and burns out after your approach to everything you do.
hockey. When I was 12 years old, I was received from people when they saw a month or two. The second group Now, we are going to begin putting a
a chubby kid. I started doing a lot of how I had changed. I was never an approaches getting fit as I did as a structure together so you can achieve
calisthenics, plyometrics, agility drills, overweight kid, but very thick and teenager - they are effectively “sick your “High Performance Life”. If
and speed work as I began to train with chubby when I was 10 and 11, so I fit.” They may look lean and fit, but something is important like your
my peers. I was always playing league would get teased. During my anorexic they are very unhealthy individuals. wellness, it becomes necessary to
hockey, so I was continually going up stage, I was still playing AAA hockey, That is where I was at 16. The third schedule it.
against the best kids in Edmonton. I but my performance on the ice wasn’t group knows what they need to do to Now, before you cringe at this
wanted to succeed in my chosen sport, being affected. I remained a straight A maintain their health and work at it. I thought, since you probably feel you
so I became one of the youngest gym student, but I started alienating myself want you to be in the third group, and already have your life scheduled out
rats around. from certain friend groups because you can be with a little discipline. to the max, hear me out. I understand
I remember when I went back to I didn’t want to do things with them, This is not going to be a game those of you who might feel that way
school after an intense summer of like going out for pizza or eating junk plan for the best fitness and nutrition but take a look at your schedule. Do
conditioning. I was about 14, and when food. I didn’t want any part of that. strategy. For one thing, that would be you have any real “me” time in your
I walked into a classroom, two things At 16 years old, I entered a hockey an entire book, and I have co-authored schedule, or is it all work-related? If
happened; people didn’t recognize program and one of my coaches was a a couple on the subject. Also, there’s you have a family, are the other entries
me and I heard comments like “Wow, man who had coached me on a AAA no “one size fits all” when it comes about what kids need to be where and
you look good,” or “How did you lose team when I was 12. When he first saw to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. when? For most people, this is their
that weight?” Their remarks went me, he didn’t recognize me because I My professional career for the past schedule! If the word schedule puts
straight to my head and motivated me was underweight, gaunt, and distant. ten years has involved developing a you off, then think of it as a strategic
to work even harder. When you’re a He called my parents and asked, “Is customized program for college and plan. In business or an organization,
teenager (or any age), those words of Justin okay? What’s going on?” My professional athletes to maximize such a plan shows what needs to be
affirmation sound as if they are part parents told him what was happening their ability, and they are all different. done in the next one, three, or five
of some great love language. They because they saw my deterioration What I want to talk about is how to years and beyond to meet certain
became a significant reinforcement for too. He talked to me one day about it, prepare yourself to achieve the fitness goals. This is what you are going to do
my goal of being more physically fit but I was at the point where I wouldn’t level you want. First, how do you for you. But, unlike those companies
compared to my hockey peers. listen to anybody. I knew it wasn’t feel about your health? When I ask who spend lots of money and time on a
This is where balance came into play healthy, but I was afraid of going back questions like that, this is when I want strategic plan only to put it in a drawer
for me. Actually, and more accurately, to where I was before. you to match up the subject to those until the next time, you’re going to
it was a lack of balance. I wanted to After seeing therapists, dieticians, emotional words we talked about continually work on your plan.
perpetuate that positive feeling related and doctors, I ultimately entered before: do you feel joy, fear, passion, Once you implement your plan,
to what everybody thought about me. the Eating Disorder Program at the love, anger, pain, shame, or guilt? it will soon become a part of your
My body image became distorted, University of Alberta Hospital, but As you can tell from my backstory, I everyday life. The number varies a
and I figured I needed to work even not by choice. Doctors, coaches, and have a passion for my health. For me, little, but most psychologists concur
harder in my workouts to look even parents pretty much threatened me it started out as a fear, but through that it takes about 21 days of steadily
better than I thought I did. I entered if I didn’t go. Walking in there was education and some great mentors, doing something for it to become a
an anorexic stage: I would eat, but something I’ll never forget. There my relationship with my health went habit.
I would exercise to work off more were kids of all ages hooked up to from a negative to a positive. Once I Based on all we read on wellness, it
calories than I consumed. I would various machines and feeding tubes. changed my perspective on healthy is time to be true to yourself in looking
run upstairs any time I could — in I remember asking myself, “Where body image, I could match my passion at your health:
the house, in school, going to a mall am I? I’m not sick like this. There’s with knowledge about how to achieve 1. How do you feel about your
— everywhere. As soon as I finished nothing wrong with me. It’s everybody this correctly. Everyone reading will general health and wellness today?
a meal at home, I’d run upstairs and else.” have a different answer for various What emotions would describe your
start doing push-ups and sit-ups. After To give you some perspective on the reasons when I ask this question. You attitude to your health?
every lunch hour at school, I was in necessity of this intervention: at aged can further break down the question 2. Have you always felt this way
the gym. Every morning, I’d go to the 12, I weighed maybe 130 pounds and at by asking yourself how you feel about about your wellness? If not, what
gym before school. We’d go to hockey 16, I weighed 98 pounds. I remember getting out to exercise, your eating changed – when and why?
practice, and I’d tell my parents to going to my first WHL camp after habits, getting enough sleep, and even 3. Exercise
come an hour after it ended, so I could the draft. The coaches knew me from drinking enough water. Continued on page 35