ABSOLUTE BALANCE Exercise Physiology Group’s Post

As the 2024 Paris Olympics approach, mental health in elite sports is in the spotlight. This article by PBS reveals the pressure on Olympians is immense, with years of training culminating in moments that can define careers. Experts now emphasize the importance of mental health support for athletes, both during competition and in retirement. The U.S. Olympic Committee has implemented programs to address these needs, recognizing that an athlete's identity and well-being extend beyond their sport. Former Olympians like Apolo Ohno stress the value of resilience and finding purpose beyond athletic achievements. This evolution in athlete care reminds us all of the importance of mental well-being in any high-pressure environment. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/grrGUsbn #MentalHealthInSports #OlympicWellness #Compeer #CheckOnYourFriends

JD Vance's 2021 comments criticizing Simone Biles for withdrawing from Olympic events are seriously misguided and out of line. First, calling Biles' decision to prioritize her mental health a "tragic moment" is absurd. There's nothing tragic about anyone, including an athlete, making a tough call to protect their wellbeing. If anything, it takes incredible strength and self-awareness. Vance tries to frame this as Biles being "weak" or "quitting," which completely misses the point. Mental health is just as crucial as physical health for athletes competing at the highest level. Pushing through when you're not in the right headspace isn't heroic - it's dangerous. The idea that we should only praise athletes for powering through at all costs is toxic and outdated. True strength sometimes means knowing your limits and making difficult choices. Biles showed immense courage by stepping back when she knew she wasn't in the right state to compete safely. Vance's comments reek of the harmful "suck it up" mentality that's led so many athletes to risk their health and safety. It's 2024 - we should be well past stigmatizing mental health care and framing it as some kind of character flaw. Let's also not forget that Biles is arguably the greatest gymnast of all time. She's more than proven her toughness, dedication and mental fortitude throughout her career. For Vance to question her commitment or strength based on this one decision is ridiculous. Athletes are human beings too, not performers who exist solely for our entertainment. They have the right to protect their mental and physical wellbeing without being criticized by politicians looking for cheap talking points. Biles made the right call in 2021, full stop. Maybe instead of bashing her, Vance should be praising her for setting a positive example about the importance of mental health. Just my two cents. #MentalHealthMatters #AthletesAreHumanToo #EndTheStigma #MentalHealthAwareness #Wellbeing

When I see the struggle and resilience of para Olympic players, I just have one thought in my mind what’s is the excuse have I got to not do anything I want? Para Olympic players face numerous struggles despite their remarkable achievements. One major challenge is inadequate funding, which hinders access to quality training facilities, equipment, and medical care. This disparity is particularly evident when compared to their Olympic counterparts. Additionally, para athletes often encounter inaccessible infrastructure, limiting their participation in competitions and training sessions. Social stigma and lack of awareness about para sports also affect their recognition and support. Furthermore, classification systems and eligibility criteria can be complex and controversial, causing uncertainty and frustration. Lastly, para athletes often struggle with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, due to the pressures of competition and everyday challenges. It is essential to address these struggles to ensure para Olympic players receive the recognition and support they deserve, enabling them to reach their full potential and inspire others. #paraolympics #resilience #olympics

Even the greatest athletes need to hit pause! 🛑 Top athletes Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka withdraw from Olympics, prioritising their health and performance, in other words, they are #SHARPENINGTHESAW 🎾🏅 In the high-stakes world of professional sports, knowing when to step back is as crucial as knowing when to push forward. This decision highlights the importance of strategic rest and long-term planning in athletic careers. Taking care of yourself, your mental health and wellbeing, 'sharpening' yourself so you become ready for high performance is essential for sustained success and fulfillment in any demanding career. What are your thoughts on balancing competitive drive with self-care in professional sports? Read more: https://lnkd.in/diXv7iPA #SportsPerformance #AthleteWellbeing #CareerLongevity #TennisNews #ufirstcoaching #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #wellbeing #wellness #athletelife #restandrecharge #highperformance #peakperformance #sharpenthesaw #sharpenwhileresting

As #Olympic fever keeps everyone's eyes glued to the television 📺, elite Olympians like gymnast 🤸♀️ Simone Biles and swimmer 🏊♂️ Michael Phelps have helped destigmatize talking about #mentalhealth struggles in their sports. This article brings the lessons learned from Olympians to non-athletes, and explores how self-criticism can be turned to strength and optimism.

🏅 What Age is Too Young for Olympic Athletes? 🏅 The question of age in Olympic athletics is not just about physical readiness but also mental well-being. A recent article from The Conversation explores why achieving Olympic success at a young age can sometimes come at a significant cost to mental health. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gmuSFu9Z #YouthAthletes #Olympics #MentalHealth #SportsPsychology #AthleteWellbeing #SupportYoungAthletes

'The Rehabilitation Pathway In Olympic Weightlifting' Modelled off of the 'Control-Chaos Continuum' proposed by Taberner et al (2019), this injury rehabilitation pathway aims to provide a 4 part, staged return-to-performance guideline for Olympic Weightlifting, from the injury event to the 1st competition attempt. The Acute Response Phase is the initial period following injury, where injury assessment and treatment are carried out. The Return To Movement Phase of the pathway involves reintroducing movement at the injury site, to restore the range of motion and loading capacity of the muscles and joints. The Return To Training Phase involves the reintroduction of the Snatch, Clean, and Jerk, as well as its variations, through staged progressions. The Return To Competition Phase is the final stage of the pathway, where the athlete returns to full Olympic Weightlifting training and begins peaking for competition. Link Below: https://lnkd.in/eGRbvswg

The #Paris2024 clock is ticking! Many Olympic athletes from countries across the globe continue to use and benefit from #mentalskillstraining and #sportpsychology. #USA Olympians are become more open discussing their #mentalhealth struggles and how #sportpsychology has helped them both on and off the field/court. Check out this recent article with several #USA Olympians discussing their experiences and how they've prioritized their #mentalhealth for the #Paris2024 games! https://lnkd.in/gsuhBW_P

𝐀 𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐔𝐩 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐊𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 are a common issue among 𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬, even at a young age, and the recent revelation by 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐥 sheds light on this reality. Saina, who made history by winning 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚'𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥 in 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧 at the 2012 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬, has been battling 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬—a condition that's severely limiting her ability to train and may even force her to consider 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 soon. This news is a stark reminder of the toll that intense 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 can take on an athlete's body, particularly the knees. Sports that involve a lot of 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, and 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬—like 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥, and football—put enormous stress on the 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬. Over time, this can lead to chronic conditions such as 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, or 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐬 But it's not all doom and gloom. Early diagnosis, proper training techniques, and regular physiotherapy can significantly reduce the risk of knee problems. Athletes should also focus on strength training and flexibility exercises to support their joints. It's crucial to listen to your body and seek medical advice at the first sign of discomfort. 𝑳𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔! 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆! #kneepain #athletichealth #sportsinjuries #arthritisawareness #preventinjuries #physiotherapy #strengthtraining #jointcare #athletewellness

The tragic death of Manly rugby league player Keith Titmuss in 2020 because of exertional heat stroke is a reminder of the life-threatening nature of the condition. Titmuss died after a pre-season training session which was “more likely than not inappropriate”, in accordance with the magistrate who oversaw a recent inquest. Deputy NSW coroner Derek Lee made several recommendations in reviewing Titmuss’ death within the hope of reducing the possibility of it happening again. So, what’s exertional heat stroke, and what should athletes and coaches learn about it? What is exertional heat stroke? Exertional heat stroke is essentially the most severe type of a spectrum of conditions classified as exertional heat illness. During sport and exercise, the body is challenged to take care of a perfect core temperature of about 36-38°C. This is because exercise produces an enormous amount of internal heat, which must be released from the body to avoid overheating. Hot and humid conditions stress the power of an person to release this internal heat, in addition to potentially adding to the warmth load. If someone’s body is unable to manage the rise in core temperature during physical activity, it could ultimately display central nervous system dysfunction. Signs of this include lack of muscle control within the legs and arms, combativeness, seizures, or lack of consciousness. A highly elevated core temperature (typically, but not at all times, above 40°C) and multi-organ damage and failure are also characteristics of exertional heat stroke. In one study, 27% of individuals suffering severe exertional heat illness died. But even those that survive often face long-term negative health consequences, equivalent to an increased risk of heart problems later in life. The human body must be cooled down if someone is affected by exertional heat stroke. How often does exertional heat stroke occur? Less severe types of exertional heat illness (termed as heat exhaustion and warmth injury) are more common during sport and exercise than exertional heat stroke. However, the life-threatening nature of the condition means precautions have to be considered, especially for summer sports. The condition strikes “weekend warriors” through to elite athletes and military personnel. A recent paper published within the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport reported there have been 38 deaths in Australia from exertional heat stroke from sport and exercise between 2001 to 2018. However, exertional heat illness cases are regarded as broadly underreported. In an effort to cut back the chance of future cases of exertional heat stroke in rugby league, Coroner Lee made recommendations following the inquest into the death of Titmuss. 1) Mandatory 14-day heat acclimatisation training The human body can adapt quickly (in a single to 2 weeks) to repeated gradual exposure to hot and humid environments, which ultimately reduces the chance of warmth