Client testimonial: Taking up ice hockey for her milestone birthday? Yes, please!
[Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 48 seconds.]
Introducing Michelle. She recently hit a milestone birthday and in the lead-up, she wanted to do something she never did before. Play ice hockey.
Did Michelle ever ice skate? Meh, barely. It was a longgggggg time ago. We’ll say ❎
Did Michelle ever play hockey on grass or turf? ❎
Did Michelle play sports ever in her life? ❎
Does Michelle consider herself anything close to the “healthiest human” (her words)? ❎
Has Michelle ever done any strength training? ❎
Is Michelle a lifelong ice hockey fan? ✅
Is Michelle generally up for anything? ✅
Michelle and I were talking about her recent foray into hockey. In case you’re not familiar with what playing the sport entails, you need to know how to:
Ice skate
Ice skate fast and change directions on a dime
Move laterally and backwards on ice skates
Keep your balance while cross-checking a competitor into the boards
Swing a hockey stick and actually hit a puck (bonus for accuracy because, you know, hockey)
You also need to have confidence that you can skate:
For the better part of 60 minutes of a game
While wearing equipment that is meant to protect you that weighs literally 20-25 lbs more than your actual weight
Sounds easy, right?
Obviously I am kidding.
In terms of new things to take up at any age, this is a lot. For someone approaching a certain age-related milestone without focusing much on exercise and wellness in the past, this is massive. I was, and continue to be, in awe of her journey.
One of the many things that is wonderful about Michelle is she’s always up for anything. She is that person. When she started talking to me about playing and going to practice, I was curious.
In addition to being bruised and battered from falling on the ice and/or getting slammed into the boards, Michelle talked about:
Getting headaches
Feeling lethargic
Struggling to stay balanced on the ice
I’ve seen and experienced this story before. Not on the ice, mind you, but in other physical endeavors that required balance, strength and focus.
[Side note: These activities do not have to be “sports-related”. They could be gardening, walking on cobblestone streets in Europe, cooking for an army of people for the holidays or walking your dog.]
What Happened Next
Michelle had the most challenging part covered. She was very committed to playing hockey. In most cases, this is easier said than done. Michelle loved the focus playing hockey required.
Playing enabled her not to think about all of her competing commitments such as family, work and taking care of the household. Hockey was providing mental health benefits for her in the short time she started playing.
We needed to get the physical benefits aligned with the emotional benefits. In Michelle’s case, we talked about what happens before, during and after practice around:
Sleep
Diet
Accessory work (strength and cardio) - I’m calling this accessory work as Michelle’s goal is to play hockey; these activities compliment her time on the ice
As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. It doesn’t need to be. Crafting a plan for Michelle that was manageable and approachable was the goal. She has a lot going on in her life so adding an overwhelming list of things to do was not going to be effective.
In truth, grandiose lists are rarely impactful for the long-term if you’re trying to change your habits. Think about this when you’re contemplating your 2024 New Year’s Resolutions!
Michelle wants to play hockey for a long time. The strategy was about finding an approach that allowed her to build core strength and endurance. But not overwhelm her. We wanted Michelle’s time practicing and playing hockey to be as high caliber as possible. The accessory work is secondary to the time on the ice.
At Go Long, the focus is on working backwards from the activities you love doing. Unlike just signing up for personal training at a random gym where they don’t align to what you want.
We’re now 7+ months in with regular check-ins. Michelle feels less stressed about the competing facets in her life around family, work, friends, household and general health. Her symptoms of headaches, fatigue and balance have been addressed. They continue to improve. She is investing in herself, which helps her be more present for others.
Checking out the action
The hubs and I had the opportunity to see Michelle play over this past weekend with the Seattle Women’s Hockey Club. Another thing worth mentioning is their games are late at night on Fridays (i.e., 10pm). After a long week of work and taking care of everyone else, Michelle is choosing to play hockey.
We were impressed by Michelle and all of the people out on the ice, including the coaches and refs. All of them shared a camaraderie of being out there doing what they loved.
We *MIGHT* have pounded on the glass when Michelle checked someone pretty hard during the game.
At the Seattle Kraken practice facility watching Michelle have at it.
Be like Mike Michelle?
You can be like Michelle. It doesn’t have to be playing hockey. It can be whatever you want it to be. What do you want to envision for yourself a year from now?
It’s never too late to make the changes in your life you want to make. Michelle is a wonderful example of that.
Need help on making those changes for yourself? ✅
Sick of the gut that isn’t going away? ✅
Trying to get back energy you used to have? ✅
Looking for a manageable and sustainable approach that doesn’t die by the end of January? ✅
Go Long has some specials going on starting at $99. Let’s talk about the right package for you!
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Remember - it’s your life. Go the distance. Go Long!