Physically strong athletes aren’t immune to mental health challenges

.....“I have one athlete who’s a surgeon, and he has a very high stress job,” she said. “When he reports back to me that he didn’t sleep well last night or had a really stressful case, I will cut down his training because I think that helps with the overall mental wellness picture. There’s a stress factor that’s playing a part in his overall job, and that’s going to impact how he feels on the bike. If I give him a cycling session that’s really hard and demanding, I might put him over the edge. Having that physical stress, that mental stress, that adds up.”

She’s a believer that mental wellness and mental strength are completely different things. Her client might have the mental strength to grind through a ride despite being drained and tired, but that would throw his mental wellness off balance.

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Bethany`s Notes: Have you ever noticed an athlete who can get through the workout mentally because they are strong....that doesn`t always mean their mental health is strong. Mental wellness and mental strength are different and need to be treated differently.