024 - The Coach Up: Make Friends with Your Fatigue
Mar 25, 2024
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Learn how to work with fatigue to push yourself effectively without risking injury or burnout. Explore the relationship between emotions and fatigue, differentiate between healthy fatigue and overexertion, and discover strategies to manage physical and mental fatigue for peak performance.
Understanding fatigue levels can prevent burnout and injury in physical activities.
Viewing fatigue as an important communication tool helps manage exertion effectively and improve performance.
Deep dives
Understanding the Nuance of Fatigue
Fatigue encompasses different levels and nuances beyond mere exhaustion. Athletes, especially runners, are familiar with managing fatigue to optimize performance. It is crucial to befriend fatigue, paying attention to its signals. By understanding fatigue's subtleties, individuals can predict and manage their limits better, avoiding burnout and injury.
Embracing Fatigue as an Emotional Indicator
Viewing fatigue as an emotion that communicates vital information is key to managing it effectively. Just like understanding various emotions enhances coping strategies, recognizing different fatigue levels improves performance. Developing a nuanced perception of fatigue involves paying attention to physical cues and responses. This nuanced approach helps individuals distinguish between manageable tiredness and potential injury, preventing setbacks in physical activities.
Resetting the Alarm on Fatigue Perception
Occasionally pushing oneself to experience heightened fatigue levels can recalibrate the perception of effort and fatigue. By resetting the internal alarm system through challenging workouts or exhilarating activities, individuals prevent their bodies from interpreting moderate fatigue as extreme. This practice ensures a realistic interpretation of physical strain and mental exhaustion, avoiding premature burnout or overprotection. Resetting the fatigue threshold promotes a healthier relationship with exertion and enhances overall performance.
Knowing how to be tired is a skill. If you don't know how to work with fatigue, you won't be able to push yourself when things get hard. On the other hand, if you only know how to push and can't understand your body's warning signals when it's overdoing it, you might find yourself injured or burnt out. On this episode of The Coach Up, Steve Magness explains how to better walk that tightrope by getting to know—and making friends with—your fatigue.
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