Pursuing Health

“The thing about it, she said, ‘Why are they destroying our city?’  And I said, ‘What if you were trying to get mommy and daddy’s attention and we weren’t paying attention to you? What would you do?’  She was like, ‘Well, I would talk louder.’  I’m like, ‘What if we still didn’t listen to you?’  She was like, ‘I would scream!’  And I was like, ‘What if we STILL didn’t listen?’  She was like, ‘I would be really sad. I would start crying.’  And I was like, ‘I know! And what if we STILL didn’t listen?  What if it went on all day long and we just didn’t listen to you?'  She was like, ‘I would be so upset. I would… I don’t know.’  And I was like, ‘Would you throw a fit? A tantrum?’  And she was like, ‘Yeah, I probably would. I’d probably throw my toys at you.’  And I was like ‘That’s kind of what happened, and then we would notice you because you would be making a mess, and we’d say ‘Sydney, Sydney, what’s wrong?’  And we would stand with you and try to calm you down and listen to you.’  So I said, ‘That’s kind of what happened with black people around the city.’  Definitely the first night. And people I think have realized what was going on, finally, and what black lives matters means and they were like, ‘Alright. You’re right.  We stand with you.’” - Deborah Cordner Carson   The CrossFit community may best recognize and remember Deborah Cordner Carson as the gutsy athlete who gave an inspirational performance at the 2012 CrossFit Games, overcoming a fear of open water swimming in the triathlon event and going on to win the 2012 Spirit of the Games award.  Deb could also be distinguished by the compression sleeve she wears on her left leg, and by the color of her skin.  Deb is one of the few black competitors in the sport of CrossFit. Growing up, Deborah was inspired by great athletes in her family.  Her father came to America from Trinidad and Tobago on a track and field scholarship and her grandfather was the heavy weight lifting champion of the British Empire.  As a young girl she competed in gymnastics, and as a teenager she excelled in track and field, eventually earning a full scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa as a 400-meter sprinter. When Deb developed lymphedema, a condition where fluid is retained in certain parts of the body and can cause dangerous swelling, she was forced to retire from her track and field career, but in time, she discovered ways to manage her condition- including that recognizable compression sleeve- while still being active.  She took up CrossFit and quickly rose to elite status in the sport, placing as high as 5th in the 2013 CrossFit Open and 13th at the 2012 CrossFit Games. Since retiring, Deborah continues to do CrossFit for health, but she has also struggled with the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages, and most recently, a diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease, a type of pregnancy-related cancer. Throughout her life, Deborah has been aware that the color of her skin means she's had to work harder for opportunities than others.  As a mother to two mixed-race little girls and a resident of the Minneapolis area, she also has a unique perspective on the recent events that have highlighted the ongoing systemic racism in our society. I am grateful to Deb for taking a moment to share her perspective amidst all the other challenges she is currently taking on.  These conversations can be uncomfortable, but they're also important as we all strive to stand together and learn from each other.  In this episode, we chat about her experiences as a minority CrossFit Games athlete, the mentality she's using to fight her cancer diagnosis, the lessons she strives to teach her daughters, and how we should all speak up to overcome injustice and racial bias.   In this episode we discuss: Deborah’s struggles with multiple miscarriages How she is coping with the diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease, a type of pregnancy-related cancer How Deborah’s experience competing in CrossFit helps her focus on the task at hand when it comes to tackling challenges Her initial reactions to hearing about George Floyd’s death and the outrage in Minneapolis Explaining the looting and rioting to her daughter Deborah’s personal experiences with systemic racism and unconscious racism How Deborah needed to be the best of the best to have the same opportunities as her white classmates Deborah’s thoughts on why there’s a disconnect in people understanding the additional challenges a black person has to overcome The lack of sponsorship opportunities available for a black CrossFit athlete Her disappointment with CrossFit HQ’s silence What it’s like to be a black athlete in the predominantly white sport of CrossFit Ways that Deb approaches the topic of racism with her children The importance of speaking up and making an effort to understand other cultures Three things Deborah does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on her health One thing she thinks could have a big impact on her health, but she has a hard time implementing What a healthy life looks like to Deborah   You can follow Deborah on Instagram Links: 2012 CrossFit Games - Spirit of The Games Winner: Deborah Cordner Carson CrossFit Games Regionals 2012 - Proud: Deborah Cordner Carson CrossFit - 'I'll Do It All' LymphCare: Deborah's Story Related episodes: Ep 10 - Jenny LaBaw on Running 500 Miles for Epilepsy Research and Education Ep 15 - Lewis Howes on Chasing Greatness Ep 70 - USA Track & Field Heptathlete Tiffeny Parker on Beating the Odds Ep 137 - Rich & Hillary Froning on Putting Family First If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns. This post was originally published on June 8, 2020.

“I love competing and testing.  You know what you were like the last time you competed, or the last time you did this sort of training block… and I just like building on trying to get better.  So there’s that. I also like… I know growing up what my parents and my sisters put into me to try to help me build something like that, so it’s not just for me, I’m doing it for them. And also when I compete at different places they come see me. So I don't get to see my Mom, Dad, my sister Becky much, so they always travel over to the Games, or they’ve come to Madrid a few times and the motivation to train, to get them to watch me to compete is motivation in itself.” - Jamie Simmonds Jamie Simmonds, formerly Jamie Greene, made a huge splash in the CrossFit arena when, as a relatively unknown athlete, when won the 2016 CrossFit Open. Since then, she's gone on to compete at the CrossFit Games four times, and stood atop the podium twice: first as a member Team CrossFit Yas in 2016, and most recently, as an individual at the 2019 CrossFit Games. Perhaps even more remarkably, Jamie didn’t even start CrossFit until 2013.  Her background as a gymnast and rugby player helped propel her from a novice athlete to a force to be reckoned with. Jamie’s journey to becoming the third Fittest Woman hasn’t always been easy: along the way she’s been challenged by a ruptured Achilles tendon, a team disqualification, and a dislocated shoulder, but her commitment to constantly improving herself has shaped her into a formidable competitor. Jamie is a native of New Zealand, but since 2014 has lived in Abu Dhabi where she coaches and trains at CrossFit Yas.  She and I recently caught up to chat about her experience at the 2019 CrossFit Games, what her 2020 training season has looked like so far, and how she stays motivated and committed to her training in the face of challenges.     In this episode we discuss: What the COVID-19 pandemic experience has been like in Abu Dhabi Jamie’s childhood in New Zealand How her Mom introduced her to CrossFit Jamie’s experience with rupturing her Achilles’ tendon Her move to Abu Dhabi, and what prompted her to become a CrossFit competitor Jamie’s training environment at CrossFit Yas Why Jamie believes she excelled at CrossFit so quickly The transition from team to individual competition What Jamie does to train her mindset Her approach to the 2020 CrossFit Games season How she met her husband, Elliott What Jamie does to stay motivated in the gym The inspiration for her Feel Better Friday tips How she’s grown as a person, athlete, and coach while at CrossFit Yas Jamie’s plans for the future Jamie’s approach to nutrition, and why she likes fasting What her training looks like while self-isolating Three things Jamie does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on her health One thing she thinks could have a big impact on her health, but she has a hard time implementing What a healthy life looks like to Jamie     You can follow Jamie on Instagram Links: Jamie Greene joins Tia-Clair Toomey on the Podium at the 2019 CrossFit Games Cleveland Clinc Abu Dhabi Layaqa at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Coach Andy Edwards Dubai Fitness Challenge Related episodes: Ep 104 Physical Therapist & CrossFit Games Athlete Amanda Barnhart Ep 130 - Kristi O'Connell on Training for Joy and Balance If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.   This post was originally published on May 25, 2020.

Everybody puts their boots on the same way.  And what that means is, it doesn’t matter your title here.  It could be the people on our leadership team, Bill and I, or it could be the person coming in their first day on the job on the assembly line...everyone is the same. And everyone is going to be treated the same. And it goes back to that first [value], we work until it’s done. If there are boxes that need to go out the door, or we need to make more barbells, you’re going to see the top leadership down going out and helping right now. We did get overrun before we could hire some people- we have everyone in our office right now, they’re doing shifts on our production floor. And that’s really what this is all about, and you see people getting experiences that you normally wouldn’t have. To go out and build a barbell, and maybe you’re in our IT department, a lot of places you wouldn’t have that opportunity, but we live by that standard. Everybody puts their boots on the same way.” - Caity Henniger Caity Henniger has been a lifelong athlete.  In high school she led her basketball team to victory in 91 out of 102 games, was voted MVP of the 1998 Junior Olympic AAU circuit, and was a two-time state champion in both shot put and discus.  She went on to play collegiate ball at Ohio State where she averaged 15.4 points per game and set the school single-season record for three-pointers, with 106, earning her the Edward S. Steitz Award as the nation's best three-point shooter.  In 2005, Caity joined the WNBA as a player for the Charlotte Sting. After multiple leg surgeries led Caity to retire from basketball, she was drawn to the competitive side of CrossFit.  In 2008,  with just a few months of CrossFit experience, she took first place at the 2008 CrossFit Games.  Caity would go on to become a fixture in the production side of the Games, working as an ESPN commentator and as a representative of Rogue Fitness. Shortly after Caity's 2008 CrossFit Games victory, she began playing a huge role in helping Rogue Fitness grow from a small e-commerce site to a major powerhouse in the fitness equipment industry.  With a focus on manufacturing quality, American-made products from local sources, Rogue now employs over 900 people at their massive 600,000 square foot campus in Columbus, Ohio. Recently, when Ohio issued a stay-at-home order in response to COVID-19, Rogue quickly pivoted their manufacturing processes to make Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare workers, a decision that is not only helping to keep healthcare workers safe, but is also helping to keep their local community employed. I had to opportunity to sit down with Caity to learn more about the mission and values Rogue was founded on, and how those principles are driving their business during this time of uncertainty.  We chatted about her days as a competitor,  how she balances her role as an executive with her own personal health,  and we were even able to steal a few minutes from Rogue's Director of Product Development, Ahmik Jones, to learn more about the processes behind shifting gears from manufacturing fitness equipment to manufacturing PPE.     In this episode we discuss: Caity’s athletic background The history behind Rogue Fitness and their partnership with the CrossFit Games What led Rogue to branch out into manufacturing equipment for other sports Rogue's new facility and the Industrial Revolution 2.0 Rogue's three core values and how they implement them The story behind Don’t Weaken Rogue’s early response to COVID-19 How Rogue came to have a doctor as their Director of Product Development How Rogue made the decision to manufacture PPE for healthcare workers, and what the development process has been like Measures Rogue has taken encourage employees to embrace fitness and the positive impact they’ve seen as a result How Caity manages her time to allow for her own workouts and downtime away from work The mentors who helped Caity grow into a strong leader What a typical day looks like for Caity Stand-out moments where Caity has felt especially proud of the work Rogue is doing Three things that Caity does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on her health One thing she thinks could have a big impact on her health but she has a hard time implementing What a healthy life looks like to Caity     You can follow Caity on Instagram and Twitter. You can follow Rogue Fitness on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Links: 2008 CrossFit Games: The Final, Final Results The 2008 CrossFit Games On Her Terms: Caity Matter Henniger Semper Fit Rogue Iron Game Rogue Legends Rogue 2016 - 10 Years Strong The Index Rogue Fitness COVID-19 Response Rogue Face Shield Design Related episodes: Ep 51 - Dick Costolo on Taking Risks and Finding Fitness Ep 90 - CrossFit Games GM Justin Bergh: The Man Behind the Magic Ep 101 - Dr. Joe Janesz on Building a Champion Mindset If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.   This post was originally published on May 11, 2020.

“Being a professional athlete, it’s a really selfish lifestyle that you need to lead. You’re number 1, 2, and 3.  You think about yourself -  it’s your life.  Like Cami said, it’s that extra percent that you put in that people don’t see.  It’s the sleeping during the night, the recovery in the evening, the food that you eat, the meal prepping, the training. It is everything, it’s the whole package.  So, all of a sudden - my body is my work tool and all of a sudden it’s not mine anymore.  I’m sharing this with someone else, and my body isn’t going to come first anymore.  She’s going to come first, no matter what, and I’m grateful for that, but it’s definitely something that you… It’s weird.  It’s a weird feeling.  It’s an incredible feeling, but it’s also really, really strange.” - Annie Thorisdottir   Known as “Iceland Annie,” Annie Thorisdottir is a two-time Fittest Woman on Earth (2011-2012) and ten-time CrossFit Games veteran. With a background of gymnastics, pole vaulting, and boot camp, Annie made her Games debut in 2009 at 19 years old.  Since then, Annie has been a staple in our sport and she is known to train hard and always compete with a smile. After placing second in the world in the 2020 CrossFit Open, Annie declined her invitation to the 2020 CrossFit Games as she prepares for her next big event: she and her long-time partner, Fred Aegidius, are expecting their first child in August of 2020. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet began her Crossfit Games journey in 2010, and she has competed every year since, ultimately earning the title of “Fittest Woman on Earth” in 2014.  In 2019 she made the transition from individual athlete to team competitor and took home silver as a member of Team CrossFit Krypton.  A former gymnast and Level 1 Seminar staff member, Camille has also been a member of the Canadian National Olympic weightlifting team and holds a chemical engineering degree.  She and her husband, Dave Lipson, recently announced that they are expecting their first child in September of 2020. Annie, Camille and I recently caught up for a long overdue chat.  We compared notes on how their pregnancies are progressing, talked about how their training routines have changed, and discussed how their experiences as competitive athletes are helping prepare them for motherhood.  And, of course, we shared lots of laughs along the way!     In this episode we discuss: Camille’s intention to retire from competition, and Annie’s desire to compete again Camille’s pregnancy experience vs. Annie’s pregnancy experience so far How they shared the news with their partners How Camille and Annie’s training has changed  since becoming pregnant How every woman’s pregnancy is different and the importance of listening to your body Lessons Annie & Camille have applied from their competition days to support their pregnancies What it’s been like to experience pregnancy alongside their exceptionally fit and supportive partners The lessons they hope to instill in their children     You can follow Annie on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You can follow Camille on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Links: I'm PREGNANT - 10 Weeks In, Annie Thorisdottir Camille's announcement to Dave Féroce Fitness Renaissance Periodization Dottir Project Related episodes: Ep 14 - Camille Leblanc-Bazinet on Moving Forward, Engineering, and Body Image Ep 57 - Annie Thorisdottir and Fred Aegidius on Team Work and Individual Performance Ep 81 - Postpartum Training and the Road Back to the CrossFit Games with Lindsey Valenzuela Ep 82 - Training during Pregnancy and Healing Diastsis Recti with Lisa Ryan Ep 83 - Pelvic Floor Health for Athletes with Julie Wiebe, PT Ep 110 - Kara Saunders on CrossFit and Expecting Baby She-Bear If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.   This post was originally published on April 27, 2020.

Dr. George Slavich is a leading expert in the conceptualization, assessment, and management of life stress and it's relationship to poor health. He is the founding Director of the Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research at UCLA whose goal is "to advance the science of stress and health to help prevent disease and improve human health and resilience worldwide." Since beginning his career as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Slavich has been researching the relationship between stress and health for over 20 years.  His area of focus is psychoneuroimmunology, which studies the effect of the mind on health and resistance to disease. By integrating tools from psychology, neuroscience, immunology, biology, genetics, and genomics, Dr. Slavich’s research has provided new insights into the inflammatory response to social stress and helped to pioneer a new field of research called human social genomics. He has also developed the first online system for measuring lifetime stress exposure called the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN), and proposed a new theory called the Social Safety Theory, which hypothesizes that developing and maintaining friendly social bonds is a fundamental organizing principle of human behavior and that threats to social safety are a critical feature of psychological stressors that increase risk for disease. Dr. Slavich completed undergraduate and graduate coursework in psychology and communication at Stanford University, and received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Oregon. After graduate school, he was a clinical psychology intern at McLean Hospital in Boston and a clinical fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He subsequently completed three years of NIMH-supported postdoctoral training in psychoneuroimmunology at UCSF and UCLA. He is presently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA, a Research Scientist at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, and the Founding Director of the UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research. His research has been covered by many media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Scientific American, TIME Magazine, HBO, NPR, U.S. News & World Report, and others. In this episode, we talk about the science behind how stress impacts our body down to the level of gene expression and immune system activation, what type of stressors seem to have the biggest impact on our health, some of the things we can do to mitigate the negative impact of stress, and how measuring stress may improve our ability to address it on a large scale. We also talked about how Dr. Slavich's work provides insight into the current coronavirus pandemic including the impact of stress on chronic systemic inflammation, why we should be practicing physical distancing instead of social distancing, and how best to communicate with others during this time to preserve the protective effects of social bonds on our health. Bio adapted from uclastresslab.org     In this episode we discuss: How Dr. Slavich got into the field of stress research and what motivates him Psychoneuroimmunology: what it is, and how it can be used to study health What happens in our body when we are exposed to an external stressor Which types of stressors most negatively impact health Social Safety Theory Social genomics Physical distancing vs. social distancing Whether connecting via technology can have the same impact as connecting in person The impact of stress on our biology relative to other lifestyle factors, and what we can do to influence our stress response and reduce chronic inflammation Tools for reducing the impact of stress on the body: mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy Quantifying and measuring stress Three things Dr. Slavich does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health One thing he thinks could have a big impact on his health but he has a hard time implementing What a healthy life looks like to Dr. Slavich     Links: A Cold Fact: High Stress Can Make You Sick, Sheldon Cohen The Media Equation, Clifford Nass & Byron Reeves Social Safety Theory UCLA Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research The Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN) Donate to UCLA Stress Lab Research Related episodes: Ep 105 - Sleep, Stress and Brain Health with Dr. Nate Bergman Ep 116 - How Healing Works with Dr. Wayne Jonas Ep 135 - Immune System Strength with Dr. Leonard Calabrese Ep 138 - Pursuing Health Pearls: Our 10 Favorite Ways to Combat Stress and Anxiety If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.   This post was originally published on April 13, 2020.

“What we’re talking about is systemic, low-grade inflammation where the body’s barometer for this inflammatory response is turned up just modestly.  This contributes to a whole host of diseases.  Diseases of chronic inflammation that range from type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease with heart disease and stroke, neurodegenerative disease, fatty liver– which is now epidemic in our society– as well as autoimmune disease.  So, now these diseases which are non-communicable– you can’t catch them– they are the leading cause of death on our planet right now and they’re being driven by chronic, systemic low-grade inflammation” – Dr. Leonard Calabrese Dr. Leonard Calabrese, is a rheumatologist, immunologist, and doctor of osteopathic medicine.  He is the head of Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Clinical Immunology and manages the Clinical Immunology Clinic.  After graduating from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Dr. Calabrese completed his internal medical training at Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship in rheumatic and immunologic disease. Over the course of his career, Dr. Calabrese has authored more than 300 publications and become an internationally recognized HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C researcher.  He is also passionate about utilizing lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep and stress management to reduce inflammation, control disease, and bolster immunologic function.  Based on growing scientific evidence that environment and behavior play a large role in immune function and gene expression, Dr. Calabrese is leading the charge in educating physicians and empowering patients so that they can feel confident in using wellness behaviors to help strengthen their immune function and improve their overall health and happiness. Dr. Calabrese and I recently sat down to chat about the basics of the immune system and what practices we can implement in our day-to-day lives to reduce inflammation and lower our risk of chronic disease. In this episode we discuss: Dr. Calabrese’s medical background and what drew him to immunology How the field of immunology has changed over the years The role of our immune system: how it interacts with our body and our environment How the immune system can become overactive What inflammation is, and what causes contributes to it What we can do to reduce our inflammation Diet, intestinal permeability and their effect on the immune system The role of diet, exercise, sleep and stress on the immune system Social genomics and how we can influence which genes express themselves Dr. Calabrese’s thoughts on the impact of gratitude practice Habits that Dr. Calabrese implements in his own life to manage stress, diet, exercise and sleep Dr. Calabrese’s vision for the Immune Strength program and how he hopes to help patients on a broader scale Three things Dr. Calabrese does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health What a healthy life looks like to Dr. Calabrese You can follow Dr. Calabrese on Twitter and via his CME courses. Links: How Your Immune System is Affected by Diet, Stress and Exercise with Dr. Leonard Calabrese National Institutes of Health Nurses’ Health Study The Institute for Functional Medicine Interview with Dr. Alessio Fasano Our health is on your plate, Dr. Roxanne Sukol Why Sleep Is Important for Health: A Psychoneuroimmunology Perspective, Dr. Michael R. Irwin Effects of Sleep and Sleep Deprivation on Interleukin-6, Growth Hormone, Cortisol, and Melatonin Levels in Humans UCLA Norman Cousins Center for Pyschoneuroimmunology Human Social Genomics Stress Free Now 10% Happier, Dan Harris Headspace The VB6 Diet, Mark Bittman Pacer Go! To Sleep The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual Well-Being in Asymptomatic Heart Failure Patients Healio Rheumatology Related episodes: Ep 22 – Brigid Titgemeir on Functional Nutrition Ep 42 – Against All Grain’s Danielle Walker on Advocating, Healing and Celebrating Ep 78 – Lifestyle & Brain Health with Dr. David Perlmutter  Ep 103 – What to Eat When with Dr. Michael Roizen Ep 105 – Sleep, Stress and Brain Health with Dr. Nate Bergman If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

What does good movement mean? And what are the principles of good movement? And sometimes people have a hard time articulating that, physiatrists, physical therapists included. Because we focus a lot on, is this person strong, do they pass these … Continued The post Ep 132 – Healing Through Functional Movement with Dr. Amy West appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.

Im still the Director of the Games. Im still Director of Training, also. I still have that responsibility to conduct it. I still have a lot of freedom to conduct it the way that I see the direction that I … Continued The post Ep 131 – Dave Castro on Changes in Life and the CrossFit Games appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.

We, ultimately- we love CrossFit, but we also view CrossFit as a way for us to be fit and do things outside of the gym. And do them together. We always try to continue reminding ourselves of that, so, in … Continued The post Ep 130 – Kristi OConnell on Training for Joy and Balance appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.

I believe something as fundamental as nutrition shouldnt be complicated, and if you keep it simple, and you help people make changes, and you encourage them and find bright spots- find positive things in what theyre doing Theyll make those … Continued The post Ep 129 – Improving Your Fitness from the Ground Up: Nutrition Basics with Nicole Aucoin appeared first on Julie Foucher | Reebok CrossFit Games Athlete.