AGC #006 - Why exercising will make you a better coach

Today, I’m going to outline how important it is for coaches to exercise - and why it’s easier than you think.

In a world where the expectation is still that coaches ‘rise and grind’ and dedicate all their effort and energy to the job, finding ways to look after yourself is crucial to long-term sustainability.

By finding time in your days to move, you will be better prepared - physically and mentally - to take on the ups and downs of the job and make better decisions. You’ll also have more empathy with your athletes, set a great example, and have more energy to dedicate to them.

The problem is that most coaches don’t choose a realistic exercise regimen, have too much faith in their future selves - “I’ll do it later” - or use more convenient but less healthy coping mechanisms.

You can find a way, or you can find an excuse.

You don’t need to go out and run a marathon tomorrow morning, or dedicate every spare minute to Crossfit. But developing a regular exercise routine is more accessible than you might imagine, and has some outsized benefits:

• More work/life separation

• Idea incubation time

• Improved emotional regulation and physical health

• Better connections and rapport with your athletes

Here’s your 3-step action plan for the next 30 days. Let’s dive in.

Step 1: Utilize time-blocking

You likely already use a calendar to organize your meetings and your team’s practices - now start blocking out time for yourself.

Putting time to exercise on your calendar provides accountability. Do it even if you don’t feel like it - you will always feel better afterward, and every time you push past that ‘weak voice’ in your mind is another drop in the bucket towards building a habit.

Exercising in the morning works best for me - it sets the right tone for the day and I’m more likely to get it done before new challenges or problems that need my attention pop up.

However, an evening slot gives you the opportunity to put the day’s stresses to bed to be a better version of yourself when you walk in the door at home.

If life gets in the way on a given day and you can’t get a specific workout in, don’t delete it from the calendar or ignore it - move it to a new time until you get it done.

Step 2: Start slow and be OK with sucking

People give up a burgeoning exercise habit mainly because they do too much, too soon. Early enthusiasm soon gives way to disgruntled resentment as a result.

For example, someone returning to the gym after a decade-long absence might get frustrated that they can’t lift as heavy as they used to.

Thoaw taking up running often make the mistake of trying to run too fast, so they don’t find it enjoyable and give up.

Going at a conversational pace - whatever that is for you - is more likely to build small wins that encourage you to keep going and strive for something more, whether that’s more distance or faster miles. You can always level it up later on.

Remember: you’re trying to build a habit, not set PRs.

Step 3: Work around your specific limitations

Many coaches played the sport they now teach at a high level, and want to gravitate back to what’s familiar and easy.

However, finding the hours to play 18 holes might be harder if you have kids at home, or 5-a-side soccer on a Thursday evening might be out of reach if you’re on the road with your team every other week.

I swore for the first 34 years of my life that I hated running unless it was after a ball.

But having safe sidewalks near my office, needing something I could do whatever the weather, and only being able to eke out a short window between the daycare drop-off and the workday starting saw me gravitate towards it. When I realized I could do it on away trips and explore new areas too, I was hooked.

A few years later, I’m 50lbs lighter, have completed multiple half marathons and I run 3-4 times a week. I found what worked for my circumstances, and you can too.

Bonus tip: Try something new

Jumping into any exercise habit will give you more empathy for what your players go through, but combining it with doing something new - for me, this summer it was pickleball - also puts the coach in the similar ‘learner mode’ that their athletes are in.

Not only will it give you some common ground and things to talk with them about, but you might also find yourself to be a more understanding, even-handed coach to them as well.

Whatever you decide to do, if it gets challenging, just remind yourself of the extra benefits beyond physical improvement.

Most coaches are so busy planning and executing practices, meeting with various stakeholders, and wearing so many hats that their only true ‘thinking time’ comes at the expense of their personal life.

Many of us can relate to pretending to be present at a family dinner while internally obsessing over the X’s and O’s, and it’s usually not the person we want to be.

Having a regular exercise regimen provides valuable incubator time for teasing out ideas, getting creative, and thinking things through before you attack the issues at hand.

In addition, you can expect to see improvements in mood and emotional regulation - plus extra energy - over time from the regular dopamine hits, which should set you up to navigate the challenges of your job.

Good luck!