EP 61 | Mike Ryan: Author, NFL Physical Therapist, NBC Sportscaster, Extreme Sports and Hybrid Racing Athlete | Thriving Athletes in the NFL: Traits for Success

The Competitive Edge Podcast: Fatherhood | Fitness | Focus

Mentions: PwrLift use HICKMAN20 to save Gett Itt Core Fitness NFL NBC Summary Mike Ryan, a sports medicine specialist and former head athletic trainer in the NFL, shares his journey and insights on restoring pain-free movement and living an active lifestyle. He emphasizes the importance of taking care of one's body, nutrition, and getting enough sleep. Mike also discusses the value of stepping out of one's comfort zone and taking on challenges to learn more about oneself. He highlights the significance of being a role model for children and teaching them how to handle challenges and make strong decisions. Mike shares his experiences in the NFL and the traits that differentiate thriving athletes from struggling ones, including taking care of their bodies, being grateful, and avoiding a sense of entitlement. Mike Ryan emphasizes the importance of taking care of one's body, nutrition, sleep, and seizing opportunities. He discusses the challenges athletes face when transitioning from college to professional sports and the distractions that come with success. He highlights the need for a good team, steady head, and maturity to navigate the professional sports world. Mike and Daniel also discuss the importance of managing injuries, pain, and training smarter as athletes get older. They emphasize the value of routine, evaluating what works and what doesn't, and constantly striving to improve. In this conversation, Mike Ryan, a physical therapist and sports medicine specialist, discusses the importance of a holistic approach to health and fitness. He emphasizes the need for a balanced diet, regular exercise, and mental well-being. Mike shares his insights on plant-based diets, the importance of listening to your body, and the role of proper footwear in preventing injuries. He also encourages dads to prioritize their health and offers advice on how to make sustainable lifestyle changes. Mike shares his upcoming race plans and provides information on how to connect with him. Keywords sports medicine, NFL, pain-free movement, active lifestyle, challenges, comfort zone, role model, children, decision-making, athletes, body care, nutrition, sleep, gratitude, entitlement, athlete transition, distractions, taking care of the body, nutrition, sleep, seizing opportunities, managing injuries, training smarter, routine, evaluating, constant improvement, holistic health, balanced diet, exercise, mental well-being, plant-based diet, listening to your body, proper footwear, injury prevention, dads' health, sustainable lifestyle changes, race plans Takeaways

• Take care of your body through proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise to stay healthy and active.
• Stepping out of your comfort zone and taking on challenges can lead to personal growth and learning.
• Being a role model for children involves teaching them how to handle challenges and make strong decisions.
• Thriving athletes in the NFL exhibit traits such as taking care of their bodies, being grateful, and avoiding a sense of entitlement. Taking care of one's body, nutrition, and sleep are crucial for athletes to succeed.
• Transitioning from college to professional sports can be challenging, and athletes need a good team and maturity to navigate the professional world.
• Managing injuries, pain, and training smarter become more important as athletes get older.
• Having a routine, evaluating what works and what doesn't, and constantly striving to improve are key to success. A holistic approach to health and fitness is essential, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and mental well-being.
• Listening to your body and making adjustments based on its needs is crucial for long-term health and performance.
• Proper footwear is important for injury prevention, and stability should be prioritized over mobility.
• Dads should prioritize their health and make sustainable lifestyle changes to set a positive example for their families.
• Setting goals, finding accountability, and making fitness enjoyable can help maintain motivation and long-term success.

Titles

• Thriving Athletes in the NFL: Traits for Success
• Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone: Embracing Challenges The Power of Routine and Constant Improvement
• Navigating the Transition from College to Professional Sports Listening to Your Body and Making Adjustments
• The Role of Proper Footwear in Injury Prevention

Sound Bites

• "If we stay active, we stay healthy, we stay fit, we feel better."
• "There's got to be a little bit of a leap of faith in this. There has to be a challenge."
• "When you're doing different extreme stuff, you learn a lot about yourself."
• "I've gone back and spoken to a lot of colleges and a lot of athletes at colleges and coaches who bring me into talk to the team."
• "Some people can make that transition, some can't. And then they move to the professional ranks and again, you're going from being the big fish in the small pond in college to now you're a small, small fish in a massive pool of professional sports."
• "Hey man, just keep your job. You know, it's like, yeah, just like, don't make me do any more work to find you another place to go."
• "The ingredients are better than Dairy Queen. Like it's totally night and day."
• "Ox don't eat protein, they eat greens as well."
• "Being plant-based is something like if you are extremely unhealthy or have overweight, I highly recommend you to go plant-based for a little bit."

Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:15 Balancing an Active Lifestyle 03:21 The Importance of Staying Active and Healthy 04:33 Taking a Leap of Faith and Embracing Challenges 11:01 Learning About Yourself Through Extreme Sports 25:36 Traits of Thriving Athletes in the NFL 26:46 Advice for College Athletes and Avoiding Entitlement 26:53 Taking care of the body and seizing opportunities 27:28 Navigating the transition from college to professional sports 29:14 Managing injuries, pain, and training smarter as athletes get older 30:24 The power of routine and constant improvement 52:54 The Importance of a Holistic Approach to Health and Fitness 55:24 Listening to Your Body and Making Adjustments 57:23 The Role of Proper Footwear in Injury Prevention 01:02:43 Prioritizing Dads' Health and Making Sustainable Lifestyle Changes 01:09:05 Setting Goals, Finding Accountability, and Making Fitness Enjoyable