The Health & Wellbeing Guide

PRACTICE

THE HEALTH & WELLBEING GUIDE

DERSHIP

SUCCESS VISION

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PREMIER LEAGUE

YOU CAN’T STOP THE WAVES, BUT YOU CAN LEARN TO SURF” JON KABAT-ZINN

The Health & Wellbeing Guide | Summer 2014

The League Managers Association, St. George’s Park, National Football Centre, Newborough Road, Needwood, Burton upon Trent, DE13 9PD The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and not necessarily those of the League Managers Association, its members, officers or employees. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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Editor Alice Hoey alicehoey1@gmail.com Publisher Jim Souter jim.souter@lmasecure.com Art Direction Trinorth www.trinorth.co.uk www.leaguemanagers.com

CONTENTS 7 9

FOREWORD PREFACE

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MENTAL WELLBEING

13 16 22 30 36 42 48

INTRODUCTION HARNESSING PRESSURE MENTAL RESILIENCE DEALING WITH CHANGE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ADDICTION MINDFULNESS

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PHYSICAL WELLBEING

57 60 66 74 80

INTRODUCTION HEART HEALTH FOOD AND NUTRITION ALCOHOL EXERCISE

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LIFESTYLE

89 92 98 104

INTRODUCTION SLEEP RELATIONSHIPS TRAVEL

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THE CONTRIBUTORS

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Foreword

FOREWORD

HOWARD WILKINSON Chairman, LMA

W

e all know that football management is a precarious profession. With over half of first-time managers in the top four leagues never getting a second chance to manage at the same level, the attrition rate is incredibly high.

The first task of any would-be manager, therefore, is to survive in the role long enough to begin to understand its requirements and complexities.

To survive, win and succeed in football management requires dedication and resilience. It can be a bumpy and arduous journey, but the rewards of building a squad, watching your team win matches, developing talent and seeing it blossom are worth all the effort.

To be a successful manager with a long and rewarding career requires many skills and attributes, not least a strong technical knowledge of the game and the ability to coach and impart your knowledge. However, it is the ability to lead, to build a strong culture and foster belonging and dedication within a squad that makes some managers stand out from the rest. Self-awareness is the foundation of effective and authentic leadership and it is here that health and wellbeing are of paramount importance.

Successful managers don’t just have to look after the physical and mental wellbeing of their players, they also have to be in peak condition if they are to cope with the challenges and pressures that are so unique to football management.

You need to stay energised in order to energise your players, and rise above the pressure to drive them forward when things get tough. To become the leader your team needs to perform consistently at its best, you need to understand your own mind, your physical and mental strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve on them. You must not only lead your team, but also be an example to it.

As current and future managers, you will find this guide a brilliant resource.

It is packed with core information that, given sufficient focus, will have a major impact on your performance day in, day out, and ensure you are in the shape you need to be to succeed at the very highest level of management.

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Preface

PREFACE

RICHARD BEVAN Chief Executive, LMA

W

elcome to the LMA’s first Health and Wellbeing Guide.

The LMA is committed to providing ongoing support, advice, insight and expertise to all of its members and future members. To that end, we continue to expand our Leadership, Personal Development and Wellbeing Programmes, delivering support services, educational programmes and high-quality resources, such as this guide, to help you navigate the many challenges of modern football management.

This guide provides managers and would-be managers with a world-class resource on one area that, while often overlooked, is essential throughout a career in management – the manager’s health and wellbeing.

This falls within the first of four key areas covered by the LMA’s Leadership, Personal Development and Wellbeing Programmes, which have been designed around our 360-degree model of football management: You: your health and wellbeing, leadership style, personal skills and career development.

Your team: your role within a club, the fundamentals of leadership, your role in delivering performance and results, setting visions and building cultures.

The game: your technical knowledge of football itself, developments in analytics, tactics, coaching, sport science and recruitment.

The industry: the wider world of football, the club, the boardroom, the community, and the rules and regulations.

Designed to be practical and easy-to-use, this guide aims to encourage awareness of, and provide information on, some of the most relevant and important health and wellbeing topics. It encourages positive lifestyle choices and behaviours that enhance personal wellbeing and professional performance, and provides signposts so that you can find further information or seek additional support.

It includes contributions from some of the leading experts in the LMA’s extended team, including Dr Dorian Dugmore, Jeremy Snape, Dr Phil Hopley and Phil Horton’s team at Perform at St George’s Park. We are very grateful for their input and insight. We are also extremely grateful for the invaluable support offered by the Premier League, assisting us in delivering truly world-class programmes and resources to our members and the professional game.

I hope that this will prove to be an invaluable tool throughout your career.

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THE GREATEST GLORY OF LIVING LIES NOT IN NEVER FALLING, BUT IN RISING EVERY TIME YOU FALL” NELSON MANDELA

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Mental Wellbeing

MENTAL WELLBEING 13 16 22 30 36 42 48

INTRODUCTION HARNESSING PRESSURE MENTAL RESILIENCE DEALING WITH CHANGE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY ADDICTION MINDFULNESS

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Mental Wellbeing

MENTAL WELLBEING Mental wellbeing has become an engaging body of science, with the power to change how we lead our teams. Advances in our understanding of psychology and neuroscience will challenge our long-held beliefs and sharpen our future performance.

O

ur traditional understanding of medicine tells us that mind and body are divided, but where does this divide start and where does it end?

Why is it that we feel a jolt of adrenalin on seeing flashing lights in the rear-view mirror when milliseconds earlier it was just a thought? How can we feel the short, sharp pain of an old injury and then find ourselves distracted for much of the day by the anxiety of it potentially recurring?

The truth is, our brains and bodies are locked in a constant conversation, and it’s a good job that they are. These constant feedback systems evolved primarily to ensure our safety, then to regulate our health, and are now increasingly used to govern our performance.

In the past, people would talk about their physical scars almost as badges of honour, but would keep their mental scars a well-kept secret. Thankfully, things have changed. In recent years, tragic stories in sport, the arts and business have highlighted just how important our mental health is and how vital it is for people to have the courage to discuss these issues openly.

Our ability to cope is challenged constantly, and not least by the new age of technology, which has brought with it information overload, viral news stories, transparent analytics and social media. Our brains were not built for this, and by attempting to run lightning fast software on outdated hardware, our world can sometimes feel out of control.

Of course, in any industry sector or era, the best leaders find a way not only to cope with change, but to excel in it. While some individuals freeze, the best find confidence in their ability to cope and create a clear plan.

In this section, our industry experts pose reflective questions on some of the keys to mental performance, among them resilience and positivity, coping with change, and working under pressure, and help you to spot the warning signs in your own mindset and those around you. And, most importantly, they offer practical tools and game-changing techniques to create a competitive advantage and take your leadership skills to the next level.

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SUCCESS OFTEN REVOLVES AROUND BEING RESILIENT. SETBACKS ARE PART OF BEING A FOOTBALL MANAGER AND THOSE WHO RESPOND TO THEM PRODUCTIVELY WILL MAKE THE MOST PROGRESS”

John Sunderland Wright, Wellness Academy

UNHAPPY TRUTHS 1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year, mixed anxiety and depression being the most common (Source: Mental Health Foundation)

90% of insomnia is thought to be the result of stress 14

1 2 3 4 5 1 in 5 people experience anxiety on a daily basis (ONS report, 2013)

PEOPLE ARE NOT DISTURBED BY THINGS BUT BY THE VIEWS THEY TAKE OF THEM” Epictetus

Mental Wellbeing

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH? Improved mental resilience = ↑ Ability to deal with periods of uncertainty ↑ Physical and psychological wellbeing ↑ Task focus ↑ Problem-solving focus ↑ Ability to think clearly under pressure ↑ Performance ↑ Ability to sustain performance

SLEEP: A VICIOUS CYCLE Reduced quality and quantity of sleep increases vulnerability to: Premature illness

Irritability

Physical disorders

Anxiety

Disturbed thinking

Depression

EVERYTHING CAN BE TAKEN FROM A MAN OR A WOMAN BUT ONE THING: THE LAST OF THE HUMAN FREEDOMS – TO CHOOSE ONE’S ATTITUDES IN ANY GIVEN SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES” Viktor Frankl

STRESS

is responsible for the loss of some 13 million working days each year at a cost of £15bn to UK businesses.

The UK has the highest incidence of stress of the six major global economies. Those aged 55 to 64 are the most at risk.

(European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2009)

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HARNESSING PRESSURE Modern football management has evolved into one of the most demanding and highest pressure jobs there is. But professionals in all walks of life are finding that the fast pace of modern life, the growing demands on their time and rising expectations are becoming difficult to bear.

Words: Jeremy Snape, Sporting Edge

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apid advances in technology mean we now face a daily storm of information. Because we can access information wherever and whenever we want, we rarely switch off, more is expected of us and we’re busier and under more pressure than ever before.

Unfortunately this is the perfect storm for the primitive human brain, the fundamental role of which is to prepare us to respond quickly to danger or stress. It does this by going into ‘fight or flight’ or survival mode, during which we experience a physical response, including a sharpening of the senses and increases in response time and energy. The brain is not working to maximum effect, because it doesn’t need to; it is simply focused on helping us to survive.

Whereas that perceived danger was once the sudden appearance of a sabre-toothed tiger, it is now a text from the club’s owner, a misquote in the 17

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press or the persisting memory of a lost opportunity. Our bodies interpret these threats in exactly the same primitive way, but rather than it being our lives that are in danger it is our livelihoods and self-esteem. While the dangers or stressors once came in short, sharp bursts, they are now often regular and sustained, and our bodies were not designed to handle it.

A POSITIVE DRIVER Pressure is often positioned as harmful, but this is only partly true. We all need pressure to some degree in order to perform at our best. Working out what drives us up to our peak performance is one of the key tools in the self-aware athlete or manager’s toolkit.

We show players motivational videos at 120 beats per minute, punctuated with powerful slogans. For some rugby players, physical jostling helps to get the juices of combat going, for others scanning the match-day programme is enough.

Knowing what you need to do to get ready is important, but so is knowing the warning signs when stress is preventing you from performing at your best.

In the literature, stress is defined as the imbalance between the perceived threat or challenge and our ability to cope with that challenge. On this see-saw, our brains can suddenly flip from calm and rational processing to emotional hijack and chaos. I have personal experience of this.

On a balmy Calcutta night in 2002, I was playing cricket for England in front of a record 120,000 crowd. England were on track to chase down a big Indian target when I ran out Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff. At that moment, my head was scrambled, and as Freddie trudged off to the dressing room I had three minutes to fill. Would I fill it with rational thought about recalibrating our run chase to bring home the victory, or worry about the reaction of my team, the commentators and the press? There was only one winner in the heat of the battle; I soon realised that my next shot was being played by the negative voice in my head. As I was stumped by almost two metres, I realised that I had lost all sense of perspective and had choked under the pressure of the match.

The symptoms of stress, when the brain is driving you to fight or flight, are not specific to football or finance; they are our body’s cry for help. But while we get these primitive emotions, our body never gets into motion and we stew in the cortisol and adrenalin that are trying to save us.

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SPOT THE SIGNS Withdrawal Indecisiveness Irritability Suddenly verbally or physically aggressive Headaches, stomach disorders and heart palpitations Disturbed sleep Excessive drinking and eating Short fuse with loved ones Overreacting to criticism Depression A tight feeling across the chest and shoulders Rapid weight loss or weight gain Procrastination Loss of concentration or trying to do too many things at once

Rather than trying to dismantle the threat, we are better off bolstering our skills at coping with stress in the short and long term.

SHORT-TERM STRATEGIES First, we need to examine why we are processing a particular situation as a damaging threat as opposed to an inspiring challenge. This calls for reflection rather than action.

According to leading neuroscientist Professor Vin Walsh, thinking creates changes in the brain’s structures and connectivity, and if you have a pattern of negative thought it creates a fast route between that thought and failure.

In other words, this spiralling thinking and catastrophising doesn’t disappear once the situation has passed; it creates pathways in order to speed up future decision-making.

Pressure is based on our perception, and if we link thoughts of failure to something catastrophic then we are in trouble. However, in reality, we can’t separate our thinking from our physiology, as both impact each other in a constant feedback loop. The challenge is to stop the loop of threat-laden messages between our heads and our hearts. We must stop these negative 19

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STRESS CAN LEAD TO: Increased staff absence and turnover Presenteeism or staff coming into work unwell Mistakes and accidents Reduced productivity Low morale

thinking chains before they speed out of control, and replace them with a practical solution.

Staying in the moment is another key coping strategy. The only time you can change the game is now, so regain your traction towards control. Ask what is important now? The All Blacks have a number of cues to jolt them back into the present, such as looking at the stadium roof, wiping their brows and kicking the ground.

The discipline of centring and focusing on the breathing can be helpful here.

For example, try 20 seconds of shallow chest-based breathing followed by 20 seconds of slow rhythmic belly breathing and you will feel the difference. By consciously slowing your breathing down you are sending signals to your brain to turn off the threat response.

DID YOU KNOW? A 2009 report by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work found the UK has the highest incidence of stress of the six major global economies, with those aged 55 to 64 the most at risk.

LONG-TERM STRATEGIES Pressure testing is a fundamental part of working in a stressful environment.

Whether we are visualising a conference speech or preparing for a major cup tie, we have to prepare answers to all the questions that we may be asked. In this sense, confidence comes from preparedness. By considering the various what ifs, we are halfway to ensuring a calm response rather than an emotional reaction.

One of our primary stressors tends to be the feeling of loss of control, when we are unable to influence the swirling storm around us. The simplest 20

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NO CONTROL, NO INFLUENCE NO CONTROL, CAN INFLUENCE CAN CONTROL, CAN INFLUENCE

strategy here is to draw three circles (see above) and start to populate the paper with: the things within your control; things that are out of your control, but that you can influence, such as how your team plays or what the press writes; and the things you have no control or influence over, such as your adversary’s team selection.

This will help you to see what you should focus on, i.e. the things you have control and influence over, rather than wasting time getting stressed about the things you can’t. Simple, but highly effective.

Talking to trusted advisors is another way to calm the storm. Create a personal dream team, whether from people at the LMA, within your club or personal life, and draw on this support network as a key source of perspective, objectivity and energy.

Sometimes the pressure comes from within. As 19-times champion jockey AP McCoy said, “Every morning I wake up and think, someone could beat me today”.

While that’s a pretty dark thought pattern to maintain for 19 years, it is just this kind of hunger that will drive a ferocious attention to detail and lead to success.

All managers must ask how they can harness their own internal and external pressure to stay simmering for success and manage their stress so that it doesn’t boil over. Living a stress-free existence is not the goal here; rather it is about being able to deliver your best game when you need it most. The best leaders and managers make plans while their weaker peers are making excuses.

How do you manage yourself in testing times?

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MENTAL RESILIENCE How can we improve our ability to deal with stress and pressure and bounce back from failure?

Words: Anna Curtin & Dr Phil Hopley, LPP Consulting

P

ressure, stress, knock-backs and failure are constants in senior-level management, and nowhere more so than in the world of professional sport. How well a manager copes with these feelings and experiences and how quickly he is able to bounce back will have a major impact on his performance outcomes, health and wellbeing.

Although we use the words ‘pressure’ and ‘stress’ interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Everybody appears to be under pressure nowadays, but not everyone reacts with the same stress response and some people deal better with pressure and experience lower levels of stress than others. They are equipped with better resilience skills.

Developing individual resilience skills means learning to think clearly, know what to focus on when under pressure, and keep stress in proportion to the level of threat. It also means being smarter about how we recover from stressful periods and ensuring that recovery is built into our routine in a sustainable way.

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We can develop our mental resilience by focusing on four areas: our thinking, perception, attitude and behaviour.

SPOT THE SIGNS Low resilience leads to: Loss of mental clarity More prone to distractions and mistakes Being edgy and irritable Not able to relax and sleep Feeling tired as an operational norm Struggling to motivate yourself and others Feeling the ‘drain from blame syndrome’

THINK ABOUT THINKING The foundation of resilience is the ability to think about your thinking. While we have some automatic reactions, such as the startle response, blinking and breathing, the vast majority of the things we do as human beings are driven by our thoughts and, more specifically, our thinking styles. Everything we do is controlled by the brain.

Under pressure, we start to think about things that could go wrong, how bad we feel the situation is, or how we believe that it is someone else’s fault that we are in this situation. Although these thoughts tend to increase in tempo and intensity when we are under pressure, we remain unaware of it because we are too involved in an accompanying emotion, anxiety.

This is best illustrated by an example. John and Rob are football managers at clubs that are fighting for survival, with only six weeks of the season left to run.

In separate matches, each team concedes a questionable penalty in extra time and loses. John is absolutely gutted, but he shakes his head and when he hears the final whistle he strides out onto the field and goes about the business of picking up his players, especially his goalkeeper. Rob, meanwhile, on seeing the penalty called, flies into rage. He rushes from the dug-out and makes his opinion known to the referee in the strongest possible terms. When the goal is conceded, he continues his rant and at full time storms off in disgust, refusing to shake hands with the opposing manager. When the team returns to the 24

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dressing room, he lets them know how angry he is; he can’t bring himself to look at his goalkeeper.

In these scenarios, both managers have the same stressor, and yet have two wildly different responses. One will trigger the release of stress hormones, the other won’t. Getting upset and angry didn’t change the result of the match, but it may have had a significant impact on the players’ perceptions of their manager and how he copes under pressure. The key here is each individual’s beliefs, thoughts and perceptions.

What we often fail to recognise is that it is not the situation itself, but rather our thoughts and perceptions that are driving stress and anxiety.

Therefore, becoming more aware of our thinking and developing the ability to change this is the most important factor in developing better performance under pressure.

CHANGE YOUR THINKING. ASK: Is there another way of looking at the situation?

What would I tell my best friend if he or she was in the same situation?

What do I choose to do next?

PERCEPTION Humans tend to believe that what we see, think and hear is reality. In truth, we are always locked in our perception of reality, because our minds constantly filter and interpret the truth for us. Things are not always the way they appear to be, as our minds fall for both visual illusions and what we call ‘mind traps’.

Common mind traps include ‘all or nothing’ thinking, where focusing on total success or total failure means we forget about all the important little victories and improvements along the way. Personalisation is another mind trap, where we take all the blame when it goes wrong and so only ever take in negative information. Another is catastrophising, where we always focus on the worst-case scenarios.

These patterns of thinking are not helpful, because they either prolong or exaggerate the threat facing us or prevent us from solving the problem.

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To overcome a mind trap you first need to become aware of how it can wrongly trigger stress, and then learn how to diffuse it. Challenge unhelpful thoughts by asking: what makes me believe that the thought is true? Is the thought helpful? What is the best case, worst case and probable outcome?

Professionals who react well under pressure, such as Special Forces personnel and A&E medical specialists, were not born with these skills. They have acquired them through many hours of practice, learning what to focus on and how to react. When individuals such as these encounter adversity, they think, “It will go away quickly; it’s just this one situation, and I can do something about it.” They learn to analyse their beliefs and emotions about failure, and to avoid describing failure as permanent, pervasive and out of their control – all characterisations that undermine mental resilience. It is clear that the skills required to react and perform well under pressure can be learned.

Change your current thinking by asking yourself: Is there another way of looking at the situation? What would I tell my best friend if he or she was in the same situation? And what do I choose to do next?

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS Excessive weight Raised blood pressure Insulin resistance and diabetes Sleep deprivation Regular timezone changes Social isolation Desk-bound lifestyles Constant stress and anxiety Stimulant and alcohol abuse

ATTITUDE: THE POWER TO CHOOSE A positive attitude is not the same as positive thinking. It means choosing your response to a stressful situation as opposed to simply reacting to stress or letting stress happen to you. We cannot solve our problems with 26

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CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS Given that everyone has different criteria for what constitutes success, it’s inevitable that someone, somewhere will always be disappointed in your performance.

In the face of such different and often contrasting perspectives, the most important criteria for our success has to be our own. We must establish a sharp and focused criteria for our own success, which is obtainable and within our control.

Great managers define their success not just by the points table, but by the way they tackle everyday issues that underpin success. It’s also important to do things your own way.

Talent needs trauma to realise its long-term potential. You may score some wins early on, but real success is judged over the longer-term.

For that sustained success you need to develop resilience, which comes from experiencing setbacks. Most champions fail numerous times as they gravitate towards mastery.

the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. We must choose to start thinking differently about the pressures we face in life. We can do this by noticing our instant response and reaction; by being aware of our mind’s biases (mind traps); by remembering that the present is all we can influence; and then choosing our response.

BEHAVIOUR: THE POWER TO CHANGE As Einstein rightly said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”. We need to look at which behaviours we should change in order to reduce stress and perform well consistently.

Very few people in the sporting world have nine-to-five jobs. The responsibilities of a manager are 24/7, which makes developing a sustainable work-life balance critically important. By paying more attention to our ‘recovery behaviours’ we can improve how we bounce back from stress. These recovery behaviours include ensuring sufficient recovery periods on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis. Even small breaks, such as 20 minutes here and there, will deliver benefits and help to build resilience.

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BUILDING MENTAL RESILIENCE: THE BENEFITS Improved mindset for dealing with periods of uncertainty Improved physical and psychological wellbeing Better task focus Problem-solving focus and ability to think clearly under pressure Improved performance Increased ability to sustain performance during periods of high demand Reduced likelihood of suffering from anxiety and depression Enhanced immune system Better sleep Lower risk of heart attack

Getting enough sleep and managing sleeping habits, paying attention to diet, particularly stabilising blood sugar levels and adequate hydration, and getting regular exercise and movement are all very important in helping us to get back to peak performance.

FIND OUT MORE Develop Resilience: A Cognitive Behavioural Approach Michael Neenan The Resilience Factor Karen Reivich & Andrew Shatte

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DEALING WITH CHANGE No manager can afford to get stuck in his ways, but change can be a tough pill to swallow. The answer lies in having the right mindset.

Words: Jeremy Snape, Sporting Edge

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hy do most people find change so difficult? Because, in the main, we all desire a degree of routine and take comfort from knowing what is going to happen next. The idea that we have to change, especially when we have just mastered a new art or process, can cause a rush of anxiety and feelings of panic and anger.

As a coach or manager, you will have your own routines for everything from preparing for games and team meetings to pre-match meals and transport.

You will have routines for training, because your players are not keen on change either and they want to know what to expect from one day to the next.

When we’re required to change something, our immediate thoughts are often negative: ‘I can’t do that’ and ‘why should I change?’ We resent the idea of changing what we’re used to or have become accomplished at, and those feelings of resentment are often greater when the change is suggested by someone younger or more junior.

Yet without embracing continuous change – in ourselves, in how, where and with whom we operate – we cannot improve our performance and that of our teams or fulfil our true potential.

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ON REFLECTION It would be easy to assume that our ability to deal with change will simply improve with age and experience, but that might not be the case. While gaining experience of coping with setbacks, adversity and criticism can certainly help, as we get older we may actually crave routine and resist change more. We don’t want to change what we know, like or feel comfortable with.

In contrast, in our formative years we coped with change on a regular basis without even thinking about it. Remember how often you changed school, junior team or club, learned new skills, went on loan or changed address or coach.

These things rarely bothered you.

Now, whether change is forced upon us or is something that we proactively choose, we need to be convinced of its performance benefits.

It is worth reflecting on the many changes in football over the past 10 years and asking whether they have helped or hindered you as a manager or coach. If you were told that you no longer had access to player analysis, online scouting systems, whiteboard technology, improved screening methods for your support staff to determine injury, expert advice on nutrition and rest, advances in neuroscience, how would you react? Change is often a force for good, yet we continue to resist it.

THE CYCLE OF CHANGE How we react to change can be described as a cycle of phases (follow the diagram, right, around clockwise from the top): Denial - You fight and resist the change. You find it threatening or irritating. Things have been going ok, so you question how the change will make them better.

Acceptance - Eventually you accept that the change is happening and that you need to adapt accordingly by finding new options, new techniques or a new method.

Commitment - After finding benefit from testing these new skills, you consciously commit to the change, adapt your mindset and embrace the opportunities it may bring.

Control - Finally, after perfecting the execution of these new skills, you are back in control and realise that the change was to your benefit. You may question why you initially showed such reluctance to change.

In reality, the change model isn’t a washing machine that spins you around and 32

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n

l

CONTROL

COMMITMENT

De ni a

io ut

ec Ex

CHANGE

RESISTANCE

Te s

e

nc

ta

ep

c Ac

tin g

OPTIONS

The Cycle of Change

around. With every cycle you climb to a new level of competence and resilience.

The Harvard Business Review called this era of rapid and constant change the ‘new normal’. Just when you think you’ve mastered a new art or process, another innovation or idea arrives and you have to change again. It can be tiring even thinking about it.

If this is our new environment, driven by technology, then we need to look at things differently. Given that everyone is experiencing these high levels of change, there may be a competitive edge to be found in pacing through the treacle of denial and moving around the model to exploring and testing options.

ALL IN THE MIND Like most new perceived problems or challenges presented to us, our response to change is determined by our mindset. Only now are we beginning to recognise the power of the mindset, how it determines all of our thoughts and behaviours and whether we choose to learn and change.

Through decades of research on achievement and success, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Professor Carol Dweck has discovered some of the psychological secrets to coping with change and uncertainty. Dweck’s work illustrates how success or failure is not down to talent or ability alone, but whether we approach our goals with a growth or fixed mindset. If you want to accept, embrace and change, you can create a passion for learning and build resilience that is the hallmark of every great manager or leader.

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STAYING POSITIVE AND GETTING AHEAD Stop and recall - Remind yourself of the many times you have had to change throughout your career, both playing and coaching, and the resulting benefits. Recall how you coped – you probably resisted them at the time as it’s a natural defence mechanism.

Cycle of change - Look at where you are in the change cycle. As leaders, managers and coaches, are you role-modelling the behaviours required to move quicker around it? As a leader you need to be one step ahead of the people you are leading. Think about what steps you will take to get and stay ahead.

Examine your resilient nature - Nobody survives in elite performance without resilience. It is proven that we can remember our mistakes and low points more than our successes. When faced with further change, recall how you got through previous adversities; one more challenge is not beyond you.

Adapt or get left behind - Ask yourself if you really want to be left behind your peers and colleagues because of your refusal to change.

Dweck has identified the traits of those who believe that their success has come from incremental improvements, learning on a daily basis (growth mindset), and those who think their success is due to a binary talent, which you either have or you haven’t (fixed mindset). She has identified the traits associated with these two very different mindsets, which are key to our learning and willingness to change (see table opposite).

We may resist change because we approach it with the wrong mindset and so become very fixed in our views. The key to Dweck’s work is that those with a growth mindset base their success on perseverance, accepting criticism, being inspired by others and a hunger for learning.

Those with a fixed mindset base their belief on thinking or being told they were talented, thereby not persisting when faced with major challenges or setbacks. In other words, they were not willing to learn or change.

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IN TWO MINDS The two mindsets perceive various work issues in very different ways.

Where are you on the continuum between a growth and a fixed mindset?

FIXED MINDSET

GROWTH MINDSET

Avoid CHALLENGES EMBRACE Give up easily OBSTACLES PERSIST SEE IT AS THE PATH TO See it as fruitless or worse EFFORT MASTERY Ignore useful negative CRITICISM LEARN FROM CRITICISM feedback SUCCESS OF FIND LESSONS AND Feel threatened OTHERS INSPIRATION Defines me FAILURE FUELS LEARNING Plateau early and achieve less REACH EVEN HIGHER LEVELS RESULT than full potential OF ACHIEVEMENT

In football and in business, the mindset of leaders at the top is a key driver of their success. When asked if they are still learning, the answer is always yes.

They have to learn every day in order to survive in the job. The very fact that you are reading this shows that you are receptive to change. To embrace and accept change is a question of changing your mindset and opening it up to continuous learning. Once you have done that, the possibilities are endless.

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DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY Most of us will experience periods of worry or ‘the blues’ during our careers, but how low is too low and what can you do about it?

Words: Dr Ian Martin, LPP Consulting

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or the modern-day manager, stress comes with the job, but when those feelings of stress become too serious or prolonged it can seriously impair performance and damage physical and mental health.

Understanding and recognising how stress is affecting you, physically and mentally, and learning to manage it more effectively can have a considerable impact on your ability to cope and sustain your performance over time.

Stress can be acute or chronic and as humans we are hardwired to cope effectively with the former through what we call the ‘fight or flight response’. This causes a sharpening of the senses, an increase in response time, the mobilisation of energy through the release of glucose, and increases in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. If this short-term response is contained and proportionate, it can be channelled into improving performance. Hence we hear elite sportspeople talking of their need to be ‘nervous’ or ‘primed’ in order to produce their best.

But when stress becomes chronic it can lead to fatigue, burn-out and eventually mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.

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SPOT THE SIGNS Low mood, sometimes worse in the morning Sleep disturbance, particularly waking early Loss of appetite Irritability, anger, tearfulness Poor concentration Lack of energy Reduced capacity for enjoyment Feeling helpless, hopeless, worthless or guilty Suicidal thoughts

ANXIETY Anxiety is a subjective feeling of extreme worry, resulting in an inability to relax and physical tension in the body, and an anxious person often experiences marked stress symptoms, all of which can have a detrimental effect on their performance.

We all worry in different situations – it is a normal emotion – but what separates unhelpful anxiety from ‘normal’ worry is its impact on functioning and its chronicity.

Clues that anxiety is having a negative impact include some of the physical symptoms of stress, mentioned above, as well as a number of psychological symptoms, including a loss of interest or enthusiasm, a more cynical or critical approach to training and performance, reduced motivation, avoidance and increased distractibility.

These factors or symptoms can lead to impaired decision-making and reduced enjoyment of training and competition. What’s more, when anxious we are liable to misinterpret challenging situations, seeing them more as a threat than an opportunity. As a result, mental energy is wasted in distraction, frustration and anger.

COPING STRATEGIES Once you’ve identified that you are feeling anxious and have acknowledged the impact that it’s having on your performance and wellbeing, you can start to manage it and even turn it into something more positive.

There are a number of psychological techniques that can be used to contain 38

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anxiety, either about a particular event or an ongoing issue. Normally the best approach is to work with an experienced psychologist, who will use psychological strategies such as cognitive behavioural or resilience training, which aim to help you stay focused under pressure, keep the stress in proportion to the situation, and recover effectively from periods of high stress.

Other approaches include relaxation exercises, mindfulness and distraction techniques, while in a minority of more severe cases there may also be a role for medication, such as antidepressants and beta-blockers, to help relieve the symptoms of anxiety, in particular, severe panic and sleep disturbance.

5 SIMPLE LIFESTYLE CHANGES Avoid caffeine Avoid alcohol Take regular exercise Aim for a regular sleep pattern Try deep breathing, yoga or pilates

DEPRESSION As well as causing anxiety, chronic stress can be a trigger for depression, which can have a serious impact on physical and mental wellbeing. Other factors in depression include major life events, such as bereavement, divorce, the loss of a job or financial hardship, a family history of depression or a history of misusing drugs or alcohol. Physical illness, injury and social isolation can also influence someone’s susceptibility to depression.

While it is a mistake to consider mental health issues in black and white terms, there are important differences between clinical depression and feeling low from time to time. Depression is significantly more serious and requires urgent attention. It is characterised in part by its pervasiveness and its impact on physical and mental health.

DEEP IMPACT The effects of depression on our bodies and minds are far greater than from briefer periods of sadness or despondency, resulting in a disturbance in daily functioning, including impairment of sleep, appetite, energy, sex drive, 39

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motivation and concentration. It can also have an impact on immunity, resulting in increased vulnerability to infection.

With depression come persistent negative feelings, sometimes in the form of helplessness or hopelessness. You may lose confidence and see your surroundings in a very bleak light and, in its most negative form, depression can distort your thinking to the point of utter futility. This can result in suicidal thinking, which requires urgent evaluation and treatment.

You might lose the capacity to derive enjoyment from anything and some individuals begin to use drugs or alcohol in an attempt to alleviate their symptoms.

The fatigue, exhaustion and disengagement that goes hand in hand with depression can have an enormous impact on your performance, reducing your commitment to training, diminishing concentration and focus, and affecting decision-making in a negative way.

BUILDING RESILIENCE Resilience training helps individuals develop the skills to stay focused and perform effectively under pressure, as well as the ability to bounce back quickly from setbacks. These skills offer a significant degree of protection against the effects of chronic stress and ensure that performance is maintained despite pressure. As the old adage states, prevention is always better than cure.

LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL Depression is a potentially life-threatening condition and any suspicion that you or a colleague, friend or family member are suffering from the symptoms requires urgent attention. However, with the right support, it is possible to turn things around and get your life back on track.

Start by talking to someone, whether it be a friend or family member, your GP or a mental health professional. They will assess you, provide advice and start treatment if necessary. This might be medical treatment, such as the prescription of antidepressants, mood stabilisers or antipsychotics, or the use of a range of non-medical approaches, everything from CBT and art therapy to complementary and alternative therapies.

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DID YOU KNOW? Depressed people spend more time in REM sleep – the period during which we work through our problems – and dream around five times more than non-depressed people. As they miss out on restorative deep sleep, they feel more tired.

FIND OUT MORE www.lppconsulting.org www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anxiety www.anxietyuk.org.uk www.anxietyalliance.org.uk www.time-to-change.org.uk

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ADDICTION Where is the line between want and addiction and what should you do if you think you’ve crossed it?

Words: Raymond Dixon, LPP Consulting

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eople can become addicted to many things, but whatever the substance or activity at the heart of a dependence, it isn’t possible to live with one without serious repercussions.

Addiction can have a negative impact on every area of life, from physical health and resilience to psychological and emotional wellbeing, to personal and working relationships. The consequences of this on performance as a manager and leader can be disastrous.

The term ‘addiction’ is often used carelessly and in many cases incorrectly to refer to a craving or penchant for a particular substance or activity, but genuine dependence is a chronic, medical condition.

It is also important to differentiate between addiction and abuse. Abuse, unlike addiction, is transitory and can be a short or limited experimental experience that is primarily pleasure seeking, or a reaction to a stressful situation, past or present. Whereas abuse is characterised by a temporary or partial loss of control, in addiction that loss of control is total. In addiction, the craving for a particular 43

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SPOT THE SIGNS If you have an addiction you will experience: Loss of control – you are taking a substance or indulging in an activity to an unhealthy degree.

Increase in tolerance - you will require ever greater quantities of the substance or activity to achieve the desired effect.

Continued use despite the consequences – you can see the impact your addiction is having on your work and life, but carry on regardless.

substance or behaviour also eventually becomes separate from life events and emotional stresses, turning into a coping mechanism and a necessity.

LIFE CHANGING Many of the consequences of addiction are physical, such as damage to the liver and other organs from alcohol, lung disease as a result of smoking, and damage to the cardiac and respiratory system due to cocaine addiction.

Even gambling, which is a behavioural addiction, can lead to digestive problems and insomnia.

Technology addicts may become glued to their computers for up to 18 hours a day: not eating, drinking and becoming sleep deprived. They can become socially withdrawn and isolated and fly into temper tantrums if disturbed.

In fact, for most addictions, often the most prominent and damaging effects are related to emotional wellbeing and behaviour. Severe mood swings are common in addicts, ranging from extreme elation and euphoria to crippling depression. Addicts are more likely to suffer from anxiety, have a reduced ability to cope, and an inability to handle stress and problems in their home life and at work.

They may experience feelings of hopelessness, lack resilience and motivation and have a decreased ability to concentrate. The addiction can take such a hold that it takes precedence over important social and personal responsibilities, which may previously have been honoured religiously.

As the addiction progresses and causes increasing levels of chaos in a person’s life, they will often turn to their addictive substance or behaviour to help them cope, thereby compounding the problem and its effects even further.

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UNDER THE INFLUENCE While there is still debate over whether a particular personality type is prone to addiction, research indicates that there is no definitive addictive personality. Addiction does however have three influencing factors, or what we call a biopsychosocial model. What is debatable is whether some of these factors are present before the addiction or are caused or activated by it.

Biological factors - genetics and/or defective dopamine receptors and pleasure neurotransmitters. If there is a genetic history of addiction in your family tree, namely a relative who suffered from an alcohol, drug or gambling addiction, then the propensity for you to develop an addiction is increased. However, genetic influences don’t always run in a direct line, so a son may inherit the problem, but not the daughter, and the gene may also skip a generation.

Psychological elements – an abnormal drive to pleasure seeking or escapism.

Social or environmental aspects – stress or trauma. Not everyone who undergoes stress or trauma develops an addiction, of course, so the biological and/or psychological factors also have to be present.

NEVER ENOUGH True addiction is defined by a loss of control and unmanageability, so it is not possible to manage it while still indulging in the substance or activity in question. The only way of dealing with a serious addiction is through abstinence.

The old saying of ‘one drink is too many and a hundred is never enough’ still holds true.

You cannot cure an addiction as such, but you can deactivate it. Just like in a diabetic’s relationship with sugar, if an alcoholic abstains from drinking alcohol his condition remains dormant. The moment he drinks again, however, it is reactivated.

Some addictions, such as food disorders, and particularly obsessions that are less harmful, such as sex and shopping addictions, cannot be dealt with using abstinence. Here, techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be of help. This technique aims to change unhealthy thoughts and beliefs, 45

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thereby changing the negative emotions that follow them, which can then result in positive behaviours. Instead of thinking you have failed at something and feeling depressed, for example, you would think that you haven’t got it quite right and need to improve, helping you to feel more motivated and hopeful.

FIRST STEPS It is important to understand that addiction is a recognised medical condition rather than simply a lack of willpower or morals. However, this should not be used as an excuse. As a general rule, if your dependence is having any negative impact on your life then you have a problem, and as soon as you are aware of that it is your responsibility to recover from it.

Then seek help, perhaps by approaching a company doctor or personal GP. They may send you to a local Drug and Alcohol Team, who can offer counselling, treatment and a detox if necessary. All employers have a duty of care to their employees and they can help if you admit to the problem. A number of free fellowships (listed below) are also available.

Addiction, like most medical problems, will continue to get worse if left untreated; it does not simply get better by itself. Be honest with yourself about your problem, seek treatment and support and regain control.

FIND OUT MORE Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) - alcoholics-anonymous.co.uk Narcotics Anonymous (NA) - ukna.org Cocaine Anonymous (CA) - ca.org Gamblers Anonymous (GA) - gamblersanonymous.org.uk Marijuana Anonymous (MA) - marijuanaanonymous.org

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MINDFULNESS Mindfulness meditation can be invaluable in managing stress, improving wellbeing and enhancing performance under pressure. What’s more, you can do it anytime, anywhere.

Words: Dr Kate Joseph, LPP Consulting

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e may not be able to change what’s going on around us or reduce the external sources of stress, but we can look at how we approach life’s challenges. Research shows that mindfulness could help people to manage their stress levels more effectively, reduce anxiety and depression, increase happiness and even improve relationships.

Studies show that regular mindfulness practice can improve physical wellbeing by bolstering the immune system, thereby helping to fight off colds and other illnesses. There are also impressive findings showing that even shortterm meditation training improves attention and self-regulation.

In sport, mindfulness can help athletes to maximise performance, improve focus and reduce self-criticism, while in the workplace, as well as reducing stress levels, mindfulness has been shown to improve communication and decrease likelihood of burn-out. In particular, it is being used to help leaders and managers adapt to changing environments, improve decision-making, and develop new ways of communicating and responding under pressure.

IN THEORY Amid the many pressures of modern life, often much of our emotional energy is spent either ruminating on past experiences or worrying about the future, and 49

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many of us are trying so hard to be happy that we have forgotten how to live peacefully and successfully in the here and now.

The goal of mindfulness is to tune one’s awareness and pay attention to the present moment. It enables us to take a break from dwelling on the past or the future and tap into our sensory experiences in the present.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, a medical professor in Massachusetts, started to promote mindfulness around 30 years ago. He noticed that his patients were more able to cope with their chronic pain when they developed a different relationship with it, by becoming more mindful of the experience. By paying attention to difficult sensations without judging them or trying to change them, they became less of a struggle.

It is important to realise that mindfulness is not simply a relaxation technique; it is part of an evidence-based approach called ‘mind-body medicine’, and has been shown to result in changes in both the brain and body. The supporting research has grown rapidly over the last two decades, from around 100 scientific papers on the clinical applications of mindfulness in 2004 to over 1500 articles by 2013. There is now even a scientific journal called ‘Mindfulness’.

Mindfulness meditation affects the working of the vagus nerve in the brain, which controls our autonomic nervous system, helping us to relax. 80 per cent of the fibres in the vagus nerve run from the body towards the brain, so the state of the body has a significant impact on stress levels. Deep, slow abdominal breathing helps to stimulate the vagus nerve, which sends signals that combat stress and promote relaxation.

Recent research using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) brain scanning found that eight weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction training led to a thickening of several brain regions that are associated with learning, memory, regulation of emotions and perspective taking. When people practised mindfulness for 27 minutes a day, there were changes in brain structure, referred to as ‘neuroplasticity’. For example, there were changes in a brain area called the amygdala, which is involved in perceiving threat and stress. After mindfulness training the amygdala was thinner and this change correlated with reductions on a questionnaire measuring perceived stress.

A separate study at the University of Wisconsin looked at healthy stressed employees in a corporate setting and found that the same eight-week mindfulness programme led to changes in how the brain’s pre-frontal cortex 50

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MYTHS & REALITIES In order to meditate, you need to clear your mind.

NO. It is practically impossible to clear your mind, so the aim is to focus your awareness on the present moment. We humans have what is sometimes described as a ‘monkey mind’ as it tends to jump around. Expect that the mind will wander during meditation, but don’t react to it. The main aim of mindfulness is to try to refocus the mind (on the breathing or on a particular image) and gently bring it back if it wanders away.

You can either meditate or you can’t.

NO. Learning how to meditate is a journey that requires regular practice, like sports training or learning a foreign language. There may be people who believe that they can’t meditate. There is no such thing as being good at meditation; in fact, the busier the person, the more challenging they will find it to quieten their mind. Mindfulness needs to be viewed as a gym for the mind, where motivation and commitment to regular practice are necessary in order for the benefits to be reaped. It can also be likened to a muscle that needs to be trained to become stronger and more supple.

You need to be sitting cross-legged on the floor to meditate.

NO. It is about finding what suits you. Although the traditional image of someone meditating is a silent figure sitting cross-legged in the lotus pose for long periods at a time, the reality is that mindfulness meditation can take many forms. There are short practices that can be easily slotted into a busy routine, such as a mini-meditation called the ‘three-minute breathing space’, walking meditations for those who find it hard to sit still, and imagery exercises for people who prefer to visualise a scene, rather than focusing just on breathing. handled anxiety and frustration. Those participants who had attended the mindfulness training handled stress more effectively, even four months after the training had ended.

Interestingly, the study also found that mindfulness had a positive impact on physical health. When given a flu vaccine at the end of the period, those who had received mindfulness training showed a stronger antibody response.

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IN PRACTICE To get the most from mindfulness meditation, make sure you are comfortable, for example, by wearing loose-fitting clothing, and find a time when you will not be disturbed by others. Turn off your phone.

Sit in a position that you can maintain without fidgeting. If you are on a chair, make sure that both feet are flat on the floor and sit upright with your back away from the chair. If mindfulness feels challenging or you are not sure if you are doing it right, try not to get stressed or demotivated. There is no right way, it is just about trying to focus your attention.

A simple way to build mindfulness into a busy schedule is to become more mindful during everyday activities. For example, the next time you are cleaning your teeth, rather than planning the rest of your day or worrying about your next match, spend a couple of minutes paying full and undivided attention to the experience of brushing.

What does the toothpaste look like when it turns from paste to froth?

Which sounds can you hear? How does the toothpaste smell? How does the brushing feel on your teeth and gums? What does it taste like? Try giving similar focus to your walk to work or taking a shower. By paying attention to all five senses, everyday routines that we take for granted can be transformed into rich sensory experiences that take us away from our usual mental habits.

Classes are a great way to learn meditation and mindfulness with others, while for those who prefer to try it alone there are plenty of websites and apps that offer downloadable exercises (see right for details).

DEVELOPING A ROUTINE There is no right time to practise mindfulness. It’s about developing a routine that works for you. Here are some ideas: Morning Try a three-minute breathing space when you wake up as a calming way to start your day.

At home Build mindfulness into everyday activities, such as brushing your teeth, drinking a cup of tea or having a shower. Mindful eating (removing distractions such as the TV and slowly paying attention to all five senses while eating) can transform a routine meal into a rich sensory experience.

At work Make sure you take regular breaks during the working day to calm the mind. Although many people find it hard to take breaks when they are very busy, 52

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taking a 10-minute mindful walk may increase productivity.

At stressful times If you are feeling apprehensive or edgy before a deadline or a big game, taking three minutes out in a quiet place for some breathing space can help to ground you and focus your attention on what is important.

If you have more time Try a full body scan, a 40-minute practice in which you are guided to focus on different parts of the body in a gradual, non-judgmental way.

Evening It can be calming to practise mindfulness last thing at night. The aim is not to go to sleep, but to move on from thoughts about the day. This could be a good time to try an imagery practice, such as lake meditation. If you are lying down, focus on the breath by feeling the stomach move up and down.

FIND OUT MORE Information and downloadable exercises www.freemindfulness.org/download www.getsomeheadspace.com Mindfulness-based stress reduction classes http://www.mbsr.co.uk/ Information and research www.mindfulnet.org Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994).

Full Catastrophe Living: how to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013).

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation Salzberg, S. (2011) Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Tang et al, (2007).

Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World Williams, M. and Perlman, D. (2011).

Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density Hölzel et al. (2011).

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TIME AND HEALTH ARE TWO PRECIOUS ASSETS THAT WE DON’T RECOGNISE AND APPRECIATE UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN DEPLETED” DENIS WAITLEY

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PHYSICAL WELLBEING 57 60 66 74 80

INTRODUCTION HEART HEALTH FOOD AND NUTRITION ALCOHOL EXERCISE

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PHYSICAL WELLBEING To keep pace and meet high expectations, you need to be in the best possible shape. That means being aware of the risks to your health and understanding some vital statistics.

P

icture the very latest laptop computer. It has an incredible memory, is equipped with a dizzying array of apps that enables it to manage all manner of complicated tasks. It even looks the part. But forget to plug in the charger or leave it running for days on end and its performance will suffer.

You will never realise its full potential.

The modern manager is similarly well-equipped for the job in hand, but is under constant pressure. A ceaselessly hectic schedule, regular travel and the growing physical, emotional and psychological demands of the role all take their toll on the manager’s health and that in turn impacts on his performance.

Stress is perhaps foremost among the health risks facing today’s managers.

Left unchecked, it can lead to increased risk of heart problems, strokes, diabetes, stomach upsets and ulcers. Lack of moderate exercise on a regular basis is another risk area, helping to clog up the system, particularly the blood vessels, and creating the potential for blockages in the heart and brain.

Given that a manager’s career can span half a century, he can no more think short-term about his own performance than he does his team’s. To get to the top of your game and stay there means monitoring and managing your health, listening to your body and staying alert to the warning signs.

Understanding some key health numbers can help here. These include blood pressure, cholesterol and all its sub-fractions, and blood sugars. There are also some less common numbers that include inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and homocysteine. Monitoring your heart rhythm with an ECG is also valuable to check for any rhythm disturbances or lack of oxygen going to the heart during exercise and to check for any structural or functional abnormalities in the heart wall.

In this section, we highlight some of the most common risks to your health, help you to identify what you’re doing right and wrong in terms of your physical health and performance, and provide practical advice on building and maintaining a body that is truly and sustainably fit to manage.

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TICKING TIME BOMB

44% of the first 54 football managers tested by the Fit to Manage programme had significant cardiovascular and lifestyle-related health issues.

The body is

MANAGER MOT 70-75% Check your:

Blood pressure Cholesterol level and its sub-fractions Blood sugars Inflammatory markers, e.g. C-reactive protein and homocysteine Heart rhythm, function and structure (using an ECG) 58

water. Aim for

1-1.5L/DAY TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY. IT’S THE ONLY PLACE YOU HAVE TO LIVE”

Jim Rohn

Physical Wellbeing

REMEMBER THIS

Eat foods rich in acetylcholine PHYSICAL FITNESS IS and choline to help keep the brain stimulated, necessary for NOT ONLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT KEYS memory formation. Try: Cabbage TO A HEALTHY BODY, Cauliflower IT IS THE BASIS OF Broccoli Eggs DYNAMIC AND CREATIVE Soybeans INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITY” Liver John F Kennedy

HEART HEALTH - AN ACTION PLAN Have regular annual screening to flag up any potential problems before they develop into something more serious.

Get regular moderate exercise Aim for around 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise each week, broken into 35-45 minute sessions.

Drink alcohol only in moderation Look after teeth and gums Gum disease has been linked to inflammation of the heart muscle.

Limit saturated fats, in particular trans-fats They can be hazardous to your heart.

Take a supplement Mix vegetable juices together with fruits for the best antioxidant effect.

Get some sun Recent research suggests low levels of vitamin D may increase your risk of heart disease.

Smile and relax Practise relaxation for 10 minutes every day, as the endorphins released help to combat stress.

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HEART HEALTH Managers who neglect their health are at significant risk of cardiovascular disease. But there are practical, preventative steps you can take.

Words: Dr Dorian Dugmore, Wellness Academy

E

very seven minutes, someone in the UK dies of a heart attack and heart and circulatory diseases are the nation’s biggest killer, accounting for more than a quarter of all deaths.

As football management has evolved as a profession, the associated lifestyle, demands and stresses have put managers at greater risk of heart problems. These risks include elevated blood pressure and blood cholesterol; raised blood sugars; cardiac arrhythmias that increase with both exercise and stress; raised plaque within the coronary arteries that requires invasive surgery; and even damage to the main artery (the aorta) leaving the heart, both to the vessel itself and its valves.

Indeed, of 54 football managers assessed across a range of key health parameters, 44 per cent were found to have a significant degree of cardiac risk, ranging from raised blood pressures, cholesterols and sugars to previous cardiac events, cardiac valve disorders and early signs of poor oxygen supply to the heart muscle itself. Some of these issues were not discovered until the 61

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TARGET NUMBERS Blood pressure Blood glucose Blood cholesterol HDL cholesterol Total cholesterol/HDL Cholesterol ratio LDL cholesterol Triglycerides

Minimum <140/90mm/Hg <7mmol/L <5mmol/L >1.0-1.4mmol/L

Ideal <130/80mm/Hg) 3.3 to 5.3mmol/L < 4mmol/L) > 1.4mmol/L

5

<4.0

<3.0mmol/L <2mmol/L

< 2mmol/L <2mmol/L

managers were regularly cardio-respiratory tested as part of the programme.

Many of these potential problems, however, may be averted through regular serial testing. Just as managers might seek legal guidance and advice on other key areas of their work, they should take the opportunity to discuss their wellbeing with experts in the field and should be tested each year to measure their key health performance numbers. Every manager should be familiar with these numbers and understand what is healthy and what is cause for concern (see the table above).

However, there are also many practical things that managers can do, dayto-day, to look after their hearts and reduce the risk of cardiac problems, now and in the future.

REGULAR ANNUAL SCREENING The value of annual serial testing cannot be overestimated, because it provides a picture of risks that might change over time. It allows many potential problems to be either averted altogether or dealt with before they develop into something more serious, even life-threatening.

REGULAR MODERATE EXERCISE This simply has a cardio-protective effect. Managers should aim for a minimum of around 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise each week, broken into 35-40 minute sessions. In addition, as we age it’s important to add regular muscular resistance 62

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SPOT THE SIGNS If you experience any of these symptoms, don’t ignore them, call 999: Chest pain or discomfort, which may spread to the arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back A dull pain, ache or ‘heavy’ feeling in your chest Chest pain or discomfort. This may feel like indigestion, but makes you feel generally unwell Feeling sick, sweaty, breathless, lightheaded, dizzy or generally unwell as well as pain or discomfort in your chest.

training to our routines. This preserves strength, helps to keep bones healthy and enhances muscle metabolism. Many clubs have strength and conditioning coaches who can help to guide this and St George’s Park, with its dedicated Perform Centre, can also help.

DRINK ALCOHOL ONLY IN MODERATION Studies have found that people who enjoy one or two drinks, three times a week tend to have lower cardiovascular risk than heavy drinkers. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias, which can be lifethreatening.

LOOK AFTER TEETH AND GUMS Taking care of your dental hygiene is important for your heart, as gum disease, in particular, has been connected with potential inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium).

WATCH YOUR DIET Foods with fats that harden at room temperature can be hazardous to your heart, helping to accelerate the development of plaque inside the coronary arteries. Limit your intake of saturated fats, and in particular trans-fats, as well as foods that state they have been ‘hydrogenated’ (treated to preserve their shelf life), as these have been linked to heart disease and cancer.

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oxidants. However, avoid drinking coffee after 3pm, as its invigorating effect can keep you awake at night. Eggs also have a bad reputation, but are one of the purest forms of protein you can get. Eat them in moderation.

DON’T SMOKE A recent study found that smokers had around 60 per cent higher chance of dying from heart disease than non-smokers.

DON’T BURN YOUR SAUSAGES The latest guidelines on nutrition have identified an increase in carcinogens in burned and charred foods, and they are also not good for the heart.

WATCH YOUR SALT A major new study has shown a significant link between salt intake and risk of cardiac disease. Between 2003 and 2011 average salt intake in England fell by around 15 per cent, while the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke decreased by 40 per cent. Avoid fast foods, processed meals and other foods high in salt, such as some breads and bacon, and don’t add salt to your food.

TAKE A SUPPLEMENT Parent Essential Oils are increasingly being recognised as protective against cardiac illness and cancer as, unlike many other modified forms and derivatives of essential fatty acids, they help to promote sufficient oxygen reaching the cells. They are even thought to aid recovery following hard training and regular exercise.

A growing number of top cardiologists in the US are recommending taking a multi-vitamin or a recognised good anti-oxidant supplement if your lifestyle is hectic. Supplements can be combined with juicing, with a mix of fruits and vegetables for the best anti-oxidant effect. These anti-oxidants help to fight off ‘free radicals’, the molecular outlaws that inflame the plaque in the arteries and promote cancer-forming agencies within the body. Pomegranate juice and concentrates, together with the supplement Co-Enzyme Q10, have been associated with beneficial effects on the heart muscle and with lowering blood pressure. Always check with your doctor if you are already taking medication before going overboard on supplements.

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GET SOME SUN Recent research has suggested that low levels of vitamin D may increase your risk of heart disease. Getting some sun by gently acclimatising and being sensible so that you don’t burn is now thought to be beneficial.

SMILE AND RELAX There are many studies that support the endorphin-rich value of happiness and the ability to promote positivity through being grateful and giving to others. It sounds soft science, but it isn’t. Many of the banks under the most severe pressure during the recession used experts to change their fear culture into a more balanced and positive approach – with dramatic results.

Practise relaxation, such as 10 minutes of deep, relaxed breathing, each day.

The adrenaline-driven rushes of the day can be changed into something more endorphin-controlled and cardio-protective.

FIND OUT MORE Personal Wellness Guide Dr Dorian Dugmore British Heart Foundation www.bhf.org.uk

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FOOD AND NUTRITION What you eat and drink can play a major part in everything from your mood and how soundly your sleep to your concentration levels.

Words: Wendy Griffin, Perform, & Dr Dorian Dugmore, Wellness Academy

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ny manager who cares about the fitness of his players will keep a close eye on his diet. You will ensure they are hydrated and have enough of the right forms of energy to see them through training; sufficient protein to enable muscle building and nutrients to stay fit and healthy as athletes. But when you’re charged with ensuring every player is fuelled and fighting fit, it is all too easy to take your eye off the ball when it comes to your own diet.

Managers, like many busy professionals, often find themselves fitting food and drink around hectic work schedules, travel and irregular hours, eating what and when is convenient rather than strategically. Yet what goes into your body can have a major impact on how well you perform day-to-day as well as affecting your long-term health and stamina in the profession.

Barely a month goes by without the media reporting on the discovery of some new so-called superfood, but this is essentially a marketing term used to describe any food with health benefits. Lists of superfoods usually contain 67

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SPOT THE SIGNS Short-term signs - Keeping to the RDA of vitamins and minerals will ensure you do not develop a deficiency, some common signs of which include: Vitamin A – Poor night vision; dry, rough, or cracked skin; dry mucous membranes including the inside of the eye; slow wound healing; reduced resistance to respiratory infections Thiamin (vitamin B1) – Poor appetite; unintended weight loss; upset stomach; gastric upset (nausea, vomiting); mental depression; an inability to concentrate Riboflavin (vitamin B2) – Inflamed mucous membranes, including cracked lips, sore tongue and mouth; skin rashes; anaemia (symptoms of which are tiredness and lethargy, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and a pale complexion) Vitamin B6 – Anaemia Folate – Anaemia Biotin – Loss of appetite; upset stomach; pale, dry, scaly skin; hair loss; depression Poor diet – long-term effects Obesity and associated diseases Cardiovascular disease Stroke High blood pressure High cholesterol and atheroschlerosis Diabetes Increased risk of some cancers

common food choices whose nutritional value have long been recognised, such as berries, nuts and seeds, dark green vegetables such as kale, fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, and vegetables with bright, dark or intense colours, such as beets and sweet potatoes.

In Europe, we tend to use the term functional food to describe a food that has had something added to it to give it an extra benefit in terms of health and wellbeing. An example of this would be Benecol, which contains plant sterols 68

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that have been given EFSA approval for lowering LDL cholesterol levels. It is the plant sterol that has made it functional.

The Mediterranean diet has long been associated with a better quality of life and good health, including a healthier heart, a longer lifespan and good weight management. This diet includes plenty of wholegrain bread and pasta, fruit and vegetables, especially tomatoes, eating less red meat and more fish and products made from vegetable and plant oils like olive oil.

Managers should aim for a balanced diet that incorporates these types of food and eat seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but within these groups there are also certain foods with positive links to some of the key aspects of leadership performance.

CONCENTRATION To fire off messages and keep you alert and focused, your brain cells need oxygen from blood sugar. It is vital to provide them with a steady intake of energy throughout the day, rather than having a pattern of crash and burn. Nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, pumpkin and flax, contain complex carbohydrates and proteins, so take longer to break down, giving a sustained energy release. Avoid foods that are high in sugar, as these can cause an imbalance in blood sugar levels, leading to fatigue and a drop in energy levels.

This can have an impact on concentration levels throughout the day.

Messages in the brain must then travel to other brain cells through nerve fibres, which need to be well insulated by a substance called myelin. Eating foods that help build and maintain myelin levels, such as those rich in Omega-3 oils can, therefore, help boost mental performance.

Coffee can help you to stay alert, because caffeine binds to receptors in the brain and prevents them from being turned off. However, it should be drunk in moderation, as too much can cause the pituitary gland to go into emergency mode, producing adrenalin and making you feel anxious and unable to think as clearly.

ENERGY Energy is provided by the carbohydrates we eat. Foods that are high in sugar (with a high Glycaemic Index) are more beneficial immediately before and after exercise. Following a diet where most of the carbohydrates fall in the low GI category will help to keep blood sugar levels more stable throughout the day.

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TRAINING DAY – A HIGH-PERFORMANCE MENU Breakfast Porridge, made with skimmed milk OR Poached/scrambled eggs on wholemeal bread OR Granary toast with cheese AND a piece of fruit or berries *In a rush, try a glass of milk and a banana Pre-training snack Banana and water Lunch Turkey chilli with brown rice OR Grilled chicken breast with garlic, sweet potato wedges and mixed salad OR Jacket potato with cheese and an avocado and rocket salad OR Chicken sandwiches on wholemeal/granary bread with salad AND Fruit salad/flapjacks (with nuts and seeds) To drink: electrolyte drink Mid-afternoon snack Low-fat yoghurt with nuts and seeds OR Oatcakes and almond butter OR Fruit and nut bar (e.g. Nakd Bar) OR Peanut butter on wholemeal toast Dinner Poached salmon with jacket potato and roasted Mediterranean vegetables OR Turkey escalopes with wilted spinach, sweet potato mash and curly kale OR Vegetable curry made with coconut milk and sweet potato, served with wild rice AND Mixed forest fruits with Greek yoghurt and chopped brazil nuts

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This can also be achieved by having protein with the carbohydrate, for example, a jacket potato with tuna or banana with nuts.

The body uses glucose as its main fuel and normally keeps blood glucose within a concentration range of 4.0mmol/L to 8.0mmol/L. When blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas releases insulin, which causes the cells to transfer the glucose from the bloodstream, signalling the cells in the body to use it as fuel.

Therefore insulin lowers the amount of glucose in the bloodstream.

When blood glucose levels are low, the brain signals the adrenal glands to release the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These then signal the liver to convert the carbohydrates it has stored (from the foods we have eaten) into glucose and release it into the bloodstream. Consequently during stress, when cortisol and adrenaline are released there is a rise in blood sugar levels, which can have an impact on blood sugar stability.

MEMORY To form a new memory, the brain needs to make new connections, which it does best when stimulated. Foods rich in the chemical acetylcholine, such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, and those containing choline, including eggs, soybeans and liver, help to keep the brain excited. Eggs contain one of the purest forms of protein and, contrary to previous thought, researchers now believe an egg a day does not increase risk of heart disease and may reduce memory loss.

MOOD Neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which carry information between cells in the brain, are key to how we feel, but need to be regulated carefully to prevent swings in mood and stimulation.

While any sugary or fatty food will cause these neurotransmitters to surge, the highs will soon be followed by lows due to blood sugar imbalance, which can impede our performance. Eating protein-rich foods alongside healthy carbohydrates helps to maintain blood sugar balance and will also increase levels of neurotransmitters.

SLEEP Lack of sleep can make you feel less motivated, reduce your reaction time and ability to problem solve, and affect how you respond to your colleagues and 71

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team. Studies have also found that sleep deprivation can increase appetite, affecting your ability to lose weight or maintain a healthy diet, and even increase risk of heart disease and stroke.

While eating too much just before bedtime isn’t a good idea, eating something for supper can stop you waking up hungry. Try a piece of wholemeal toast with peanut butter or, better still, some porridge. Oats release their energy slowly, while warm milk before bedtime has been found to help people fall asleep.

HYDRATION Given that the body is 70-75 per cent water, it’s unsurprising that a reduction in fluid has a major impact on performance. Water is responsible for numerous crucial processes, among them regulating temperature, transporting nutrients and oxygen to the cells, removing waste, and lubricating the spine, which creates the right environment for nerve reactions, thus increasing reaction time. Insufficient hydration leads to loss of concentration and diminished physical performance and endurance.

The guidelines are that we should aim to drink at least two litres of fluid a day, including teas, coffee and herbal teas. During exercise, however, this should be increased and extra fluid should be consumed before and after.

Having a drink containing electrolytes after exercise may help to replace the electrolytes lost through sweating.

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ALCOHOL Even small amounts of alcohol can leave you feeling and performing below par. Greater or more regular consumption, meanwhile, can have serious longterm implications.

Words: Dr Dorian Dugmore, Wellness Academy

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hile many of us enjoy a drink on occasion, for the addict overindulgence is chronic and becomes a coping mechanism rather than a social pastime. Alcohol is, as the saying goes, ‘a good servant, but a bad master’.

The extent to which alcohol impairs our physical and mental performance in the short term depends not only on how much we consume but how fast we metabolise it. Here, gender, body size and body mass come into play. In general, a woman will have a higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) after a unit of alcohol than a man, as women tend to have proportionately higher body fat.

Men are often leaner and have more water in their bodies to distribute and dilute the alcohol. Studies have shown that tolerance to alcohol also varies with ethnic group.

Generally speaking, two units of alcohol will have an effect on all of us, but whereas a 200lb man will, after two hours, have a BAC concentration of 0.04, 75

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BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION BAC .05% .08% .10% .20% .40% .50%

Minimum Relaxed state, judgement not as sharp Everyday stress lessened Movement and speech becomes clumsy (intoxicated) Very drunk, loud, difficult to understand, unstable Difficult to wake up, incapable of voluntary action Coma and/or possible death

a man weighing only 120lb will have a BAC of 0.06. After four units the heavier man’s BAC will be 0.08, whereas the 120lb man will be well over the UK driving limit of 0.08 at 0.12. The chart above gives a fair indication of the physical effects of increasing BAC. SHORT-TERM IMPACT You might think that you are familiar with alcohol’s effects on the body, but what is actually going on inside and what are the short and long-term implications of these processes?

Alcohol is absorbed through the stomach and the small intestine and is then carried through the bloodstream to the body’s organs and tissues. It contains no proteins, vitamins or minerals, but it does contain ‘empty calories’, twice as many per gram as sugar, so will contribute to weight gain.

Alcohol acts as a depressant to both the central nervous system, impairing judgement, memory and sensory perception, and the parts of the brain that integrate behaviour, causing thoughts to get jumbled, inhibition to be affected and concentration and insight to be dulled. It can also lead to feelings of depression or anger and so result in violent behaviour.

Because alcohol dehydrates the body, energy levels are often reduced and abnormal cardiac rhythms may also occur. It is for this reason that you should never train the morning after drinking heavily. While alcohol causes initial sleepiness, it later disrupts the normal patterns of sleepiness and dreaming.

LONG-TERM RISKS While many of the short-term effects of alcohol soon cease once alcohol 76

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consumption is curtailed, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can seriously damage every function and organ of the body and this is often irreversible.

Alcohol acts as a diuretic, stimulating the kidneys to pass more water than is being consumed and in the long term this puts a strain on these organs. It can also cause the brain to shrink and the cavities in the brain to enlarge.

It can negatively affect the absorption of nutrients into the gut, especially vitamins and minerals, and its empty calories are not burned for energy, but contribute to obesity as well as damaging liver cells (cirrhosis), causing blood pressure to rise and even damaging the heart muscle itself.

In combination with other addictions, such as smoking, alcohol is also linked to cancers of the mouth, larynx and throat and has been cited as potentially playing a part in stomach, colorectal and liver cancer.

WHY DO WE GET A HANGOVER? The liver has to work overtime to process alcohol, causing a temporary crash in sugar levels, which results in headaches, fatigue, weakness, shaking, irritability and vomiting.

SAFE DRINKING Studies have shown that moderate drinking – for example, one glass of wine with dinner – has some benefits to health and longevity. It has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, an increase in good cholesterol, decrease in bad cholesterol and a reduction in the blood’s propensity to clot. It also contains anti-oxidants, which aid in protecting cells against inflammation caused by oxidation.

However, moderation is absolutely key. What’s more, as alcohol is toxic, it is important to have at least two days each week where you abstain completely in order to allow the liver to recover.

If you are drinking to excess or your drinking is getting out of control, cutting down quickly or stopping altogether is essential. Experts agree that the crucial factor in whether someone can successfully address their excessive alcohol consumption is first recognising that the problem exists.

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DON’T LET IT GO TO YOUR HEAD Drink a glass of water for each alcoholic one. As well as reducing the chance of dehydration, the water dilutes the alcohol and slows its absorption.

Eat fatty or protein-rich foods to slow the absorption of alcohol.

Go easy on the bubbly – the carbon dioxide in fizzy alcoholic drinks increases the speed of absorption, meaning the alcohol has an effect more quickly, especially on an empty stomach.

There is no right or wrong way to reduce or stop your intake of alcohol, so long as it works.

There is real value in the phrase ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved’, which is why so many people successfully deal with their problems through groups such as alcoholics anonymous or at retreats. Abstinence can also lead to varying degrees of withdrawal, so help and guidance with support often proves invaluable.

FIND OUT MORE alcoholics-anonymous.co.uk drinkaware.co.uk alcoholconcern.org.uk

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EXERCISE Unfortunately for former players, the benefits of fitness cannot simply be saved for later. As we age, regular, appropriate exercise becomes even more important for our health and wellbeing.

Words: Dr Dorian Dugmore, Wellness Academy, & Ian Aylward, Perform

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s we move into our 30s and beyond and our professional responsibilities and family commitments change, many of us become less active.

Life and the demands of the job simply get in the way. However, with every passing decade, the risks to our health of a physically inactive lifestyle increase.

Sadly for managers who were once professional athletes, the fitness of our youth will not continue to protect us as we get older. Exercise is something you have to stick at. In fact, some research suggests that when you stop doing regular exercise, up to 60 per cent of the fitness benefits are lost within the space of three months, particularly in the areas of strength and local muscular endurance.

For former players there is an added risk. A sudden drop in regular exercise has been linked to an increased risk of irritable heart rhythms and even unstable blood pressures as the heart tries to readjust to its new 81

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AEROBIC VS RESISTANCE TRAINING The benefits of aerobic and resistance training:

Cardiovascular Blood pressure Respiratory Blood clots Skeletal muscle Bone Ligaments/tendons Energy expenditure Obesity

Aerobic exercise

Resistance exercise

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↑ ↑↑ ↑ ↑ ↑↑↑ ↑↑↑ ↑↑↑ ↑↑ ↑↑

requirements. The advice to endurance athletes is, therefore, often to take their foot off the accelerator gently over time to allow their cardiovascular systems and metabolisms to acclimatise.

In the longer-term, the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle – in particular, sitting for long periods of time – include increased risk of diabetes (type 11), changes in blood chemistry (particularly in fat metabolism), unstable and raised blood pressure and even changes in the hormonal balance within the body, linked to an increase in the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

Because there are lower metabolic demands on the body, skeletal muscle wastage (atrophy) can occur, which can lead to weight gain and obesity, and there can be a reduction in respiratory reserve and aerobic capacity, flexibility and bone mineral loss (osteoporosis).

WORKING IT OUT While inactivity can have a major impact on your health, wellbeing and performance, the effects can be avoided or the risks minimised by building 82

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STAY ENERGISED Build a tailored exercise routine into your day Limit alcohol Get enough sleep Eat a balanced diet, limiting high-sugar foods and including enough macro-nutrients Take a break every 30-40 minutes Plan difficult or challenging mental tasks when you tend to have most mental energy, often earlier in the day (personal psychological profiling can help here) Factor two or three 10-minute periods into each day to practise deepbreathing and mind/body relaxation techniques

regular, moderate exercise into your daily routine.

Some of the results of exercise on the body and mind, such as improved muscle strength, flexibility and mood, can be felt within a short period of time.

However, it’s important to remember that the most important benefits, such as reduced risk of heart disease, are achieved only in the longer term.

If an adult embarks on a regular exercise training routine – one that is of suitable intensity, frequency and duration – they will tend to show incremental improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness every 4-6 weeks. After each period, they will reach a new plateau of exercise training. To really see the cardioprotective benefits of exercise and reduce your cardiovascular risk, therefore, may take many months. It is a life-long journey, rather than a quick fix.

As well as taking a long-term view of exercise, it’s also essential to ensure that your routine is right for you, taking into account your age, fitness levels, lifestyle and, in particular, medical history and any underlying risks.

Some research suggests that the risk of cardiovascular events can increase six or seven-fold during exercise, especially if that exercise is unsuitable for the person’s age, fitness and any pre-existing or underlying problems. Excessive or unsuitable training activities can also lead to musculoskeletal or soft tissue injuries, resulting in chronic pain and discomfort, and nausea, fainting and hypertension (high blood pressure).

However, while there are very small risks to exercising too vigorously, for 83

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PACING THE TOUCHLINE Managers, of course, are hardly sedentary individuals, but research suggests that this seemingly active lifestyle is not enough to offer sufficient health benefits. From my experience of working with managers over 14 years, I have found that:

33%

Take very regular exercise – 3 or more hours per week

<33%

Take adequate exercise – up to 3 hours per week

>33%

Take insufficient exercise – less than 3 hours per week

too long or inappropriately for your age or current health, for most people the long-term benefits outweigh the risks ten-fold.

PERSONAL PROGRAMME In order to develop an appropriate regime, it is advisable to first assess your fitness levels, especially if you are making the transition from a playing to a management career. At St George’s Park, individuals can have a thorough ‘Fit to Perform’ assessment to provide a benchmark against which to measure themselves, throughout their managerial and coaching careers.

Regular health and fitness assessments such as these can also help to predict any health risks or problems before they become more serious. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of treatment.

Performance science generally recommends that an adult above 30 years works out at between 50 and 70 per cent of their measured oxygen uptake. This equates to approximately 70 to 85 per cent of their maximum age-related heart rate (your maximum heart rate can be determined by subtracting your age from 220).

However, this is only an approximation, as many other factors can influence an individual’s recommended exercise levels. For example, some individuals have intrinsically high or low resting heart rates, and certain medications such as Beta Blockers attenuate heart rate responses to exercise. It is for these reasons that it is important to accurately measure someone’s cardiorespiratory responses to physical performance before prescribing a suitable exercise programme.

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DID YOU KNOW? Research suggests that our fat cells are formed before the age of 10, which means being active early on is a key factor in avoiding things like obesity later in life.

SPACE IN THE DIARY Of course, as a busy professional, the most difficult part may be finding time in your schedule for regular exercise. It is important to consider the short- and long-term benefits of physical fitness and then prioritise exercise in your diary.

Working through a typical day and identifying any opportunities for even short spells of exercise can help.

When finding time for exercise remember its impact on performance, not only on physical fitness, but on daily performance. For example, individuals who are physically active and generally fit tend to deal with external sources of stress more effectively. Meanwhile, cognitively fitter individuals can process information and act on it more effectively under fatigue than those who are more sedentary.

Exercise is also important for building physical stamina. Managers often need to maintain concentration and energy levels for long periods at a time and a regular exercise routine combined with a well balanced diet is key. In particular, the manager’s diet should contain adequate amounts of macronutrients to maintain energy levels and support the body’s recovery between exercise and coaching sessions.

Limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding sugary foods, not eating too late in the evenings and planning to get adequate sleep to aid recovery and repair are all also essential in maintaining concentration levels and supporting performance throughout a busy season.

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YOUR GENETICS LOAD THE GUN. YOUR LIFESTYLE PULLS THE TRIGGER” MEHMET OZ

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LIFESTYLE 89 92 98 104

INTRODUCTION SLEEP RELATIONSHIPS TRAVEL

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LIFESTYLE For leaders and managers at the top of their game, having a relentless work ethic and attention to detail goes with the territory. But keeping check of how effectively you manage your time is key.

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or the football manager, it can feel as though life is defined by what happens each Saturday afternoon. With so much expectation and pressure, all depending on the binary results of a win or loss, it’s easy to catapult from a healthy work-life balance into the realms of obsession.

In the heat of the moment, the stress, urgency and hard work can make us feel fired up, but it’s only on reflection that we realise just how much energy these turbulent times consume.

We may also get caught up in the obsession, fuelled by the media, of the polar opposites of success and failure. However, the wisest leaders have their own barometer of success. They realise the importance of focusing on their natural strengths, the things they are good at and that fill them with energy, rather than sapping their energy trying to be someone or something else.

Football managers, like senior executives, have to manage a host of relationships to keep things running effectively, from owners and support staff to the media, players and fans. Ensuring we say the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, every time is almost impossible, but we must be able to respond quickly and deal effectively with conflict if we are to manage everyone’s emotions.

Technology has made us accessible at all times and in all places and this, combined with our desire to not let anyone down and the endless quest for improvement, means we are ‘always on’. In challenging times, the instinct can be to step closer to the noise, yet our impact is often greatest when we step back and gain a calm, focused perspective. This is perhaps the biggest challenge of our generation. It is an unsustainable situation, and sports teams and businesses alike are searching for new ways to work smarter and not harder.

In this section, you will gain new insights into the science behind energy management and learn practical new techniques to sustain personal success.

For some, the latest research statistics will be the catalyst for change, while for others the importance of reconnecting with friends, hobbies and family will be enough.

Like our players, our recovery is as critical to our performance as our work rate. By understanding more about the things that drain us and energise us, we can make new, better choices.

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INSOMNIA WILL NOURISH ITSELF ON ANY KIND OF THINKING, INCLUDING THINKING ABOUT NOTClifton THINKING” Fadiman When working long hours:

1/3 feel unhappy or very unhappy about the time they devote to work

58% FEEL IRRITABLE

34% FEEL ANXIOUS

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY

>40% of employees are

neglecting other aspects of their life because of work 27% FEEL DEPRESSED 90

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The more hours you spend

at work, the more hours outside of work you are likely to spend thinking or worrying about it.

(Mental Health Foundation)

Recover from stress more quickly by improving your recovery behaviours: Ensure sufficient recovery periods away from the day job, on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.

As little as 20 minutes a day delivers benefits Get enough sleep and manage your sleeping habits Pay attention to diet, particularly your blood sugar levels and hydration Get regular exercise and movement

LIGHT SLEEP DEEP SLEEP

BRIEF AWAKENINGS

REM

In a typical night, about 50% of the time is spent in light sleep, 20% in deep sleep, 25% in REM sleep and 5% in brief awakenings.

A HEALTHY ATTITUDE IS CONTAGIOUS, BUT DON’T WAIT TO CATCH IT FROM OTHERS. BE A CARRIER”

Tom Stoppard

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SLEEP Sleep is one of the most basic human functions and yet around a third of us struggle to get enough. Some simple changes can make a big difference.

Words: Dr Dorian Dugmore, Wellness Academy

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tudies have shown that losing just one night’s sleep is likely to result in fatigue, irritability, an inability to concentrate and mood shifts the following day. The chance of having a serious accident increases and after a few days of sleep loss you become less alert and your thought processes slow down, with the ability to focus on long, repetitive tasks suffering more than shorter, more interesting jobs.

Regular sleep loss can also have physical effects, including fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rhythms and changes in our digestion, while longterm sleep deprivation has been linked to more significant health problems, such as weight loss and cardiac problems, and even to reduced life expectancy.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, insomniacs are also four times more likely to be experiencing relationship problems than good sleepers.

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cortex, is thought to play an important role in sleeplessness. It is stimulated by stress and poor sleep and when turned on too frequently it can stay on. This then switches the stress response on, resulting in a short-term increase in blood pressure and cholesterol and a reduction in the body’s immune response.

THE SLEEP CYCLE The latest research suggests that during the night we cycle through five or six 90-minute phases, each consisting of: 2-5mins The brainwave frequency starts to decrease, breathing slows

10 mins-1 hour REM sleep, where the heart rate speeds up, breathing becomes shallower and the eyes dart from side to side (rapid eye movement). This is the dream phase of sleep.

20 mins The brain slows more as the alpha and theta waves kick in, relaxing the body

30 mins Brain activity is at a minimum and you enter a deep sleep (delta sleep). This is vital to psychological and physical wellbeing as this phase is associated with the production of the growth hormone that helps repair damaged tissue

BE PREPARED The impact of sleep on day-to-day performance shouldn’t be underestimated and however busy your schedule, it is essential to allow yourself enough time and create the right environment to get enough quality sleep.

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FIVE SIMPLE EXERCISES Become aware of a part of your body (e.g. your legs), an action such as breathing or a sound around you. Focus on it and note how it feels or sounds, bringing your focus to the here and now.

Take a deep breath in through the nose, hold for a moment and then exhale slowly through the mouth, letting go of every last bit of tension.

Practise progressively tensing and relaxing every tiny muscle in your body, working your way up from your toes.

Relax every tiny muscle in the face, jaw, around the eyes and forehead.

This is very effective in stilling the mind and reducing anxiety.

made to your routine. Creating a quiet, peaceful and dark environment is very important, which means removing all media devices and so also the temptation to use them. There is some evidence to suggest that the signals emitted from mobile phones and even televisions disturb sleep, in particular, delta sleep, which is essential as it is when recovery and rejuvenation of the body systems takes place.

Earplugs and white noise machines can help to block out unwanted sounds, while blackout curtains are effective at minimising the waking effect of the early morning sun. While researchers disagree on the ideal temperature for sleep, most recommend that the bedroom is slightly cool, as a high temperature can lead to lighter sleep and more wake time. That might mean turning the thermostat down at night or changing the weight of your bedclothes with the seasons.

There are other practical things we can do to help our bodies go to sleep naturally and get a good night’s rest. It is wise to eat a little food before bedtime to prevent hunger pangs from waking you up. Opt for something carbohydratebased such as a slice of toast, ideally with some protein, or oatmeal, which releases energy more slowly. Alcohol should be avoided, as this promotes a false initial sleep followed by a more shallow sleep phase, disrupting the much-needed delta sleep.

While it’s tempting to try to tire yourself out, don’t exercise within two hours of going to bed, as this raises the metabolism, making it harder to come down into a more relaxed state before bedtime.

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10 TIPS FOR GREAT SLEEP Have a regular bedtime and a regular waking time Leave stimuli such as the TV outside the bedroom Don’t do anything too mentally challenging within 90 minutes of bedtime Avoid caffeine, as it’s a stimulant, and alcohol. The latter is a sedative, but will make you wake up later on Wrap up the day by making a list of any concerns or tasks and how you plan to deal with them Go to bed when you’re feeling sleepy and tired Body temperature naturally dips before bedtime, so keep the bedroom cool and avoid hot water bottles If you can’t sleep, get up, keep lighting off or low and do something mundane and non-stimulating for 15 minutes before returning to bed Don’t try to sleep. Enjoy relaxing the mind and body – it will still leave you refreshed Try not to worry. You won’t feel as bad tomorrow as you fear

ALL IN THE MIND? In many cases, however, the cause of people’s sleep problems is primarily internal, with 90 per cent of insomnia thought to be triggered by stress and anxiety. With our fast-paced, complicated lives and the constant and allpervading presence of technology, it’s unsurprising that many of us find it difficult to wind down come bedtime.

If you are conscious of being kept awake by worries and thoughts, keep a pen and notepad by your bedside. Before bedtime and if you wake in the night, brain-dump any concerns, ideas and to-do lists that might otherwise circle around your mind keeping you awake.

Because insomnia also causes the sufferer additional worry – about how many hours they’ll clock up the following night and how they will feel tomorrow – the problem can easily snowball, turning what might simply have been a bad week of sleep into something more serious and longer-term.

The solution can lie in taking the focus away from what sleep you have or haven’t had and accepting it rather than attempting to control it. Doing that becomes easier when you start to question and challenge some of your 96

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TAKE A NAP Research has found that as little as six minutes can refresh you and improve memory and focus. Try for either a short nap of 20 minutes or a full 90-minute cycle, as waking during the deep sleep phase will leave you feeling grouchy and lethargic.

conceptions about sleep. For example, most insomniacs underestimate how much sleep they are getting and overestimate the impact it will have on them the next day. As a result, it is often the fear and anxiety of sleeplessness that affects them more than genuine sleepiness.

Try to trivialise a bad night’s sleep and keep the effects in perspective, telling yourself that you will function perfectly well and the insomnia will pass naturally. Remind yourself that you can and will fall asleep naturally, that you have been doing so since you were born.

If you have become overly focused on the night ahead, it may be best to avoid elaborate bedtime routines involving baths and relaxation CDs, as these could simply shine an even brighter light on the problem. However, because our minds and bodies are inexorably linked, it is important to ease stress and physical tensions if we are to drop off. Some simple exercises, practised during the day or in the evening, can therefore help, provided that they are framed around the goal of relaxation and not sleep.

FIND OUT MORE Night School, Richard Wiseman, Macmillan Press, March 2014

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RELATIONSHIPS No one makes it to the senior echelons of management without the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships. And those relationships are as important in your home life as they are in your career.

Words: Dr Phil Hopley, LPP Consulting

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aying due attention to how we manage our relationships with friends, family, colleagues and players can positively impact on both our physical and mental health, and how effectively we do our jobs.

How? Firstly, being in a relationship rather than being single confers a number of health benefits; studies have shown links with longer lifespan, reduced stress and lower incidence of mental health problems.

But we also know that interpersonal relationships have a significant impact on the culture of work environments and the level of player engagement and motivation. Successful managers develop trust with their players, support staff, administrators and bosses, and trust is a central tenet of healthy relationships.

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BEHAVIOURS TO AVOID Never go to sleep on a disagreement – discuss it Avoid using alcohol, drugs, gambling and other indulgences to ease your distress. Any short-term relief you might feel will be trumped by disastrous long-term consequences Don’t play the blame game. Relationships involve more than one person. Think carefully about your role in any difficult situation before projecting criticism Beware of sarcasm. Use sparingly and make it very clear that you are being humorous or the fall-out may be significant Don’t be tempted to undermine someone in front of friends or colleagues. Shame is the most powerful negative emotion and can leave a deep mark that is prone to surface later Resist silence and violence in arguments. It is good to talk and listen.

Don’t turn a deaf ear if someone suggests that you need some help. For someone to suggest it means there are real issues. Do something

common myths they are often unachievable. For example, anyone trying to build the perfect relationship will be disappointed, because they do not exist and there is no magic formula to make them work. Similarly, no relationship is ever truly stable; they are organic, they change, move and evolve over time.

While studies into how relationships work are not exact science, they give us some insight into what factors are important in building and maintaining successful relationships. First and foremost among these is communication.

TALK AND LISTEN Communication is one of the fundamentals of a good relationship and studies show that poor communication is a strong predictor of an unhappy one. While communication is part of everyday life and, in particular, key to the role of the manager, it is easy to forget some of the basics.

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SPOT THE SIGNS When a relationship turns ugly seek help from your GP or Relate.

Verbal or physical aggression Feeling the need to control your partner or feeling controlled by them Regular excessive alcohol or drug use Staying away from home to ‘escape’ your problems Intense feelings of jealousy, rage or constant rumination about your partner

best communicators are often the best listeners. Perhaps we were given two ears and one mouth for a good reason. Good communicators will judge when to raise something and when it should be parked for another time, for example, when you are feeling stressed or angry.

Under stress we all tend to revert to the two most primitive and unhelpful forms of communicating: silence and violence, both of which should be avoided.

Arguments, however, are an essential part of good relationships, provided that they are balanced and controlled, and that the purpose is to find a solution, not to win a fight. Good communication is hard work, taking effort and planning, but it is well worth it.

STAY POSITIVE Positive states of mind are another good predictor of happiness in relationships. They reduce conflict and enhance the strength of interpersonal ties or bonds.

However, a little is not enough. When it comes to positive communication, research has shown that a 6:1 ratio of positive, encouraging comments to negative or critical comments is needed to maintain a healthy relationship.

Sharing success is a great way of staying positive. How positively you react to someone’s achievements is a very good indicator of the strength of your relationship with them. In fact, reacting with indifference to someone’s good news has virtually the same effect as giving them a negative comment. Think back to your childhood and remember the feeling of crushing disappointment when your parent showed little interest or was dismissive about something you were really excited about. The same applies here.

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THE SMALL THINGS It may sound old hat, but the little things really do mean a lot. Attention to detail enhances relationships. Research consistently shows that being thoughtful and unselfish strongly predicts mutual respect and strength in relationships. Try sharing the less interesting jobs, such as domestic chores or dealing with admin, as this protects against resentment. Be prepared to roll up your sleeves, willingly and regularly.

Pay more attention to each other, switching off phones and showing some respect for the undisturbed time you have together.

Do something different or take up a new hobby together. Predictable routines become stale. And surprise each other – anything from an unexpected text to a surprise meal or weekend away.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS Relationships never sit in a vacuum; we all come from families and are connected to a circle of friends and colleagues. Maintaining those outside friendships is vital, and socialising and participating in activities with others is associated with happy, balanced relationships. Variety is the spice of life and seeing your relationship in context is important. There will also be things you can learn, good and bad, from other people.

Becoming over-dependent on someone else, be it a life partner or work partner is also unhealthy. This co-dependence can lead to problems, especially if we put too much emotional demand on the other person. Keep it balanced.

While it’s tempting to think that relationships take care of themselves, just like the people in them they are living, organic things that need attention and nurturing. Any effort that you invest will be well worth it, impacting on your mental wellbeing and therefore, ultimately, your ability to perform at your best.

FIND OUT MORE Relate www.relate.org.uk

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TRAVEL Unfamiliar climates, long journeys and time differences can play havoc with your body, leaving you feeling distinctly below par. Staying on form requires some preparation.

Words: Dr Dorian Dugmore, Wellness Academy

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hether you’re taking the squad to its next away match, visiting a training academy abroad for inspiration or meeting with prospective staff or players, travelling is an unavoidable part of modern management. Flying, even long-haul, has become far simpler, quicker and less expensive in recent years, so we do more of it. But while travel may have become easier in logistical terms, our bodies find it just as tough.

Understanding how travel impacts on your health and performance and learning how to minimise those effects is essential if you are to remain at your best, wherever in the world you travel to.

ON THE MOVE Some of the effects of travel are relatively simple to remedy. For example, fierce air-conditioning in coaches and trains and the dry air onboard planes can dehydrate the skin and cause dryness in the eyes, nose and mouth. Nasal and eye drops can help and, while it’s easy to forget to drink water on a long journey, 105

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JETLAG - SPOT THE SIGNS Disturbed sleep pattern Indigestion Constipation Headaches Diarrhoea Nausea Loss of appetite Loss of concentration Disorientation and confusion Anxiety Lethargy

taking liquids throughout the trip is essential. Dehydration can adversely affect concentration, memory and even blood pressure and make you feel more tired.

Then there are the effects of uncomfortable seats, cabin noise and light on our mood, tiredness and alertness. Here, quality neck supports, earplugs, eye masks and white noise recordings or apps can be useful, helping you to fall asleep or simply get comfortable and stay calm and relaxed.

Sitting for long periods can hamper digestion, circulation and flexibility, causing swelling in the feet and ankles and, in the worst case, resulting in deep vein thrombosis. Performing simple in-seat stretching exercises throughout the journey and taking a walk, at least every hour if possible, can help prevent any problems.

By far the biggest physical effects of travel on the body, however, and the most difficult to counter, are those that result from crossing time zones. When you do so, your biological clock is disrupted, with the normal cycle of day and night either compressed or extended. This can affect your body’s biorhythms and your normal sleep-wake cycle. When the body is used to slowing down for the night it is suddenly faced with being in the waking state, which can compromise normal thermo-regulation and bodily controls, as its systems need time to re-adjust. As a result, you feel disorientated, tired and confused.

What’s more, the body’s natural production of melatonin from the pineal gland can be compromised, affecting the body’s normal sleep and repair cycle.

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CONSIDER PACKING: A change of clothes – Once onboard a plane or coach, slip into something more comfortable.You can change back into more formal wear just before you arrive.

Sleep aids – There are several medications that can be prescribed by a physician to help you sleep. Melatonin is used by some sportspeople to aid sleep and promote quicker acclimatisation to a new time zone.

Digestive aids – Taking a probiotic such as Symprove may help to repopulate the gut flora and help build immunity to your new environment. Imodium and similar drugs can be useful should diarrhoea occur; these have an anti-motility action that works against loose stools.

A nutritional supplement – If your destination doesn’t have a shining reputation when it comes to food hygiene, it may be worth taking a food supplement that includes trace minerals to provide essential nutrition for a short period.

Health records – It’s wise to carry a written summary of your health history, immunisation records and a copy of your travel insurance and contact numbers. Also pack a list of any current medications you are taking, with their brand names and generic names, as these can differ from country to country.

If you have any heart issues, a copy of your resting electrocardiogram may also be useful, together with a record of any allergies or health conditions, such as epilepsy or diabetes.

BE PREPARED The key to minimising these effects and and feeling fresher on touchdown is to gradually shift your sleep/wake cycle to the new time in advance. How you do this will depend on the direction of your travel. If you are travelling from east to west, go to bed and get up an hour later each day for three days before your departure. Conversely, for west-to-east trips, move your sleep time an hour earlier each day. When you are travelling a great distance, it is always best to schedule a stopover when possible to help your body deal with the large time difference. Getting plenty of rest before a long-haul trip is also important.

The so-called jetlag diet, followed by the US military, may also help. It involves eating high protein meals whenever you are trying to stay awake and high carbohydrate meals when you want to sleep and should be started three days before your departure. Because foods rich in protein take longer to metabolise, 107

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CABIN FEVER Aircraft are not perfectly pressurised, so the air is thinner, similar to that at 5,000ft. This means the effect of alcohol on the body is twice as great as when you’re grounded. If you do want to drink, limit it to one and drink water with it.

On the descent, the change in pressure can cause discomfort in the ears and sinuses. This can be eased by pinching your nostrils, closing your mouth and blowing out slowly.

they may help you to stay awake, while carbohydrate-rich foods are metabolised more quickly, satisfying hunger and creating a feeling of relaxation and satisfaction, aiding sleep.

As soon as you arrive at your destination, assume local eating and sleeping times to encourage your body clock to acclimatise. Get outside, as sunlight helps to reset the body clock by helping the body to recognise current daytime and nighttime cycles with their associated biochemical adjustments. These include the production of melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that is thought to play a part in controlling daily body rhythms.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK Before you travel it is worth checking the climatic conditions of your destination – not just the temperature, but also the humidity and air circulation. Our bodies operate under a type of rhythmic behaviour over a 24-hour period and changes in the environment, such as suddenly being in a different climate, can affect this. Most of us need at least six days to acclimatise and get our mental and physical performance back to its optimum, while players may need longer depending on their sporting demands.

Checking the altitude is also important, as when moving to a higher altitude, the body needs significantly longer to adjust.

In warm climates, high humidity (water vapour in the air) can cause us to overheat more quickly than in dry heat, especially when there is little air movement. In hot, dry weather, meanwhile, extreme sweating is more likely,

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HEALTH CHECKLIST Have you: Had all the recommended immunisations?

Checked with your doctor with regards existing medical conditions or recent surgery/treatment?

Packed all relevant health records and insurance details?

Researched the climate of your destination and packed clothing and cream accordingly?

Checked the hygiene standards of food and water? Should you take nutritional or digestive aids?

Packed for a comfortable journey – a change of clothes, neck support, ear-plugs and mask, eye drops and water spritzer?

Adjusted your eating and sleeping times in advance of your trip to counter jetlag?

with a resulting loss of fluids and salts. Here, ensuring you stay well hydrated, perhaps with added electrolytes and other supplements, is essential.

Other precautions include applying high factor sun protection cream and ensuring you have the appropriate headgear and clothing to keep you safe and comfortable whatever the weather.

Your pre-departure research should also include the hygiene and water standards of your destination. If advised or if in any doubt upon arrival, drink only bottled water and avoid ice, as this could be contaminated. Clean your teeth using bottled water. Canned and bottled drinks are fine, although for peace of mind you should observe them being opened so you can verify that they were sealed, while beverages using the local water are safe if they have been boiled, such as coffee and tea. Avoid raw meat and fish and be cautious about dairy and milk products.

Before you go, ensure you have had all the necessary immunisations at least six weeks in advance of travel and check the medical systems in operation in your destination country. Also check that your insurance cover is up to date and what it covers, especially whether emergency surgery is included.

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PERFORM THE CONTRIBUTORS Ian Aylward Ian has 15 years’ experience in delivering detailed, evidence-based strength and conditioning services to elite professional athletes from a variety of sports, including Barclays Premier League academy football, netball, volleyball, field hockey and athletics, as well as the performing arts. Prior to joining Perform Ian ran a successful performance-based company offering screening, testing and training services to professional clients.

Wendy Griffin Wendy is the lead nutritionist for Win Naturally at Perform, where she undertakes nutrition consultations as part of the Corporate and LMA health screening programmes. Wendy also works as a nutritionist for an eating disorder service and has her own practice, where her clients include professional footballers and their wives, celebrities, boxers and endurance athletes.

THE ORGANISATION Perform is part of Spire Healthcare, a leading provider of private healthcare, with 38 private hospitals throughout the UK. Perform at St George’s Park is the flagship Perform centre and is the official healthcare provider for St George’s Park, the LMA and the PFA. Perform supports sportspeople, football managers, corporate executives and the local community, whether in need of rehabilitation from injury, improved levels of strength, health and fitness or performance.

Perform combines cutting-edge technologies, elite expertise, sports medicine and performance science to help people perform beyond their expectations.

CONTACTS stgeorgespark@spireperform.com @Perform SGP

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01283 576333 www.spireperform.com

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State-of-the-Art Health Screening Perform at St. George’s Park have developed an enhanced performance and lifestyle based assessment for anyone who wants to assess and improve their wellbeing to help manage the pressures of work and life demands.

The assessment is born from sport and utilises the world’s leading sports medicine technologies in combination with expert staff to identify and prevent any underlying health issues and help you to live life to the full and perform better.

Perform provides health screening for members/partners of The LMA and PGMOL and JCB corporate executives.

The assessment will look at:

» The health of your heart » How you move » How you fuel your body » <eup `ucVq AcL ezNpA`` TtcNqq `NzN`q » Your stress levels and sleep quality To book an appointment or for further information: LMA members, please call Ali Betson on 01283 576363 or email ali.betson@lmasecure.com.

For all other enquiries, please call the Perform team on 01283 576326 or email stgeorgespark@spireperform.com

Dr Dorian Dugmore Perform Director of Corporate Wellbeing and Founder of The League Manager Health Screening Programme

www.spireperform.com

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LPP CONSULTING THE CONTRIBUTORS Dr Philip Hopley, Managing Director and Consultant Psychiatrist Phil specialises in stress, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and drug and alcohol problems. He also consults to organisations on people performance and psychological health issues.

Dr Kate Joseph, Clinical Psychologist Kate is an expert in CBT with integrated newer approaches, such as mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy, and compassion-focused therapy. Special interests include mood and anxiety disorders, low self-esteem and stress-related problems.

Dr Ian Martin, Consultant Psychiatrist Ian is clinical lead for LPP’s 24/7 Confidential Sport Helpline. He specialises in the assessment and management of mood disorders, stress/anxiety disorders and psychosis.

Raymond Dixon, Addictions Counsellor Raymond treats alcohol and drug problems, problem gambling and disorders including depression, anxiety, self-esteem, anger and motivational problems.

Anna Curtin, Organisational Psychologist An expert in resilience and coaching, Anna measures the effects of increasing resilience on employee wellbeing and performance across several industry sectors.

She also specialises in psychometric assessment/selection and career coaching.

THE ORGANISATION LPP provides a broad range of clinical services for individuals and organisations struggling with psychological health problems. The breadth of its team of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors and dieticians means clients see the best experts for their needs. LPP is also a leading provider of individual and corporate resilience services, working with business leaders, managers, front-line staff and sportspeople to improve their performance under pressure and ability to cope with setbacks. By optimising health and enhancing performance LPP delivers measurable benefits in sales, productivity, engagement, retention and absenteeism.

CONTACTS +44 20 3219 3080 +44 20 3219 3088 (F) 112

enquiries@lppconsulting.org www.lppconsulting.org

LPP CONSULTING ARE LEADERS IN PEOPLE PERFORMANCE.

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Our team of psychologists deliver world class evidence-based services across business and sport making a meaningful difference to the people we work with.

We are the go to trusted experts for health, resilience and performance enhancement. No-one does it better.

RESILIENCE TRAINING We teach people how to perform effectively under pressure and how to bounce back quickly from setbacks.

PERFORMANCE COACHING Our coaching applies the latest advances in cognitive neuroscience to help our clients optimise their work performance.

ASSESSMENT SERVICES Cutting-edge and reliable tools and reporting for use in selection, development, health monitoring or team building projects.

CONSULTANCY Expert advice to management teams on all aspects of health risk, resilience, wellbeing and performance of their people.

CLINICAL SERVICES Our team of psychiatrists and psychologists provide the highest, quality assessment and treatments, fast.

If you would like to discuss in more detail how you might enhance the performance, wellbeing and resilience of your team, please contact: E: philip.hopley@lppconsulting.org T: +44 (0)20 3219 3080

www.lppconsulting.org

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WELLNESS ACADEMY THE CONTRIBUTORS Dr L Dorian Dugmore Dorian has worked in cardiovascular medicine and corporate wellness for 30 years.

A former football player and international coach, Dorian has held four consecutive appointments with the World Student Games team, gaining a PhD in cardiovascular medicine along the way.

He led the world’s leading cardiac rehabilitation centre in Toronto, Canada, before returning to the UK to develop a corporate wellness programme at adidas, which won international and European best practice awards. A member of the LMA leadership board, Dorian pioneered the Fit To Manage scheme for football league managers and is currently a consultant to the nucleus board for sport cardiology, belonging to the European EACPR. He is also a sought-after speaker the world over.

THE ORGANISATION Wellness Academy is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of individuals, sporting groups and business organisations all over the world. Its focus is on ‘upstream medicine’ – preventing rather than treating disease – an ethos epitomised by the phrase ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of treatment’.

Its services range from delivering health and lifestyle clinics to profiling the approaches of companies, large and small, to corporate wellness. Wellness Academy specialises in the lifestyle assessment of organisations, delivering workshops that include everything from optimising performance, building resilience and improving workplace happiness and culture, to providing guidance on health, fitness and nutrition.

Its approach centres on measuring and tracking health indicators through serial assessments and then educating individuals and organisations on how to set realistic wellness goals. Adapting to change in the current economic climate is vital and looking after your own wellbeing as well as everyone in your organisation has never been more important.

CONTACTS Wellness Academy Limited Sycamore House Medical Centre Birmingham Road, Walsall WSI 2NL

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07770 736110 dorian.wellnessacademy@gmail.com

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SERVICES AVAILABLE

Looking After Your Most Important Asset!!

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE CLINICS Teams can come onsite and deliver wellness interventions to your workforce

Sickness absence is estimated to cost the UK economy around £15 billion a year! Employers as a whole are estimated to pay £9 billion a year in sick pay, associated costs plus other indirect costs to the business when managing the absence. This is just as important to the world of football as it is to the larger corporate world.

the supporters through the clubs positive approach to wellbeing also remains a great opportunity.

In order to see growth especially as the economy is now starting to slowly recover, a healthy infrastructure is needed and that includes healthy employees, healthy management and a positive approach to wellbeing. In the pressurized world of football this has never been more important.

Clubs need to look after the wellbeing of their entire club, this includes management, players, the coaching staff, administration and the backroom personnel of the club. The potential to influence

At Wellness Academy we want to help companies and football clubs have a ‘Wellness Plan to go alongside their Business Plan’ Looking after your most important asset, your people, has never been more important.

OPTIMISING PERFORMANCE & BUILDING RESILIENCE Interactive workshops/seminars targeting emotional resilience and dealing with stress LIFESTYLE PROFILING Web based lifestyle assessment programme that targets key areas of health LIFESTYLE & WELLBEING SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS Onsite seminars and workshops can be delivered with trained health professionals that include nutritionists, sports therapists, nurses and doctors

This was echoed in the Dame Carol Black Review in 2008 emphasizing how wellbeing programmes in organizations produced significant economic benefits and showed ‘good health is good business’.

Dr Dorian Dugmore CEO

115 Sycamore House, 111 Birmingham Road, Walsall, West Midlands, WS1 2NL Tel. 07770 736110

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SPORTING EDGE THE CONTRIBUTORS Jeremy Snape MSc, Founder of Sporting Edge Jeremy is a former international cricketer with a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology and is a non-executive director at the LMA. His analytical thinking and ability to simplify complex performance challenges into practical solutions has fuelled his reputation as a thought leader for high performance.

Also a key figure at Sporting Edge is Director Michael Caulfield MSc. Michael is one of the UK’s leading sport psychologists and has worked in professional sport for over 25 years. Drawing on his work in the Barclays Premier League and other professional sporting codes, he knows what is needed for high performance. Michael’s wealth of knowledge, energy and enthusiasm delivers a powerful impact every time.

THE ORGANISATION Sporting Edge is a high-performance coaching company that fast tracks success by sharing the secrets of the winning mindset. Its fresh approach to coaching is powered by a digital library of exclusive video interviews with the world’s top coaches and athletes. These insights are blended with practical tools from performance psychology to drive results.

Talent is not enough. Following decades of investment in fitness and analysis, the mental game is undoubtedly the next frontier. Without the mental attributes of confidence, motivation and resilience, those at elite level have little chance of achieving and sustaining success. Sporting Edge has the solution and can deliver: confidential 1:1 coach and athlete support; inspiring team talks; coach education programmes; and cultural identity projects.

CONTACTS ++44 (0) 1858 414214 info@sportingedge.com Sportingedge.com

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Twitter: @sportingedge Facebook: thesportingedge

Bring the Winning Mindset to your Club

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Sporting Edge shares the practical techniques used by the world’s most successful sporting champions and their coaches to make you and your team more FRQȴGHQW UHVLOLHQW DQG VXFFHVVIXO Enquire about our inspiring presentations and exclusive video FRQWHQW WRGD\ Visit www.sportingedge.com

Inside the Mind of Champions T: +44 (0)1858 414 214

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E: info@sportingedge.com

TW: @thesportingedge

sportingedge.com

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LIVE AS IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW. LEARN AS IF YOU WERE TO LIVE FOREVER” MAHATMA GANDHI

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INSIGHT

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