Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and way of life director at mindbodygreen and host of the sweetness podcast Clear Magnificence College. Beforehand, she’s held magnificence roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports activities Illustrated, and Attract.com.
Picture by mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
October 21, 2024
After chatting with doctor and former CrossFit athlete Julie Foucher, M.D., M.S., I don’t know if I’ll ever complain about being busy once more. The board-certified household doctor, who’s now primarily based in Kentucky, has a level in Biomedical Engineering from the College of Michigan and completed her residency coaching on the Cleveland Clinic. She additionally has a grasp’s in vitamin and accomplished an Integrative Medication Residency program by means of the College of Arizona.
Oh, and I ought to add: She’s additionally one of the crucial profitable girls athletes to ever compete within the CrossFit video games. From 2010 to 2015, Foucher competed within the video games (whereas persevering with her schooling, I would add). At her peak, she completed 2nd in 2012 and third in 2014—and by no means completed outdoors the highest 5 in all 4 years of competing. Her profession ended with a devastating achilles damage in 2015, a yr she was thought of a favourite to take the title.
Now, Foucher brings that drive and fervour to her observe—the place she focuses on easy methods to marry health, vitamin, and medication for full physique well being.
I spoke together with her about her time competing, “retirement” from the video games, and what her wellness routine seems to be like now. Right here, her insights.
Mindbodygreen: I’ve been speaking to a number of athletes about psychological toughness and psychological resilience that goes into being an athlete—not simply bodily. CrossFit is famously difficult. How did you get your self in that mindset to have the ability to push by means of? Not simply in competitions, however day-to-day?
Julie Foucher, M.D., M.S.: I believe it’s the day-to-day that is the toughest, proper? It is easy to indicate up when you might have a number of followers and also you’re on an enormous stage, but it surely’s more durable to indicate up day-to-day.
I went by means of many alternative phases of studying and development throughout my competitors years and nearly all of it was within the psychological aspect of competitors.
Whenever you begin, it is simple to do one thing if you’re good at it—you simply need to maintain going as a result of, nicely, you’re good at it. It’s simple to assume, After all, I am going to maintain going.
As soon as issues acquired actually troublesome—which is once I began medical college, so my total life was coaching and going to high school—I spotted I hadn’t requested myself why I used to be doing this or why competing was vital to me.
And till I answered that query, it turned very difficult for me. I struggled rather a lot—even simply feeling motivated to observe. I additionally developed a number of anxiousness and was even depressed for some time. What helped me probably the most was actually figuring out why I needed to do that.
And I believe that is true for something in life, whether or not it is a competitors, your work, or changing into a mum or dad. It’s vital to spend time honing in on why you are doing what you are doing—that’s the way you get by means of the times which might be onerous, as a result of not day by day is straightforward and enjoyable.
mbg: What did you study your self by means of that journey with CrossFit competing?
Foucher: The opposite side of my development was how I discovered and grew each single yr. I used to be constructing upon my very own confidence in competing. I used to be at all times somebody who did fairly nicely, however I don’t assume I ever really knew that I used to be adequate or what I used to be able to. I at all times ended up shocking myself.
And I believe that’s what held me again from most likely doing higher. I used to be on the rostrum twice, however by no means gained the CrossFit video games. And I believe the most important purpose for that’s as a result of I didn’t really consider I used to be able to it deep down—that’s till my final yr, once I tore my Achilles [so I couldn’t compete in the final competition that year].
So for me, it’s simply been about increase my confidence. I believe that is one thing that is true for every part in life and that every one people wrestle with it doesn’t matter what it’s that you simply’re pursuing. That confidence and that perception in your self is so key to having the ability to obtain no matter it’s that you simply’re getting down to obtain.
mbg: I discover that so relatable. I really feel lots of people wrestle with these limiting beliefs about themselves.
Foucher: I can provide one instance. It was the 2011 CrossFit video games. The yr earlier than, my first yr as a rookie, I had positioned fifth. There was rather a lot for me to study, however I used to be doing nicely—and I used to be able to successful that yr, or a minimum of being on the rostrum.
There was a particular occasion the place we needed to push a sled throughout the stadium, and there have been three rounds. The primary two rounds I used to be main the occasion and had no downside pushing the sled. Then within the third spherical, I spotted that the girl who had gained the yr prior was proper behind me. And for some purpose in the midst of that spherical, I finished pushing the sled to shake my arms out. She handed me after which I completed.
Trying again on it, I actually consider that it was as a result of subconsciously I did not consider that I must be in entrance of her, as a result of she was the reigning champion. It’s loopy how these unconscious beliefs then drive our behaviors and people little day-to-day selections which have a huge impact on our lives.
mbg: You talked about balancing each CrossFit and going to med college. How did you do it? I can’t think about how difficult that will need to have been…
However initially, it’s slightly misleading to say I used to be doing each your entire time, as a result of it was just one yr during which I used to be really full velocity forward on each. It was throughout my first yr of med college once I was competing. And through that point, I used to be very fortunate to have the ability to juggle some issues in med college so I might compete. Then from there, there have been instances once I would take off competing or I targeted on analysis and prolonged my med college.
So one factor to recollect is that if you have a look at people who’re doing issues that appear to be inconceivable—nicely, are they really doing them? As a result of it sounds so intense—med college and CrossFit. And positive, it was actually onerous, however there was solely that one yr that I used to be all in on each endeavors.
The opposite side—one which I don’t like—is there have been so many areas of my life that suffered. I’m not pleased with how I dealt with it, as these two issues have been my sole focus. Lots of different issues dropped to the background. For instance, I didn’t put money into a number of relationships.
As soon as I exited that stage of my life—you realize, college, residency, competing, and achievement—I lastly took a deep breath and took time away. I spotted how I had a number of this backwards by way of placing achievement above every part else.
I’ve needed to do a number of work personally by reinvesting in these relationships—spending time repairing, therapeutic, and making them proper. I needed to work on my true priorities, and put relationships on the prime.
Picture by mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
mbg: Once more, I really feel like that’s very relatable. I believe a number of us can look again at our lives and assume, Hmm possibly I didn’t have my precedence rankings fairly proper. It’s onerous to inform within the second, since you assume you’re making the appropriate decisions.
Foucher: That is what the world desires you to consider: you must work so onerous and make a lot cash and obtain, obtain, obtain. And generally if we pay an excessive amount of consideration to these messages, we get lose the issues which might be really vital to us.
mbg: I need to speak about the way you handle your self. I do know you’re retired, however I’m going to imagine you’re nonetheless excellent at caring for your self. Let’s begin with sleep. How are you prioritizing sleep?
Foucher: Properly, I at all times have been somebody who simply has to prioritize sleep as a result of if I do not, I do not perform. I suppose I did it once I was in faculty: I bear in mind going by means of prolonged durations of sleeping 5 or 6 hours an evening and pulling all-nighters. However since then, no, I can not perform after an evening or two like that.
I believe a number of it comes from trial-and-error during which you understand what you actually need to have the ability to perform at your greatest. I’d like to be rather more in keeping with my bedtimes, however, fortunately,I’m a very good sleeper, so so long as I permit time for it, I get sufficient.
mbg: What do you eat to really feel your strongest?
Foucher: I believe I used to be actually rather more strict on my vitamin—particularly by way of the standard of meals—once I was competing. I’d barely eat any sugar. I bear in mind at one level my cheat meal was like a sq. of darkish chocolate.
I am actually not like that anymore, I actually attempt to eat simply entire meals and prioritize fiber, fruits, greens, and protein. So so long as I am getting these issues day by day, I really feel like I am in a very good place.
mbg: This goes again to your coaching days, however I like asking athletes this query: what’s probably the most intense factor you’ve ever carried out in hopes of optimizing your efficiency?
Foucher: This was proper on the finish of my competitors profession. Somebody I labored with on the time discovered a software that creates a excessive altitude surroundings. There’s a tent that you simply put over your mattress, so that you’re sleeping at a excessive altitude at night time. And there was this factor that you’d put on whereas driving a stationary bike that mimicked a excessive altitude. So I did {that a} couple instances every week to enhance my cardio capability. I solely did that in my final season, so it’s onerous to say what influence it had—but it surely felt fairly excessive.
mbg: by way of motion these days, what are you doing?
Foucher: I’ll at all times do CrossFit. I believe it’s the greatest, best method to keep match.
However for me, it seems to be very completely different nowadays. I’d say the exercises I do now are mainly the warmups I used to do. However the focus has shifted. So as a substitute of my focus being on my efficiency and the numbers that I am placing up, it’s so rather more about how I really feel and about my psychological well being. It’s nearly feeling good.
Lots of instances that appears like a fast exercise that I do in my storage fitness center. And I nonetheless love going to CrossFit associates once I can and being in that neighborhood and the category surroundings.
Then I additionally combine in different issues. I stroll rather a lot, go to yoga as soon as every week, and have began enjoying pickleball. Even generally I do pilates, which is completely completely different.
mbg: what’s your favourite method to decompress? It doesn’t must have something to do with wellness both…
Foucher: I’d say this has rather a lot to do with wellness, however having the ability to spend time in nature. Nature is a extremely nice method to decompress. I discover being away from expertise is what brings me again to myself.
mbg: What recommendation would you give younger women or girls who’re focused on changing into athletes themselves? Not simply CrossFit, however any kind of sport…
Foucher: I believe the primary piece of recommendation is to maintain making an attempt issues till you discover one thing that you simply like. I used to be fortunate sufficient in that my dad and mom inspired me to strive a number of completely different sports activities once I was youthful. Then I noticed some women on the playground on the bars and requested my mother to signal me up for gymnastics—and that turned my fundamental sport rising up.
Even after gymnastics was carried out, I actually felt this deep need to proceed competing and proceed creating my health. However I didn’t know the place to go till I discovered CrossFit a pair years later.
So I’d say simply maintain an open thoughts and maintain making an attempt issues till you discover what you’re keen on.
mbg: That’s nice recommendation… so many athletes have commented on the way it’s so vital that the love and fervour are there from an early age.
Foucher: The opposite recommendation I’ve comes from a girl who competed in CrossFit earlier than I began, Lindsey Smith. She as soon as informed me that she thinks about train or shifting your physique simply the identical method she thinks about brushing your enamel: It is simply one thing that you simply do each morning.
Motion is a part of being a human. I’ve buddies who instill that of their youngsters—for instance, each morning earlier than college, all of them do a exercise collectively. I like excited about it that method. So simply ask your self: how do you progress your physique day by day, and that’s one thing you take pleasure in?
mbg: I believe there are such a lot of classes from enjoying sports activities that may apply to on a regular basis life. What has competing in CrossFit taught you that you simply’ve utilized in different areas of your life?
Foucher: One of many causes I like CrossFit is as a result of it permits each one that participates the expertise of being an athlete—extra so than you may in case you simply go to the fitness center and run on the treadmill by your self.
I believe one of many fundamental classes that I discovered by means of competing in CrossFit and coaching CrossFit that I apply in the remainder of my life is how it’s so vital to interrupt issues down into the following step.
I believe if you have a look at an general objective, it may be very overwhelming. For instance, you may say “I need to compete within the CrossFit video games a yr from now” and so your coach provides you this program. It might be damaged down by weeks, however you then see all the issues that you must try this week. You begin to get anxious.
However in case you simply concentrate on what you might be doing proper now and what’s subsequent, it turns into a lot clearer. Concentrate on doing one of the best you could within the second—don’t take into consideration the 5 different issues you must do later.
I apply that in my life on a regular basis. I at all times need to have a roadmap and objective of the place I am going—irrespective of if it’s work, private life, or household—so I can have a look at the massive plan, however then I break it down into what are the steps. I simply ask myself: What am I doing at the moment that’s getting me nearer to my objective?
