Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and way of life director at mindbodygreen and host of the wonder podcast Clear Magnificence Faculty. 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 Artistic / courtesy of supply
October 21, 2024
After chatting with doctor and former CrossFit athlete Julie Foucher, M.D., M.S., I do not know if I am going to ever complain about being busy once more. The board-certified household doctor, who’s now based mostly 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 way of the College of Arizona.
Oh, and I ought to add: She’s additionally probably the most profitable ladies athletes to ever compete within the CrossFit video games. From 2010 to 2015, Foucher competed within the video games (whereas persevering with her training, I’d add). At her peak, she completed second 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 tendon damage in 2015, a yr she was thought of a favourite to take the title.
Now, Foucher brings that drive and keenness to her observe—the place she focuses on learn how to marry health, vitamin, and medication for full-body well being.
I spoke together with her about her time competing, “retirement” from the video games, and what her wellness routine appears to be like like now. Right here, her insights.
mindbodygreen: I have been speaking to quite a lot 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 way of? Not simply in competitions however day-to-day?
Julie Foucher, M.D., M.S.: I feel it’s the day-to-day that is the toughest, proper? It is simple to point out up when you’ve quite a lot of followers and also you’re on an enormous stage, but it surely’s more durable to point out up day-to-day.
I went by way of many alternative phases of studying and progress throughout my competitors years, and the vast majority of it was within the psychological aspect of competitors.
Once you begin, it is simple to do one thing while you’re good at it—you simply wish to preserve going as a result of, effectively, you are good at it. It is simple to assume, In fact, I am going to preserve going.
As soon as issues acquired actually troublesome—which is after I began medical faculty, so my total life was coaching and going to high school—I noticed 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 grew to become very difficult for me. I struggled so much—even simply feeling motivated to observe. I additionally developed quite a lot 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 feel that is true for something in life, whether or not it is a competitors, your work, or turning into a father or mother. It is vital to spend time honing in on why you are doing what you are doing—that is the way you get by way of the times which might be exhausting as a result of not on daily basis is straightforward and enjoyable.
mbg: What did you study your self by way of that journey with CrossFit competing?
Foucher: The opposite side of my progress 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 effectively, however I do not 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 stunning myself.
And I feel that is what held me again from most likely doing higher. I used to be on the rostrum twice however by no means received the CrossFit video games. And I feel the most important cause for that’s as a result of I did not really imagine I used to be able to it deep down—that’s till my final yr, after I tore my Achilles [so I couldn’t compete in the final competition that year].
So for me, it is simply been about build up my confidence. I feel that is one thing that is true for all the things 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 with 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 may give 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 so much for me to study, however I used to be doing effectively—and I used to be able to successful that yr, or no less than being on the rostrum.
There was a selected 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 drawback pushing the sled. Then within the third spherical, I noticed that the girl who had received the yr prior was proper behind me. And for some cause in the course of that spherical, I finished pushing the sled to shake my arms out. She handed me after which I completed.
Wanting again on it, I actually imagine that it was as a result of subconsciously I did not imagine that I ought to be in entrance of her as a result of she was the reigning champion. It is loopy how these unconscious beliefs then drive our behaviors and people little day-to-day selections which have a big effect on our lives.
mbg: You talked about balancing each CrossFit and going to med faculty. How did you do it? I can not think about how difficult that should have been…
However to begin with, it is somewhat misleading to say I used to be doing each all the time as a result of it was just one yr by which I used to be really full pace forward on each. It was throughout my first yr of med faculty after I was competing. And through that point, I used to be very fortunate to have the ability to juggle some issues in med faculty so I may compete. Then from there, there have been instances after I would take off competing or I centered on analysis and prolonged my med faculty.
So, one factor to recollect is that while you have a look at of us who’re doing issues that appear to be unimaginable—effectively, are they really doing them? As a result of it sounds so intense—med faculty and CrossFit. And positive, it was actually exhausting, however there was solely that one yr that I used to be all in on each endeavors.
The opposite side—one which I do not like—is there have been so many areas of my life that suffered. I am not pleased with how I dealt with it, as these two issues have been my sole focus. Loads of different issues dropped to the background. For instance, I did not put money into quite a lot of relationships.
As soon as I exited that stage of my life—you recognize, faculty, residency, competing, and achievement—I lastly took a deep breath and took time away. I noticed how I had quite a lot of this backward by way of placing achievement above all the things else.
I’ve needed to do quite a lot 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 Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: Once more, I really feel like that is very relatable. I feel quite a lot of us can look again at our lives and assume, Hmm perhaps I did not have my precedence rankings fairly proper. It is exhausting to inform within the second since you assume you are making the precise selections.
Foucher: That is what the world desires you to imagine: It’s a must to work so exhausting and make a lot cash and obtain, obtain, obtain. And typically if we pay an excessive amount of consideration to these messages, we lose the issues which might be really vital to us.
mbg: I wish to discuss the way you maintain your self. I do know you are retired, however I will assume you are still excellent at caring for your self. Let’s begin with sleep. How are you prioritizing sleep?
Foucher: Effectively, I at all times have been somebody who simply has to prioritize sleep as a result of if I do not, I do not operate. I assume I did it after I was in school: I keep in mind going by way of prolonged durations of sleeping 5 or 6 hours an evening and pulling all-nighters. However since then, no, I can not operate after an evening or two like that.
I feel quite a lot of it comes from trial and error by which you understand what you really want to have the ability to operate at your greatest. I might like to be far 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 feel I used to be definitely far more strict on my vitamin—particularly by way of the standard of meals—after I was competing. I might barely eat any sugar. I keep in mind at one level my cheat meal was like a sq. of darkish chocolate.
I am definitely not like that anymore; I actually attempt to eat simply complete meals and prioritize fiber, fruits, greens, and protein. So so long as I am getting these issues on daily basis, 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 got ever completed 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 high-altitude atmosphere. There is 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 using 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 is exhausting to say what affect 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 feel it’s the greatest, most effective method to keep match.
However for me, it appears to be like very totally different lately. I might say the exercises I do now are mainly the warm-ups I used to do. However the focus has shifted. So as an alternative of my focus being on my efficiency and the numbers that I am placing up, it’s so far more about how I really feel and about my psychological well being. It is nearly feeling good.
Loads of instances that appears like a fast exercise that I do in my storage health club. And I nonetheless love going to CrossFit associates after I can and being in that group and the category atmosphere.
Then I additionally combine in different issues. I stroll so much, go to yoga as soon as every week, and have began taking part in pickleball. Even typically I do Pilates, which is completely totally different.
mbg: What’s your favourite method to decompress? It would not have to have something to do with wellness both…
Foucher: I might say this has so much to do with wellness, however with 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 ladies or ladies who’re all for turning into athletes themselves? Not simply CrossFit however any kind of sport…
Foucher: I feel the primary piece of recommendation is to maintain attempting issues till you discover one thing that you simply like. I used to be fortunate sufficient in that my mother and father inspired me to attempt quite a lot of totally different sports activities after I was youthful. Then I noticed some ladies on the playground on the bars and requested my mother to signal me up for gymnastics—and that grew to become my predominant sport rising up.
Even after gymnastics was completed, I actually felt this deep want to proceed competing and proceed growing my health. However I did not know the place to go till I discovered CrossFit a pair years later.
So I might say simply preserve an open thoughts and preserve attempting issues till you discover what you’re keen on.
mbg: That is nice recommendation… So many athletes have commented on the way it’s so vital that the love and keenness are there from an early age.
Foucher: The opposite recommendation I’ve comes from a lady who competed in CrossFit earlier than I began, Lindsey Smith. She as soon as instructed me that she thinks about train or shifting your physique simply the identical manner she thinks about brushing your tooth: It is simply one thing that you simply do each morning.
Motion is a part of being a human. I’ve pals who instill that of their youngsters—for instance, each morning earlier than faculty, all of them do a exercise collectively. I like interested by it that manner. So, simply ask your self: how do you progress your physique on daily basis and that is one thing you take pleasure in?
mbg: I feel there are such a lot of classes from taking part in sports activities that may apply to on a regular basis life. What has competing in CrossFit taught you that you’ve got 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 would possibly if you happen to simply go to the health club and run on the treadmill by your self.
I feel one of many predominant classes that I discovered by way 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 subsequent step.
I feel while you have a look at an general aim, it may be very overwhelming. For instance, you would possibly say, “I wish 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 then you definitely see all the issues you want to try this week. You begin to get anxious.
However if you happen to simply deal with what you might be doing proper now and what’s subsequent, it turns into a lot clearer. Deal with doing the perfect you can within the second—do not 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 wish to have a street map and aim of the place I am going—irrespective of if it is 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 is getting me nearer to my aim?
