Play is a topic that is often left out of the conversation in fitness.
This is in spite of the fact that experimentation, exploration and going off script is at the core of many physical training disciplines—dance, martial arts, acrobatics, any sport you play. However, play is not just free form improvisation or what children do on the playground; it requires a foundation in what you are practicing.
In this episode, we get into a subject that is near and dear to our hearts and some of our other parts: how to play with yourself.
Basic Parameters
- Topic: How to Play with Yourself (vigorously)
- Rant Factor: 😏🎯🤠
- Practicality: 🤸🏽💪🤘
- Topic: How to Play with Yourself (vigorously)
- Rant Factor: 😏🎯🤠
- Practicality: 🤸🏽💪🤘
What It’s About
Incorporating play in your training by exploring what you already know to further develop your autonomy and your practice.
👇 Scroll down for the full show notes, links, and rants 👇
“Play & Practice are like peanut butter & chocolate. They’re better when they’re between the same slices of bread together.”
Think of play as a foil to whatever skills you’re practicing. Look at the things that you’re practicing your form and technique on. Those are the areas where you want to be using play as a complement to that practice.
Key Points: How to Play with Yourself
- What Play Is: It’s not just what kids do, what Play is in the context of training and skill acquisition
- How to Play Effectively: Play with what you already know; examples of how to explore what you are practicing
- Safety & the Unknown: Learn specific ways to maintain safety while doing something new
- Other Tips: Keeping an open mind and noticing opportunities can help you create more options
- Resources: Links to everything mentioned in the podcast
- The Future: Help us decide which episodes to record next
Like links? Here’s a few things to click:
More episodes, articles and videos on Play:
- The GMB Method – A breakdown of the 5 P’s including Play
- Balancing Goal Oriented Training with Movement Exploration – Our article with strategies to work exploration and play into your routine
- Why All Adults Should Play – Our article on why Play should be part of an exercise routine
- Playing with Movement – Our video on adding movement exploration to your practice
- Transcript of this Episode
- Turning Unconventional Play into Lifetime of Fitness – Our episode with Mark Smith of Asylum Fitness about Play as fitness
- Play Your Way to Any Skill – Our episode with Josh Vogel about mastery through Play
- Learning to Incorporate Play – Our episode on why anyone can play and how
Be sure to catch the next episode by subscribing to the GMB Show:
The Future is in YOUR Hands!
Left to our own devices, we’d soon be churning out episodes on the sorry state of Mexican cuisine in Osaka. Answer these questions and tell us what you want to hear:
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Hi, I'm Andy Fossett 👋
A lifelong martial artist and former schoolteacher, Andy's deeply concerned with autonomy and fitness education. As CEO, he's dedicated to providing an open, accessible culture for both clients and staff to enjoy exploring more of what they're truly capable of.
These days he mostly coaches teachers, from GMB Trainers to martial arts instructors around the world. The rest of his time goes to burgers, bourbon, and his wildly off-topic rants on the GMB Podcast.