NBA legend Steve Nash says 'some stress is good': 'I do like to be challenged and I do like to be pushed'

The Unwind is Yahoo Life’s well-being series in which experts, influencers and celebrities share their approaches to wellness and mental health, from self-care rituals to setting healthy boundaries to the mantras that keep them afloat.

NBA Hall of Famer and Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash played basketball for nearly two decades before settling down in New York City, where he and his family have happily eased into Brooklyn life (“we’re really happy and enjoying this little journey,” he says). But when he’s not coaching or spending time at home, the father of five is just as likely to be found on a soccer field or tennis court. Now 48, Nash plays different sports several days a week, and says physical fitness is the key to a calm mind.

“I grew up playing soccer and I have a real affinity for it; my dad played and it’s a part of our family," the South African-born, Vancouver-raised athlete tells Yahoo Life. "I’m a fanatic. I picked up tennis about six years ago and have become somewhat obsessed with it. I think learning something new [and] challenging myself in a new way really allows me to disappear for an hour a few times a week. Some with soccer; I play once a week and tennis three times a week; that’s three or four times a week I get to disappear. It can be self-care or meditative. I feel way more capable after playing and finding that right balance of work and life.”

If he sounds super chill, it’s because he is. Though Nash admits to getting stressed out like anyone else, he's on top of managing it. Plus, he clearly loves rising to a challenge.

“Some stress is good,” Nash admits, “It's about the right amount and keeping it in check. I know people deal with serious anxiety and can't just play tennis to deal with it. I’m cognizant of that and I'm not being glib about it. But I do like to be challenged and I do like to be pushed."

He points to his new career as a coach, something that "wasn't on my radar" but one that presented a new challenge and "great" opportunity.

"These challenges are really about how you approach the world," he adds. "It keeps you alive, it keeps you curious; there's an element of youthfulness to that. I naturally like being challenged out of my comfort zone. Again, I think it’s about balance — not much comes from staying in the safe zone.”

After 18 seasons as a player, Nash admits the transition to coaching wasn’t a smooth one: “As a player, you have performance anxiety, but you can go out and relieve that, physically, mentally, emotionally," he notes. "As a coach, you can't relieve it physically so it’s all mental and emotional and the challenge is greater — but the outlet is smaller! You have to find rewards beyond just winning and losing. It is different than being a player. As a player, you have more physical demands, but as a coach you have to think about everyone and push the group in the right direction.”

Nash points out that while millions of adult Americans play a sport at least once a week, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, there is a decline in adults who play sports into their 30s and 40s due to injury. For this reason, the NBA legend and business partner Kit Hawkins have created a training app, BLOCK. Nash insists the app isn't a tool for professional athletes; he simply wants to help people who love playing sports stick with it.

“In working with some of the top conditioning coaches, physical therapists and movement specialists throughout my career, [I learned] there are simple things we can do to keep playing the sport we love, sustain a high level of play, be a part of the community and have a better quality of life," he says.

"That's the mission for me," he adds. "To help people continue to do what they love to do at a better rate. So many friends and people I meet one, don't get exposed to the same information — that simple prep work or understanding of movement — and secondly, so many people carry injuries with them. Through the app, we want to share the methodology for people to move well and feel their best — and do it for a long time!”

Launching with 10 specific sports disciplines and holistic content, BLOCK users will be guided through specific training workouts, game day warm-up and cool-down routines created to optimize play, movement and performance training, rather than have players simply just practice the sport. Nash admits for him, having a regular physical routine involves getting out of his comfort zone and using a sport (or three) to combat stress and anxiety.

“For me, the way I deal with anxiety and stress is through physical activity — I know that’s an easy, fortunate fix and not everyone is so lucky — but I know that if I'm able to sweat every day, it greatly diminishes the amount of anxiety or stress I feel. I also think prioritizing sleep really helps me,” Nash says. “A few days or a week of bad sleep, I’m more open to stress or anxiety affecting my days. For me, getting exercise — particularly through the things I love to do and I love to play soccer and tennis — changes my mood, limits my anxiety. It gives me energy!”

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