I recently got the chance to do a Q&A with one of my favorite people in the world. A true inspiration, Mike Adams went from NFL offensive lineman to yoga guru, shedding the football weight, turning into a lean machine. His love for peace & faith are why I follow him on social media. With all the bad in the world, Mike is a joy to keep up with and a great mentor to stay motivated on the journey of life. He was one of my first choices to interview once we launched and I’m so happy to share this interview with you guys. 

I’ve been a fan of yours since college. What made you walk away from football for good?

Mike:  Well I’ll start out with “everyone has to stop playing sometime”. I decided to walk away from the game in an effort to heal my body and my mind. After dealing with a myriad of injuries I was having trouble finding my passion for the game. Waking up and not being able to get out of bed had finally taken it’s toll on me. Back, knee, and shoulder surgery on top on sprained ankles and knees before the age of 30 really make you step back and look like “man I still have a whole life to live after I’m done on this field and I want to be able to enjoy it as best I can.”

What’s the best advice for people that want to cut weight but maintain muscle? A lot of us lose but we lose the muscle with it.

It’s all about what you eat! Start with cutting out white starchy foods like white bread, white pasta, rice etc. Your relationship with food will steer the ship for whatever fitness goals you have.

Yoga...how did you fall into it? How difficult or easy was the transition from the gridiron to the yoga mat?

I had a teammate in Pittsburgh who was going to “try out some yoga class” with his wife and invited me to join. I went to a hot power yoga class which is what I now teach and wow did I get crushed! 20 minutes into the hour I was laying in a pool of sweat on my mat just trying to keep myself somewhat together. It was humbling to say the least. That humbling experience had me craving for more and that offseason I introduced hot yoga to my training regimen.

What are the best yoga positions for someone new to it? My husband and I are new to it and want to make it a part of our everyday, especially after working out.

If you’re new it’s fun to find a studio and just jump right into classes. Most classes are “all levels” friendly and if you’re area is still shut down you can always head over to YouTube and try out some beginner power yoga videos.

How do you feel about more of the black community getting into yoga? We love it so far. 

I love seeing the practice of yoga growing in the black community! As a people with decades on decades of generational trauma I think yoga can instrumental in so many ways but particularly in opening up and furthing the discussion on black mental health.

What’s the most comfortable yoga mat you’ve used? What do you recommend?

I use a few different ones but my two favorites are my Jade mat and the Manduka Pro.

What about your love for the outdoors? Was it always something you loved? We’re big fans of the outdoors ourselves.

I always enjoyed spending time in nature but my love for farming and bow hunting came about in my mid 20s. I was mentally “over” the game of football but was still playing and nature was how I found my peace. The sights and sounds of the forest are something I’ll always need and long for when I don’t have it.

Switching to fashion. When it comes to style, what does an everyday look for you consist of? What are some of your favorite go-to items?

When I comes to style I love to switch it up. From sneakers and beanies to dress boots and nice jackets I love it all. Fall fashion is my favorite as I love to layer but summer and all of its bright colors have a special place in my heart as well.

What’s your “cool quote for life”? We plan to ask all that we interview this question at the end. It can be one that you’ve seen or your own. What’s your life advice to others?

You just gotta keep livin man...L-I-V-I-N!!!!

A huge thank you to Mike for sitting down with us for this quick interview. For more on Mike and his inspiring life & journey, visit his Instagram page, @mike_adams75