# Alexa Grasso on Mental Health Fitness
UFC fighter Alexa Grasso is openly discussing why she treats mental health with the same discipline she applies to physical training. Speaking through the Child Mind Institute, Grasso emphasizes that peak performance requires both a strong body and a strong mind.
Athletes often fixate on conditioning, nutrition, and technique. Grasso pushes back against this imbalance. She recognizes that stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue directly impact her ability to train hard and compete at the highest levels. For her, mental fitness isn't a luxury or afterthought. It's foundational.
This matters for parents because it models something children rarely see from high-profile athletes. When prominent figures talk openly about prioritizing therapy, mindfulness, or emotional check-ins, they normalize mental health care for young people watching. Kids absorb messages about what "strong" actually means.
Grasso's approach aligns with research from the Child Mind Institute and other organizations showing that mental health support improves athletic performance, academic outcomes, and overall resilience. Athletes who address anxiety or depression perform better. Students who work with therapists or counselors focus better in class.
Parents can adopt Grasso's framework at home. Encourage your child to view mental fitness as seriously as physical fitness. This means regular check-ins about emotions, access to counseling when needed, and permission to rest when overwhelmed. Just as athletes warm up before competition, kids benefit from calming routines before stressful situations like tests or presentations.
The message is straightforward: mental health is not separate from success. It enables success. By watching athletes like Grasso speak candidly about their own mental health practices, young people learn that seeking support is smart strategy, not weakness. Parents can reinforce this message daily by asking their children how they're feeling, validating difficult emotions, and treating therapy