Check Engine Light - by Rob Wilson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"The gap between what really matters and what has become fitness-as-entertainment is growing wider by the day--and Rob is reaching across the divide with a steady hand. What we need is a framework. A model. A lens to help us make sense of it all. We need a dashboard--one that can help us better understand our inputs and outputs, our biology and our psychology, our feelings and our potential. Fortunately, we have Rob Wilson." --Dr. Kelly Starrett, 3x New York Times Best Selling Author, Physio, and High Performance Coach.

Whether you're navigating minor concerns or major challenges, Check Engine Light will empower you to take control of your health and performance through expert guidance and an experimental mindset.

Let's face it, we've all got a check engine light flashing. Maybe it's that low back pain you've had for years, or the emotional baggage that's collecting dust in your brain, or the growing fluffiness around your waistline, or maybe it's something you are not even sure whether to interpret as a warning signal. But all of us let things build up over time, and those things drag us down and keep us from living and performing at our best.

Sometimes we know exactly why the light is flashing, but we either can't or won't slow down long enough to investigate. Other times we don't realize the light is flashing at all. Rob Wilson's Check Engine Light delivers a fresh approach to identifying these hidden and not-so-hidden signals so you make more informed decisions about how you drive, when to perform maintenance, and when repairs might be due. Learning to tune into your indicators will give you the opportunity to tweak and adjust your habits and approaches to health, whatever they may be, before the "car" ends up on the side of the road with the muffler tumbling down the highway a mile back.

This book is different from any other health book you've read. It does not provide static protocols or step-by-step instructions that are meant to lead to a specific end point, because only you know what works best for you. Instead, it describes a new way of interacting with the dynamic and ever-changing landscape of your personal health. While all humans have some commonalities, each of us expresses our health in ways that are unique to our genetics, upbringing, personal history, physical environment, and culture. This complex cocktail of ingredients makes us who and what we are as individuals, and that customized blend shapes our health and performance.

In this book you will:

• Examine how and why people tend to ignore important health indicators until it's too late
• Learn to think critically about your own health perception and how to calibrate that perception using objective tools
• Build a dashboard of reliable indicators so you have access to information about your personal health and performance and what might be in need of your attention
• Learn how to select the right tools and protocols for your performance longevity toolkit

Check Engine Light is about creating a plan to tune your body to go the distance, at peak performance. It comes complete with a self-guided workbook and case studies from elite athletes and warfighters that will inspire you to hop back in the driver's seat of your own health with confidence and clarity.

Review Quotes

"In the relentless drive of high performance, it's easy to overlook the warning signs until something breaks. Slowing down requires courage, especially when pushing through is second nature. As a client of Rob's, I've experienced firsthand how his straightforward approach helps you recognize those critical moments. Check Engine Light is your guide to staying in the fight--and staying whole while doing it." - Britt Slabinski, Medal of Honor Recipient & Former Command Master Chief, USN SEAL Teams

"I wish this book had existed when I was a young man in Naval Special Warfare (NSW). I would have been better in all aspects of the job. If I was still on active duty, Check Engine Light would be mandatory reading for all my guys, and I would keep pushing it down until it was mandatory reading at the beginning of all of the Special Operations Forces selection courses. This book is that important!" - Alex Oliver, Founder, Virginia High Performance, Continue Mission Program

Self-knowledge is the bedrock of awareness. But how can an individual tune in to decode their body's conversation with itself? In a time where external influences relentlessly feed our brain, body and psyche, Rob Wilson's process of query enables each person to restore their own awareness battery. His book challenges your assumptions about your thoughts, embodied feelings and behaviors in a granular and philosophical manner. This leads to a necessary and critical self-interrogation that bears fruit now and for decades to come. Check Engine Light is the check-in that everyone needs. Jill Miller, author of Body by Breath and The Roll Model

About the Author

Rob Wilson is a human performance specialist with over twenty years of manual therapy, coaching, and education experience. His work spans a variety of avenues in the fields of health and human performance. This includes multiple trademarks, the creation of global seminars and curriculums, and the research, development, and implementation of best practices in human performance.

Over the last decade Rob has been a pioneer in the research and development of breath control practices for health and high-level performance. He has contributed ideas and presented to the best of the best, including the UFC Performance Institute, ALTIS, and the U.S. and Allied Special Forces.

Rob is also an avid martial artist and surfer as well as a devoted husband and father. When he's not nose-deep in research, you can find him on the mat or with his wife and their many animals.