Strong from the inside out: Frida Gylner on mindset, training and nutrition

When you look back at Frida before 2018 and Frida today, what would you say is the biggest difference?

- The biggest difference is probably that I have become enormously more humble. Both towards life, the fact that you even get to exist and wake up every day, and towards other people. I have become more accepting and understanding as a person overall.

A change happens inside you that is so big it is almost impossible to explain. I have really tried to put it into words myself, but it is more of a feeling.

I am not the same person anymore, and I almost do not remember what a normal life is compared to the life I have now.

There is truly a before and an after. Before, I existed and life was in black and white. Now I live, and life is in colour.

Of course, receiving a cancer diagnosis is a sad story, but in some sense, you may also understand what this thing called life is actually about.

Death is constantly present. It is like a threat, like a ticking bomb, even though you do not know when or if it will explode.

It is like a programme running in the back of my mind all the time. At the front, an ordinary life is going on, and I have the privilege of being energetic, alert and strong, both physically and mentally. But behind the scenes, there are existential questions, worry and a kind of chronic suffering. It is not active all the time, but it is there.

You went from taking your first steps after the paralysis to running a half marathon and completing En Svensk Klassiker. What did that journey teach you about the body?

- Number one is not to take the body for granted. It was a bit like being born again, but as an adult. My brain was with me, but I had to learn how to walk, eat and simply be in my body again.

I was so tired in my head that people sometimes had to say, “Frida, you are staring again. Shift your focus.” Then I had to actively move my gaze.

I gained enormous respect for my body. People often think that you should go to war or fight against the illness, but I thought more: what an amazing body that is simply here and carries me.

Of course, the immune system is doing something wrong, and that is why I have this tumour. But my body is not against me. It works with me, and it has proven that several times.

First of all, I realised that I have a body. Then I made peace with it, and now I cheer it on. I listen to it, respect it and sometimes talk to my body.

I see it a bit like a machine that needs to function, and then I help service it, take care of it and support it as well as I can.

You have said that physical strength builds mental power. What does that mean to you in practice?

- I did not realise that at all before, because I neither trained nor ate particularly healthily. I took everything related to health for granted. But when you lose everything that health means, in a way, you realise what the body and the mind are actually capable of.

I lost my footing and thought: “I am going to die now, so I need to see what I am actually capable of.” It was some kind of survival instinct. Feeling strong in my body is directly connected to feeling strong mentally.

If I do not train and feel like I am collapsing a little, or that I am not taking care of myself, I quickly end up in a mental dip.

I become more afraid. I feel weak, my body feels weak and I can feel consumed by the illness. But if I keep myself physically strong, I feel like I can move mountains, no matter what happens.

The doctors tried to give me antidepressants when things were at their toughest. But the only thing that truly worked for me was training.

When I started training hard and heavy, it beat every medicine I had ever been offered.

Training is like a happiness pill straight into mental capacity and mindset.

Frida often returns to the idea that motivation is fleeting. It can help us get started, but it does not always help us keep going.

To create real change, you need support structures, lower thresholds and an interest in the process.

It is not about always feeling inspired. It is about making it easy enough to continue even when inspiration is missing.

What do you think is the most important thing to understand when it comes to the connection between the body and the mind?

- We walk around carrying our bodies without thinking about the fact that they are there. Paying attention to the body, being curious about it and seeing what it is capable of is incredibly important.

If you are not someone who trains and you start training a little, maybe running lightly or lifting something heavy, you quickly notice that something happens.

No one regrets a workout. That is because so much happens in the brain and body, biochemically, that we may not even fully understand.

We have to use our bodies to get the most out of our minds. They are completely dependent on each other.

When Frida faces stress or worry, she works a lot on separating thoughts from truth. She tries to let feelings exist, rather than pushing them away. Breathing, training, silence and concrete actions become ways to break thought patterns and return to the body.

One of her most concrete tools is unexpectedly simple: washing dishes by hand.

What mental strategies do you use when you face stress, worry or resistance?

- I try to separate myself from the thought. In my situation, it is easy to end up in catastrophic thoughts, but then I try to think that these are just thoughts. Thoughts are not true. They are just thoughts, and this thought is creating an uncomfortable feeling in my body. That is completely okay.

The more resistance you create and the more you try to push the thought away, the more interested the brain becomes.

Of course, I do not always succeed. Sometimes it is full on crying, punching a pillow or going to the gym to box while the tears are pouring. That is also a strategy. Just letting it come.

More stress relief techniques:

• Deep breathing also helps me. I can focus on something and count down 21 breaths. If I lose focus at 18, I start over.

  
  

• I have also been on several silent retreats with a Buddhist focus. There, I have gained many methods and strategies related to meditation and awareness.

  
  

• Then it is also about breaking the pattern by doing something else. I see the brain a bit like a computer.

  
  

• If it is very busy having anxiety or feeling worried, I try to interrupt that by doing something concrete.
  
  My psychologist has said, for example: “Washing dishes is really good, Frida, by hand.”

  
  When you wash dishes, you smell the washing up liquid, feel the water against your hands, hot and cold. You listen to the sound of the tap and the dishes clinking. You activate several senses.
  
  If you do something with focus and awareness, it can become quite interesting. For me, it is about bringing awareness forward when I feel bad and noticing: this is what is happening now. Break the pattern, do something else.

When Frida started running before the operation, her relationship with training changed completely. She had always understood that training was good, but when movement became connected to survival, she understood its power on a completely different level.

Training also became a way to change the image she had of herself. What she had previously believed was impossible turned out to be possible.

You started running before the operation after the doctor emphasised the importance of movement. How did that change your view of training, and what does training mean to you today?

- It changed everything. I had always understood that training was good, but not on the level that I understand it today.

Above all, it changed the image I had of myself. I had said that I could not do it. I had been in conflict with my boyfriend at the time, saying “it is not possible” and “you do not understand, it hurts my lungs.” Those were mental blocks that had become truths.

Suddenly I was forced into something and was fighting for my survival, and then it went really well. I flew through those five kilometres in 26 minutes the first time I was going to run five kilometres. I had never believed that would be possible. Then I knew that of course it is possible.

- Today, training means everything.

There are people who train much more than I do, but for me it is above all a sanctuary. It is my little secret room where I can gather strength, build myself up and feel hope and belief in myself, my body and the future.

I also like environments where people train. Gyms, sports halls and places where people take care of themselves, use their bodies, push themselves a little, believe in themselves, break boundaries and strive forward.

What type of training do you prefer?

- Running, gym training and some boxing. I did more boxing a few months ago, but I will come back to it.

What is your best advice for someone who wants to start training after a period of stress, illness or low energy?

- Lower the threshold so much that it is impossible to fail. I really like the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. It has helped me enormously.

It is about finding the start button and making it simple. If you want to start reading, the goal can be one page every morning, connected to a habit you already have.

The same applies to training. Make it so simple that there is no resistance. As soon as the resistance becomes too big, there is a risk that we skip it.

I also like setting an intention for the day. Who do I want to be today? It is about seeing opportunities rather than obstacles. Even when something is difficult, you can try to see the potential. That applies to training, work and life in general.

There are so many perspectives and methods to explore that can make life rich, exciting and meaningful. Take in people and ideas that inspire you.

For Frida, nutrition is not about calories or performance. It is about fuel, energy and giving the body better conditions.

She describes anti inflammatory nutrition as simple at its core: clean foods, few ingredients and a focus on what the body can use.

How do you explain anti inflammatory nutrition?

- I usually explain it as simply as possible. It is about foods that preferably contain one ingredient, if you want to be quite strict about it. Whole foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and omega 3.

I do not talk about calories as a health coach. To me, food is fuel for the body. I often compare it to putting premium fuel in a Ferrari instead of treating the body like a worn out Opel.

There are also foods and ingredients such as turmeric, ginger and garlic that can support the body. I am quite nerdy when it comes to optimisation, but when you start feeling the difference in how you feel, it becomes fun too.

What is the difference between anti inflammatory nutrition and a ketogenic diet?

- A ketogenic diet is more specific. If you look at the plate, a very large part of your energy intake should come from fat, ideally 75 to 80 percent or more. It can be avocado, olive oil, Brazil nuts, animal fats, a good entrecôte or chicken with the skin on.

Anti inflammatory nutrition is broader. It is not only about fat, but more about supporting the body with clean food and ingredients and nutrients that may help reduce inflammation and strengthen health.

In her coaching, Frida prefers to work with clients for at least three months. She describes the first weeks as tough, but also important. That is when the body and brain begin to adjust, and when the client needs support, structure and encouragement.

For Frida, coaching is not just about giving advice. It is about staying close, helping the client spot pitfalls and building belief in the change.

What does a coaching programme with you look like?

- I usually prefer to work with clients for at least three months. During the first four weeks, you need to expect that it can be really tough. A lot of it is about nutrition, reducing inflammation and helping the body adjust.

I coach mainly around nutrition, although training is also included. I am a trained personal trainer, but in the beginning many people need to focus mostly on walks and maybe two strength sessions per week.

The programme often includes check ins once a week, either in person or digitally, and contact via messages in between. There are a lot of tips, advice, conversations and encouragement.

Frida Gylner’s journey shows how closely the body and mind are connected. After the diagnosis, she had to rebuild her body, but also a new identity, a new mindset and a new view of life.

Today, she uses her experiences to help others understand the body, create sustainable habits and rediscover the power of training, nutrition and recovery. Not to perform more at any cost, but to build health that lasts over time.