An expert in healthy lifestyle and sports and exercise psychology – this is a brief summary of the professional and personal interests of Associate Professor Klaudia Zusková, who has long been studying how we live and, more importantly, how well we live. She writes books, creates podcasts, and produces programs on the topic. As she puts it: “A healthy lifestyle is a lifelong body of work. We shape it to our own vision – we are its authors, not its victims!”
Your professional focus is on quality of life. What should we understand by that term?
Quality of life is not just about income, housing, or access to healthcare. These objective factors play a role, but just as important is how we subjectively experience our lives – how we feel, how we perceive our health regardless of medical diagnoses, the quality of our relationships, whether our work fulfills us, whether we know how to enjoy our free time, and whether we see meaning in what we do. One of the key indicators is subjective well-being, which can be understood either as momentary joy (a hedonistic approach) or as a long-term sense of fulfillment and personal growth (a eudaimonic approach). According to Sonja Lyubomirsky (Editor’s note: American professor of Russian origin at the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside), genetics influence it by nearly half, life circumstances account for ten percent, and as much as forty percent depends on our own decisions and activities. Edward Diener (Editor’s note: E. F. Diener was an American psychologist) defined subjective well-being as significantly more frequent experiences of positive emotions compared to negative ones, along with an overall evaluation of life as satisfying. Higher subjective well-being is linked to better health, longevity, high-quality relationships, work performance, and altruism. It also includes the concept of flourishing, which encompasses fulfilling one’s personal potential, a sense of life’s meaningfulness, and strong interpersonal relationships.
Have you always lived in harmony between body and soul? Or was there a turning point that set you on this path?
Since childhood, my family encouraged me to engage in healthy activities such as physical exercise and meaningful leisure activities, including the arts. I helped at home and in the garden, and my parents taught me the value of work. They also led me to think about the idea that something greater than ourselves exists. Yes, I’m referring to spirituality. Over time, through my studies and profession, I continued to develop in this direction, so I can say that a healthy lifestyle has always been a natural and lifelong value for me. At the same time, I’ve come to realize that no one can operate at one hundred percent every day. What matters more is finding balance – when I go through a challenging period or feel that I’m neglecting an area of my life, I try to make a conscious effort to improve it later. Similarly, all pillars of a healthy lifestyle cannot always be maintained at the same level. At different stages of life, or even from week to week, we naturally focus more on some aspects and less on others. Right now, for example, sleep is a key priority for me, so I’m actively working on improving it.
Who in your life was a key mover?
The most important people for me were my parents and my maternal grandparents, my grandma and grandpa. My mother showed me a broad range of emotions and taught me to perceive different aspects of how we experience emotion. My father, on the other hand, developed my intellect and a more rational outlook on the world. Both nurtured my appreciation for art and the ability to handle life’s challenges without becoming bitter. My grandparents were role models of genuine love and respect – for life and for each other. Grandpa introduced me to sports, taught me new skills, and even showed me how to take things apart and understand how they worked. Grandma helped me appreciate the meaningful aspects of life, teaching me to notice details and find joy in small things.
Your specialization includes sports psychology – caring not only for the body but also for the mind of athletes. Not something that has been widely practiced here in the past, as the focus was mainly on performance. Have things improved?
In terms of sports psychology, definitely. Today, experts don’t just focus on performance and success but also on athletes’ overall mental health and well-being. The emphasis is on ensuring that athletes feel good not only in their sport but also in their everyday lives and that they maintain a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle as much as possible. As part of the Association of Sport Psychologists, I contributed to the establishment of the Exercise Psychology section, which focuses on the psychological aspects of physical activities aimed at promoting health. This primarily concerns non-competitive and recreational physical activity, where exercise serves as the means. For example, how to support long-term motivation for regular exercise rather than just one-offs or short-lived New Year’s resolutions, which lead to packed gyms in January. Or how physical activity can contribute to mental health.
A few years ago, you created the television series Ke štěstí (On the Road to Happiness) for Czech Television. Did you receive any interesting feedback?
Some episodes were even used by Czech Television for educational purposes for students. Many people found inspiration in the methods presented in the series. This was a great motivation for me to continue bringing practical knowledge about healthy living closer to the public. This led to the video podcast series Zdravě žít (Healthy Living), which I created at the Charles University Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové. It explored health and preventive care from the perspectives of top experts – not only in medicine and related fields but also in social sciences and patient organizations. Then, in February of this year, I published my book Na zdraví! (To Health!), which I’m very excited about.
How do you recharge? I’ve noticed that you love skiing – both downhill and cross-country. What else gives you energy?
Spending time in nature, ideally alone. That’s why I prefer outdoor sports to those in enclosed spaces – I love being under the blue sky, surrounded by greenery. Skiing has been my passion since preschool. It used to be much more affordable than today, and it was common to hike up a hill before skiing down. Nowadays, with groomed slopes and ski lifts, very few people experience that, except for ski mountaineers. My grandfather built my first “hill” by stacking rainwater barrels and covering them with snow, where I practiced my first downhill ride and learned how to stop. I also love meditating and can find peace even while engaged in an activity. Breathwork combined with visualization (imagination) helps me a lot, as does exposure to art. And, of course, a few close friends – just knowing that I can turn to them at any time is invaluable.
The author is a staff writer for Deník
CV BOX
Klaudia Zusková (born 1972 in Bardejov) is a psychologist and university lecturer.
She studied physical education, English, and psychology.
She is an associate professor at the Charles University Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové.
She is the author and host of the TV docu-reality series Ke štěstí and the co-author and co-host of the video podcast Zdravě žít.
She has written numerous academic publications on quality of life and sports psychology.
She lives in Prague and has an adult son.
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