IDP Power Lunch Vol. 5 Event Report: "An Unbreakable Mind Dwells in a Well-Conditioned Body. - A Former Pro's Physical Strategy for Consistently Giving 100%"
Key facts
- IDP Power Lunch Vol. 5 Event Report: "An Unbreakable Mind Dwells in a Well-Conditioned Body. - A Former Pro's Physical Strategy for Consistently Giving 100%"
- This is a report on the 5th 'IDP Power Lunch,' an online study session held by IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD. on May 14, 2026. Former Japan national soccer team player Keita Suzuki was the guest speaker, discussing physical strategies for business professionals to maintain peak performance. Mr. Suzuki advocated for the order of 'Body, Technique, Mind' instead of the traditional 'Mind, Technique, Body,' emphasizing the importance of first conditioning the body, the impact of gut health on the mind, and practical approaches to rebuilding a team.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: May 31, 2026
Direct answer
This is a report on the 5th 'IDP Power Lunch,' an online study session held by IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD. on May 14, 2026. Former Japan national soccer team player Keita Suzuki was the guest speaker, discussing physical strategies for business professionals to maintain peak performance. Mr. Suzuki advocated for the order of 'Body, Technique, Mind' instead of the traditional 'Mind, Technique, Body,' emphasizing the importance of first conditioning the body, the impact of gut health on the mind, and practical approaches to rebuilding a team.
- Citation
- IDP Power Lunch Vol. 5 Event Report: "An Unbreakable Mind Dwells in a Well-Conditioned Body. - A Former Pro's Physical Strategy for Consistently Giving 100%" (May 31, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- May 31, 2026
This is a report on the 5th 'IDP Power Lunch,' an online study session held by IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD. on May 14, 2026. Former Japan national soccer team player Keita Suzuki was the guest speaker, discussing physical strategies for business professionals to maintain peak performance. Mr. Suzuki advocated for the order of 'Body, Technique, Mind' instead of the traditional 'Mind, Technique, Body,' emphasizing the importance of first conditioning the body, the impact of gut health on the mind, and practical approaches to rebuilding a team.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 31, 2026 at 17:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 31, 2026 at 08:47
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 09:21 (48h 33m after Collected)
IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD. (HQ: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kosuke Nakano) held the 5th IDP Power Lunch, titled "An Unbreakable Mind Dwells in a Well-Conditioned Body. - Why is Your Performance Unstable? A Former Pro's Physical Strategy for Consistently Giving 100%," on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
The online study session "IDP Power Lunch" was launched with the aim of creating a space where one can "hear the real thoughts of top professionals in 50 minutes during lunchtime." It invites experts from various fields to provide business professionals with opportunities to directly engage with essential knowledge.
For the 5th session, we invited former Japan national soccer team player Keita Suzuki to speak on how to apply the philosophy of condition management practiced by athletes to business.
This report condenses hints for taking the next step forward from the words of Mr. Suzuki, who continued to compete on the front lines, undeterred by adversity.
Preparing to Give Your 100%
The phrase "Shin-Gi-Tai" (Mind, Technique, Body) is often used in the world of sports. While it implies that the mind is the most important, Mr. Suzuki questions the order of this approach.
"People often say 'It's all about spirit' or 'Just do your best,' but I think if your technique and body aren't ready, your mind won't grow. Of course, you need a strong mind, but the approach should be reversed. Having a body in good condition. That's what allows you to polish your technique. When your technique is polished, you gain mental composure, don't you? That's why I tell people to approach it as 'Tai-Gi-Shin' (Body, Technique, Mind)."
Mr. Suzuki says this way of thinking applies directly to the business world as well.
No matter how many times you're told to "do your best" when you have a terrible hangover, you can only perform at 70-80% of your capacity. You can only properly evaluate your performance when you give 100%.
In other words, "first, get your body in shape" is the starting point for everything.
"When you give 100%, you can evaluate what went wrong and what went well. But at 70%, you can't really evaluate it properly, can you? You might think, 'I could have done more.' So, let's prepare to perform at 100%. Having a body in good condition is crucial."
The Science of Conditioning
At the core of AuB Inc., the company Mr. Suzuki founded after retiring, is research on the "gut environment." The idea didn't come from his time as an active player, but from much earlier in his childhood.
"My mother always told me that the gut is important. When I was about 7 or 8, she said, 'The gut is the most important part of a human being.' Fermented foods were always on our dinner table. I ate things like nori seaweed and natto for snacks."
His mother's intuition was later proven by science. It is now known that about 80% of serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone, is produced in the gut, and maintaining a healthy gut environment is directly linked to mental stability.
In an experiment conducted by Mr. Suzuki's research team, eating fast food for a week not only resulted in a clear drop in mood and a worsened gut environment but also led to a phenomenon of "addiction," where participants wanted to eat fast food even after the experiment ended. The results showed the danger of dietary habits and the importance of consciously managing them.
Lessons on Mentality from a Coach
Mr. Suzuki candidly admits that he felt like he "didn't want to do it" more often after becoming a professional.
The pressure of competition, responsibility to the supporters, and the stress of having to constantly play in matches. A turning point came with an encounter with a certain coach.
"The coach said, 'You guys look like you're not having fun playing soccer. Wasn't this your dream since you were kids? What's wrong?' He told us, 'The responsibility for winning or losing a match is mine, the coach's, so don't worry about it.' But he also said, 'Whether you want to come to this training ground every morning and play soccer is your responsibility.'"
The person who comes to the training ground with a convenience store bag, thinking "what a drag," and the person who arrives thinking, "I bet something interesting will happen today." There may not be a difference in one day, but over a year, it becomes a huge gap.
These words resonated with the interviewer, Unno, who commented, "Whether each individual's motivation is properly directed towards a single goal is a central question in the field of organizational development."
"Decide to 'just enjoy this one day,' no matter what kind of day it is. It's daunting to think about doing it for a whole year, isn't it? But just for today. Tomorrow, just for that day. The day after, just for that day. I think it's just an accumulation of this."
Team Atmosphere Changes from the Locker Room
The conversation about individual condition management expanded to teams and organizations.
This is a true story from 2011 when Mr. Suzuki was the team captain, and the team was facing the crisis of relegation to J2.
"There are many reasons why things aren't going well, but you start by fixing the closest things first. What is that? Lifestyle habits. The locker room is not in a good state. It's dirty or disorganized. You start with things you can improve. If you start with the big problems, you probably won't change anything. First, you do things that will definitely change, like putting things back in their original place or state. It's important to make something click into place."
You can't change things by trying to solve big problems all at once. First, change what individuals can do. The accumulation of these changes moves the team's atmosphere.
The advice Mr. Suzuki derived from this experience is something that can be immediately implemented in the business world.
"If you're feeling down or anxious right now, just go for a run. Really. That's something you can change yourself. Be a little more conscious of what you eat. You get stuck in a rut because you try to solve big problems first. The first thing you should do is review your own lifestyle. Get your body in shape. Things will definitely change."
Rest with Full Effort
The conversation also touched upon the "fear of taking a break." Mr. Suzuki's answer was clear: "I don't separate rest from training."
"Resting is also training. It seems separate, but it's not. My solution is to rest with full effort. As an athlete, during this rest period, I would focus solely on how much I could recover. Sleep time, what I eat, body treatment. It's all a continuous flow, not something to be divided."
Furthermore, Mr. Suzuki spoke about the purpose of life, which he learned from a team coach.
Once, when Mr. Suzuki was hesitant to accompany his child to the hospital because of a match, his coach, who observed him every morning, immediately saw through him and said:
"'The primary purpose of life is to be happy, happiness with your family. Soccer is just one means to that end. Forget about soccer for a while and go to the hospital with your family.' I realized it's not just about work. I rethought things, realizing that your perspective changes depending on what you set as your purpose."
The purpose of everything is "to be happy." Work is just one means to that end. Therefore, rest and training are all part of a continuous process to become happy, not things to be separated.
This perspective was a message that busy business professionals, in particular, should take home.
Conclusion
Not "Shin-Gi-Tai," but "Tai-Gi-Shin." Start by moving your body even if you don't feel like it. Rebuild the team by starting with cleaning the locker room. And accumulate "just enjoying today."
What Keita Suzuki talked about was not about special talent or mental strength. It was about the fact that the habits and ways of thinking that athletes have taken for granted, such as "conditioning from the body first," are a sure way to stabilize the performance of business professionals. This 50-minute session was packed with hints that can be put into practice starting tomorrow.
5th Session Overview
・Date: May 14, 2026 (Thu) 12:00-12:50
・Format: Online (Streaming Platform: YouTube)
・Fee: Free (Pre-registration required)
・Organizer: IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD.
Speaker Profiles
[Guest]
Keita Suzuki
Former Japan National Soccer Team Player, CEO of AuB Inc.
Born in Shizuoka Prefecture. Joined Urawa Reds in 2000 after graduating high school. Experienced J1 championship in 2006 and AFC Champions League victory in 2007. Selected for the J.League Best Eleven in 2006 and 2007. Led the team as captain for three years from 2009. Selected for the Japan national team after Ivica Osim became coach in 2006 and was the only player to start in all matches for the Osim Japan team. Played a total of 379 matches in the J.League. After retiring in 2015, he founded AuB Inc. With the mission "To bring everyone to their best condition," he is developing conditioning services centered on gut bacteria research.
[Interviewer]
Hiroko Unno
Director, IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD.
[Moderator]
Yuhei Sato
After working at a specialized trading company, he served as a public secretary to a member of the Diet for four years, also supporting a Parliamentary Vice-Minister. Currently, as the CEO of lazy style Inc., he is involved in activities related to politics, sports, and local government under the motto "Making the correlation diagram of life more interesting than anyone else."
Future Events
For the 6th session, we will invite Narumi Kurosaka (maiden name: Sakabe), Executive Director of the Modern Pentathlon Association of Japan, to talk about turning points in women's careers.
The event will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Please apply for a free ticket from the Peatix event page.
https://idp-powerlunch2606.peatix.com
IDP Power Lunch is scheduled to continue on a monthly basis. We will continue to support the learning and challenges of business professionals by providing them with opportunities to engage with essential knowledge.
End
[IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD. Overview]
Company Name: IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD.
Location: 2F Diatec Bldg., 1-20-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Established: March 2023
Representative: Kosuke Nakano
Business: Human resource development (organizational development, human resource development support services), business school management
URL: https://www.idp-inc.co.jp/
[Inquiries about this press release]
Corporate Planning Department (Sato)
pr@idp-inc.co.jp
The online study session "IDP Power Lunch" was launched with the aim of creating a space where one can "hear the real thoughts of top professionals in 50 minutes during lunchtime." It invites experts from various fields to provide business professionals with opportunities to directly engage with essential knowledge.
For the 5th session, we invited former Japan national soccer team player Keita Suzuki to speak on how to apply the philosophy of condition management practiced by athletes to business.
This report condenses hints for taking the next step forward from the words of Mr. Suzuki, who continued to compete on the front lines, undeterred by adversity.
Preparing to Give Your 100%
The phrase "Shin-Gi-Tai" (Mind, Technique, Body) is often used in the world of sports. While it implies that the mind is the most important, Mr. Suzuki questions the order of this approach.
"People often say 'It's all about spirit' or 'Just do your best,' but I think if your technique and body aren't ready, your mind won't grow. Of course, you need a strong mind, but the approach should be reversed. Having a body in good condition. That's what allows you to polish your technique. When your technique is polished, you gain mental composure, don't you? That's why I tell people to approach it as 'Tai-Gi-Shin' (Body, Technique, Mind)."
Mr. Suzuki says this way of thinking applies directly to the business world as well.
No matter how many times you're told to "do your best" when you have a terrible hangover, you can only perform at 70-80% of your capacity. You can only properly evaluate your performance when you give 100%.
In other words, "first, get your body in shape" is the starting point for everything.
"When you give 100%, you can evaluate what went wrong and what went well. But at 70%, you can't really evaluate it properly, can you? You might think, 'I could have done more.' So, let's prepare to perform at 100%. Having a body in good condition is crucial."
The Science of Conditioning
At the core of AuB Inc., the company Mr. Suzuki founded after retiring, is research on the "gut environment." The idea didn't come from his time as an active player, but from much earlier in his childhood.
"My mother always told me that the gut is important. When I was about 7 or 8, she said, 'The gut is the most important part of a human being.' Fermented foods were always on our dinner table. I ate things like nori seaweed and natto for snacks."
His mother's intuition was later proven by science. It is now known that about 80% of serotonin, the so-called happiness hormone, is produced in the gut, and maintaining a healthy gut environment is directly linked to mental stability.
In an experiment conducted by Mr. Suzuki's research team, eating fast food for a week not only resulted in a clear drop in mood and a worsened gut environment but also led to a phenomenon of "addiction," where participants wanted to eat fast food even after the experiment ended. The results showed the danger of dietary habits and the importance of consciously managing them.
Lessons on Mentality from a Coach
Mr. Suzuki candidly admits that he felt like he "didn't want to do it" more often after becoming a professional.
The pressure of competition, responsibility to the supporters, and the stress of having to constantly play in matches. A turning point came with an encounter with a certain coach.
"The coach said, 'You guys look like you're not having fun playing soccer. Wasn't this your dream since you were kids? What's wrong?' He told us, 'The responsibility for winning or losing a match is mine, the coach's, so don't worry about it.' But he also said, 'Whether you want to come to this training ground every morning and play soccer is your responsibility.'"
The person who comes to the training ground with a convenience store bag, thinking "what a drag," and the person who arrives thinking, "I bet something interesting will happen today." There may not be a difference in one day, but over a year, it becomes a huge gap.
These words resonated with the interviewer, Unno, who commented, "Whether each individual's motivation is properly directed towards a single goal is a central question in the field of organizational development."
"Decide to 'just enjoy this one day,' no matter what kind of day it is. It's daunting to think about doing it for a whole year, isn't it? But just for today. Tomorrow, just for that day. The day after, just for that day. I think it's just an accumulation of this."
Team Atmosphere Changes from the Locker Room
The conversation about individual condition management expanded to teams and organizations.
This is a true story from 2011 when Mr. Suzuki was the team captain, and the team was facing the crisis of relegation to J2.
"There are many reasons why things aren't going well, but you start by fixing the closest things first. What is that? Lifestyle habits. The locker room is not in a good state. It's dirty or disorganized. You start with things you can improve. If you start with the big problems, you probably won't change anything. First, you do things that will definitely change, like putting things back in their original place or state. It's important to make something click into place."
You can't change things by trying to solve big problems all at once. First, change what individuals can do. The accumulation of these changes moves the team's atmosphere.
The advice Mr. Suzuki derived from this experience is something that can be immediately implemented in the business world.
"If you're feeling down or anxious right now, just go for a run. Really. That's something you can change yourself. Be a little more conscious of what you eat. You get stuck in a rut because you try to solve big problems first. The first thing you should do is review your own lifestyle. Get your body in shape. Things will definitely change."
Rest with Full Effort
The conversation also touched upon the "fear of taking a break." Mr. Suzuki's answer was clear: "I don't separate rest from training."
"Resting is also training. It seems separate, but it's not. My solution is to rest with full effort. As an athlete, during this rest period, I would focus solely on how much I could recover. Sleep time, what I eat, body treatment. It's all a continuous flow, not something to be divided."
Furthermore, Mr. Suzuki spoke about the purpose of life, which he learned from a team coach.
Once, when Mr. Suzuki was hesitant to accompany his child to the hospital because of a match, his coach, who observed him every morning, immediately saw through him and said:
"'The primary purpose of life is to be happy, happiness with your family. Soccer is just one means to that end. Forget about soccer for a while and go to the hospital with your family.' I realized it's not just about work. I rethought things, realizing that your perspective changes depending on what you set as your purpose."
The purpose of everything is "to be happy." Work is just one means to that end. Therefore, rest and training are all part of a continuous process to become happy, not things to be separated.
This perspective was a message that busy business professionals, in particular, should take home.
Conclusion
Not "Shin-Gi-Tai," but "Tai-Gi-Shin." Start by moving your body even if you don't feel like it. Rebuild the team by starting with cleaning the locker room. And accumulate "just enjoying today."
What Keita Suzuki talked about was not about special talent or mental strength. It was about the fact that the habits and ways of thinking that athletes have taken for granted, such as "conditioning from the body first," are a sure way to stabilize the performance of business professionals. This 50-minute session was packed with hints that can be put into practice starting tomorrow.
5th Session Overview
・Date: May 14, 2026 (Thu) 12:00-12:50
・Format: Online (Streaming Platform: YouTube)
・Fee: Free (Pre-registration required)
・Organizer: IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD.
Speaker Profiles
[Guest]
Keita Suzuki
Former Japan National Soccer Team Player, CEO of AuB Inc.
Born in Shizuoka Prefecture. Joined Urawa Reds in 2000 after graduating high school. Experienced J1 championship in 2006 and AFC Champions League victory in 2007. Selected for the J.League Best Eleven in 2006 and 2007. Led the team as captain for three years from 2009. Selected for the Japan national team after Ivica Osim became coach in 2006 and was the only player to start in all matches for the Osim Japan team. Played a total of 379 matches in the J.League. After retiring in 2015, he founded AuB Inc. With the mission "To bring everyone to their best condition," he is developing conditioning services centered on gut bacteria research.
[Interviewer]
Hiroko Unno
Director, IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD.
[Moderator]
Yuhei Sato
After working at a specialized trading company, he served as a public secretary to a member of the Diet for four years, also supporting a Parliamentary Vice-Minister. Currently, as the CEO of lazy style Inc., he is involved in activities related to politics, sports, and local government under the motto "Making the correlation diagram of life more interesting than anyone else."
Future Events
For the 6th session, we will invite Narumi Kurosaka (maiden name: Sakabe), Executive Director of the Modern Pentathlon Association of Japan, to talk about turning points in women's careers.
The event will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Please apply for a free ticket from the Peatix event page.
https://idp-powerlunch2606.peatix.com
IDP Power Lunch is scheduled to continue on a monthly basis. We will continue to support the learning and challenges of business professionals by providing them with opportunities to engage with essential knowledge.
End
[IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD. Overview]
Company Name: IDENTITY PARTNERS CO., LTD.
Location: 2F Diatec Bldg., 1-20-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Established: March 2023
Representative: Kosuke Nakano
Business: Human resource development (organizational development, human resource development support services), business school management
URL: https://www.idp-inc.co.jp/
[Inquiries about this press release]
Corporate Planning Department (Sato)
pr@idp-inc.co.jp
FAQ
What is the purpose of the 'IDP Power Lunch' event?
Its purpose is to provide business professionals with an opportunity to directly access essential insights from top experts in various fields, based on the concept of 'hearing candid stories from a pro in 50 minutes during lunchtime'.
What does guest Keita Suzuki's concept of 'Tai-Gi-Shin' (Body-Technique-Mind) mean?
It's the reverse approach to the common 'Shin-Gi-Tai' (Mind-Technique-Body). It's the idea that by first getting the 'Body' in good condition, 'Technique' is polished, which in turn creates mental余裕 ('Mind').
What does Mr. Suzuki particularly emphasize in condition management?
He places great importance on maintaining a healthy gut environment. He states that since about 80% of the 'happiness hormone' serotonin is produced in the gut, the condition of the intestines directly affects mental stability.
When a team's performance is poor, what does Mr. Suzuki advise to start with?
He advises starting not with big problems, but with improving small, personal habits that individuals can definitely change, such as tidying up the locker room. It's important to start with what you can change.
How does Mr. Suzuki view 'rest'?
He considers 'resting as part of training' and doesn't separate it from practice. He rests with full effort, focusing on recovery, and sees it all as a continuous process toward the goal of 'being happy'.