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May 01, 2009
Meditate on athletics
Challenge Yourself for: 24 Hours
Practices for focusing the mind prior to an athletic competition have existed for centuries. But it’s only recently that experts have begun giving a name – and a science – to the type of mental centering you can do to optimize athletic performance. The next time you workout, challenge yourself to think like a finely tuned athlete, whatever your level of fitness. Some tips:
• Engage in a predictable pre-workout ritual
• Visualize success
• Embrace ambiguity and accept that which you can’t control
• Adopt meditative practices like yoga, Pilates, and progressive relaxation
Always consult a physician before starting any exercise routine.
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Every day before my work out, I have a quiet corner of the gym where I stretch, breathe and meditate. Once I am completely relaxed and loose…I slowly get started. It seems to prepare my body for the hard work out to come. Time permitting, I also like to cool down this way. It helps to prevent sore joints and muscles, however the most important thing is it gives me a huge feeling of accomplishment.
Before every big swim meet at my high school our whole team does a pre-meet visualization of how we want our race to go, what it will look like, and how we want to improve. By doing this we are able to relax and get in the right mind set for our upcoming races.