These simple and practical tips will help you improve your athletic performance and achieve your goals. Read on!
Not only is physical training important for sporting success, but you also have to prepare yourself mentally in order to achieve top performance. Today we recommend some simple, practical hacks that you can implement at any time to improve your performance and achieve your goals. Read on!
With motivation for sporting success
1. Diaphragmatic breathing before competition
Nervousness is normal before a competition. However, you now need calm and concentration to perform and prove what you are capable of. Use diaphragmatic breathing to calm your nerves. A study by the University of Murcia, in which boxers took part, confirms that deep breathing reduces stress levels.
Proceed as follows:
- Find a quiet, undisturbed place and concentrate on your breathing. Place one hand on your stomach and breathe in slowly through your nose. You feel your stomach rising.
- Hold your breath for five seconds before letting it out through your mouth.
- Your chest should barely move during this exercise.
- Train this breathing regularly and use it before a competition to calm down.
2. Motivational goals
Motivation is an essential prerequisite for achieving goals. But it has to be constant and give you the energy you need to keep going when you're tired or don't feel like it. Set short, medium, and long-term goals that you can measure and review. The abbreviation SMART helps you to successfully define these goals. The letters stand for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timed.
You can also motivate yourself with your favorite music, successful role models, rewards, or nice sports clothes.
3. Visualization of movements
Visualizing movements is a frequently used and very successful method in sports psychology. You mentally imagine the exact sequence of movements, as realistically as possible: every step, the coordination, the movements of the arms... You show self-confidence, and every movement fits perfectly. By visualizing you can improve your performance and prepare for a specific scenario.
Various studies show that this technique improves motivation and reduces pre-competition nervousness.
When you visualize, you use all your senses to build an inner image of the movement sequences that will lead you to sporting success.
4. Activate the brain
Before you exercise, do warm-up exercises to prepare your body and avoid injury. The brain also needs to be activated so that it can perform at its best. You can train your cognitive skills (e.g. attention, coordination, memory…), but you also need a technique to get it going quickly.
Every athlete has their own methods, so we recommend simple arithmetic tasks during the warm-up: additions or multiplications require your attention and activate your brain.
5. Training diary
A training diary helps you track your progress, get to know your body better, regulate your emotions, and find new motivation. Record the training date, time, and duration of the training and the performance provided. How did you feel during training? And then? How does training affect your sleep quality and satisfaction?
Conclusion
There is no general recipe for success, everyone has to find their own way. Motivation, mental strength, and endurance are essential prerequisites for sporting success. You can promote these skills through small mental tips and tricks in everyday life.
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