Athletes are always looking for new and exciting ways to boost their performance. Whether it’s a change in their diet, lifestyle, training program and schedule or anything in between, there are so many variables.
It doesn’t even matter what sport you’re involved in, if there’s a way to boost your training to make you better, you can be sure that you’ve tried it. Or have you?
Meditation is big at the moment, and the chances are that you’ve heard of it. You might know someone who practices it or maybe you even practice it yourself. However, have you tried meditating with the sole purpose of enhancing your performance?
Meditating as an Athlete
By meditating as an athlete, right before you work out or train, you can help yourself become very centred and present. Although it’s not going to actively be able to make you run faster or throw further, it can help your body to relax and to become very focused. There’s also a huge benefit when it comes to your breathing.
When you’re exercising, breathing is such an important aspect to consider. Usually, you may find it difficult to keep your breathing steady and in check. However, through meditation, you can centre your breathing, so it remains calm and regulated throughout.
There’s also a tonne of research and studies that show that meditating can actively reduce stress and pain when exercising your muscles.
How to Meditate
There is a tonne of articles on this blog that can show you how to meditate so I won’t share with you the basics. However, there are a few things that you’ll want to remember.
Firstly, and most importantly, you’ll want to find a calm and quiet space where you can concentrate and relax. You don’t have to necessarily sit with your legs crossed, just upright and comfortable, so you’re not fidgeting around.
Of course, it’s not about clearing your mind; it’s about focusing on your breathing. Thoughts and emotions are going to come into your head during this time but don’t worry about it. As soon as you notice you’re thinking, return to your breath.
Improve Your Meditation, Improve Your Performance
As you practise meditation, you’ll naturally get better and better at it. As you improve, you’ll start to see the benefits more and more, as you will in your training sessions.
To start with, you’re probably going to want to meditate for around 10 minutes but, as you start to see the benefits, you’ll probably do it for a lot longer than this. The longer you meditate, the more benefits that you’ll see. You’ll also notice that it’ll start to affect other aspects of your life, for example, you’ll be a lot calmer when you’re stuck in traffic!
Before long, you’ll be at the top of your game and only ever getting better! Give it a go and let us know what you think!