It's All About Stress Reduction (Elitetrack.com Post)

Often different athletes I work with bring up many of the following issues before a race or competition:

• Muscular tension
• Raised heart rate and blood pressure
• Shallow breathing
• Upset Stomach
• Longer than normal recovery times

All of these issues affect performance by causing the athlete to be fatigued earlier and lose strength and energy. So my first question to them is always "are you stressed?" and the answer is always mixed. Some say "yes", some say "no", and some are not sure. Regardless of their answer the reality is the athlete is facing some amount of stress. Controlled amounts of stress provides many benefits to the athlete. From the adrenaline boost that our body produces we gain short-term pain killing, increased focus, and a boost of energy. Although when we experience too much stress then the above symptoms occur.

Chronic high stress levels can also lead to many long-term issues such as a weakened immune system and hypertension. Both of these outcomes can be significantly problematic for high level athletes. For example, athletes who train regularly at a high intensity already may have a weakened immune system due to the physical strain they put on their body, with the addition of mental stress there is even more strain being put on one's immune system. So what should you be doing?

1. Schedule 20-45 minutes a day of relaxation time (watching TV doesn't count, make it purposeful relaxation)
2. Create a simple relaxation routine to use before competition andtraining/practice
3. Try to physically and mentally relax after competition and training/practice

Adding in simple yet purposeful relaxation can make a big difference in how you feel and how you perform. Try it today!