See it, believe it, reach it

I just got back from one of the best runs I’ve had in long time. I only ran for three miles, but I felt like I could have gone on for another ten. OK maybe just three more...

Physically, I felt good, but it was something more. Mentally and emotionally, I felt completely alive, powerful, enjoying every minute. Just jogging along with the sound of my son’s uneven stride padding along next to me. That’s what it is all about, being in the moment and enjoying it to the fullest. I felt blessed to be able to run, to have my health, my son. And I’ll admit I sometimes take those simple things for granted, but I shouldn’t. They are so important, powerful and invigorating.

Coincidentally, I had been doing research this afternoon about the 'Mind-Body' connection with regards to performance enhancement. Stuff that I could offer my clients and I too could use. I’ve been training for a triathlon with one of my clients (not a REAL triathlon... an INDOOR triathlon--swim 10 minutes, cycle 30, run 20) which is plenty for me.

I’ve read studies about athletes using cognitive techniques to improve performance. So for my clients and myself I am delving deeper to see if it really makes a difference.... my own case study on me. Here are some of the methods that I looked into...



Meditation (also called active relaxation or self-hypnosis) is when you consciously create an internal state of relaxed awareness. Not to be confused with the state you find your husband in when he is watching a football game from the sofa with his eyes closed.

I’ve dabbled with meditation intermittently, but I never managed to keep it up on a regular basis. You can actually download guided meditation from iTunes or FREE at The Chopra Center. Soothing music or nature sounds, coupled with a pacifying voice that tells you exactly what to do. It’s basically idiot proof and it really does work IF you use it often enough.

Meditation alone reduces heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, muscle tension, while increasing blood flow to brain. All of which reduce general stress and any amount of stress, high or low, decreases performance. A therapist once recommended I practice meditation to reduce the stress of motherhood and increase my patience level . If only I had followed through...

Music has been found to effect mood during exercise, so it can be used as a ‘legal drug’ to sedate or stimulate. “I’m Gonna Be” by The Proclaimers really gets me moving. Certain music also reduces stress... and you know what stress does to performance. Oh and I actually found out they make ‘Sport Performance Enhancement Music’ with subliminal messages...weee oooo... that freaks me out a bit.

Qi Gong (CHEE gung) is a Chinese practice that combines movement, meditation and controlled breathing to increase the flow of qi, or life energy, within the body. I’ve seen them doing Qi Gong exercises at a park in San Francisco, but I’ve never done it. On YouTube there is a ton of videos you can watch and follow along... so maybe I’ll give it a try. Though for me it will probably go the way of the meditation...

Mental Rehearsal or end-result imagery is when an athlete actually visualizes their competitive performance either while meditating or during training. They establish a specific goal and imagine it in detail over a period of time, sometimes months. They see themselves from start to finish, achieving a set objective like jumping four feet higher, hitting 57 home runs in a season, yada, yada, yada, you get the picture... Wasn’t that punny. Ok sorry... I’ll stop.

The idea is that you achieve what you visualize, even if it doesn’t bring you to the exact end result you perceived, it is said to improve overall performance. You’ve got to see it, believe it, before you can reach it.

Visualization is imagining an object or situation when it isn‘t really there (purposely hallucinating.) By adding a fantasized aspect to a visualization you can boost its effectiveness; like a runner who imagines a rope tied around his waste, the other end goes off into the distance to the finish line where it is attached to a huge retractable leash handle that keeps pulling him forward. I’ve got to get one of those. I wonder if they make them 3.2 miles long?

The mind-body connection is not a myth. We accept that if we don’t get enough sleep or are going through emotional stress, it produces a negative physical effect. So doesn’t it stand to reason that if we add something to our mental repertoire, it could effect us positively. Did you know that even a low body image correlates with poorer performance?

Well, I am not going to think about what my body looks like, that‘s just depressing. I‘m just going to visualize a swimming pool full of peanut butter and chocolate chips, waiting for me at the end of my race or something like that. I haven’t tied it down yet, but we’ll see if it works.

And if all else fails... I can try Red Bull... check THIS study out....Could you imagine me on Red Bull... Spaz + Hyper to the 10th power.... plain scary!




References:


Sheikh, Anees A. and Korn, Errol R. Imagery in Sports and Physical Performance (Imagery and Human Development Series). Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company, 1994. 


Colella, D., Morano, M., Robazza, C. and Bortoli, L. "Body image, perceived physical ability, and motor performance in nonoverweight and overweight Italian children." Perceptual and Motor Skills (2009 February), 108 (1) 209-18. 4 February 2010 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19425462>


Lloyd, Robin. "Amazing Power of Music Revealed." Live Science. 15 October 2008. 4 February 2010 <http://www.livescience.com/health/081015-music-power.html>
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