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A great kickstart
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Believe it or not, but `good stress' can help you perform better
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Stress can be a good thing: it readies us for the pressures of daily life and emergencies. Acute stress makes us alert and raises heart rate, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
Stress primes us for explosive physical effort: no wonder athletes deliver their best when they have a butterfly or two in the stomach. Good stress, or eustress, pumps you up for the task ahead, and it occurs most often in enjoyable tasks that require hard work.
Bad stress arises when too many negative demands crop up: the pressure to perform can spoil execution and rob one of joy in the sport.
Relaxation techniques and meditation can help. The simple act of inhaling deeply, holding your breath for about five seconds, and then releasing it slowly halts stress in its tracks. Another technique is muscle relaxation: flex a group of muscles, keep them tensed for about five seconds, then release. Repeating muscle relaxation exercises before competition loosens up the mind and body.
Eat well and get a good night's sleep before a major event. Caffeine and sugar wear out the brain even though they begin with an encouraging rush of energy. Lack of sleep and nourishment increases stress and impairs performance.
Visualising positive things and great performances helps top athletes get through lean patches because ultimately the body follows the mind. Recalling the images of success and perfect execution can relieve stress and instil confidence.
Of music and massage
Music is a great relaxant, although you wouldn't guess it watching Sachin Tendulkar, headphones on, chew his nails out after padding up. Edwin Moses, the great 400 m hurdler, listened to soul music before every race.
Massage is a time-proven method of physical and mental relaxation. Good massage technique involves stretching and releasing a muscle in the direction of its action. One need not go in for expensive aromatherapy and special massage oils to achieve good relaxation.
Do your training at a much slower pace and focus on the movement rather than aiming for speed. This is a form of relaxation that martial arts exponents will be familiar with.
Headaches, nausea and inability to concentrate before tournaments can be a sign of chronic stress.
This requires a total re-evaluation of one's lifestyle to identify stressors. A heart-to heart chat with a close friend or a few sessions with a psychologist is perhaps the best way to deal with chronic stress.
RAJIV. M
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