We have decided to gift you a useful skill that you can incorporate into your mental preparation for sports. We will explain what relaxation exercises are and how to perform them. The most common relaxation exercises are breathing exercises.
Breathing for Relaxation
These exercises are a simple form of “shallow relaxation” techniques, meaning they will not put you into an “over-relaxed” state. In sports psychology, they are an integral part of an athlete’s mental training, regardless of the sport, age, or gender. Breathing exercises are here to help us manage tension, reduce stress and anxiety levels, and achieve an optimal level of arousal before a performance. What many people do not know is that breathing exercises are also used for recovery purposes and can easily be combined with passive stretching methods after training.
Exercises like these enable proper and full breathing, which calms us down and brings our thoughts back to the NOW, instead of tomorrow or yesterday. Breathing exercises are suitable for pre-competition preparation and can be performed on the day of the competition itself, immediately before entering the arena. The duration of breathing exercises is variable and adaptable to the athlete’s needs, but they typically last between 3 and 5 minutes. They can also be performed in groups or individually. Furthermore, they can be used daily in preparation for training, or as needed in situations where we are “stressed” and require a certain dose of peace and relaxation.
The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise
- Find a position that is comfortable for you, where you can spend about ten minutes without significant discomfort or stiffness that would force you to shift around…
- Once you have found a comfortable position and feel ready to begin this exercise, first bring your attention to your breath…
- Let your breath be the center of your focus and your entire interest…
- Become fully aware of your breath and your breathing… its rhythm… depth… warmth… and sensation…
- As you inhale through your nose, become aware of your breath passing through your nose… throat… feel it on your tongue… feel how it expands your lungs and fills you with oxygen…
- Then feel the breath leaving through your nose… feel how with each exhalation you become more and more relaxed…
- Keep your attention on your breathing… nothing else matters right now… all that interests you is your breath… allow your breath to wash away all the tension from your body and bring peace and balance…
- Allow your breath to penetrate deeper into your body… carry it to your abdomen… your back… your legs… your feet…
- Notice how with every breath you relax your body more and more, filling it with energy while releasing tension, stress, and stiffness…
- Allow your breath to reach all parts of your body and bring peace… relaxation… and balance…
- Now that you are fully aware of your breathing, begin to count…
- As you inhale, count from 1 to 4, then hold your breath for 7 seconds, and finally, count from 1 to 8 as you exhale.
- Repeat this for 3 to 5 minutes.
