If you’re an athlete trying to keep up your skills as well as manage feelings of disappointment and uncertainty about when you’ll get back to your sport, you’re not alone. Sporting types from Olympians to aspiring tee-ball stars have seen their seasons upended recently. Even the options for practicing and conditioning have dramatically changed due to the coronavirus. It can be hard not to get frustrated and angry.
But despite needing to social distance and in some communities stay sheltered in place until further notice, there are things you can do to help keep both your body and your mind strong and flexible. Small actions you can take every day will help you be ready when the day comes that you can return to play. The Change to Chill website has a page dedicated to mindfulness resources for athletes and performers, including mental training exercises, guided imagery and mindful movements.
In addition, here are some suggestions for areas to focus on:
- Bodyweight strength training such as pushups, squats, burpees and more—If you don’t know how to do these types of exercises there are plenty of online training videos that can help you.
- Conditioning activities such as running or biking—Even if you have to stay close to home you can try sprints, or jumping jacks inside or outside.
- Specific skill-building—See how creative you can get! If you’re a soccer player, can you challenge your teammates to a video-taped juggling challenge? If your sport requires agility, can you build an obstacle course to navigate?
Together we can and will figure out how to navigate these challenging times and get back to a sense of normal. In the meantime, it can help to remember that when it comes to staying healthy and safe during this pandemic, we’re all on the same team.
For more ideas and information about how to manage stress and build resilience, visit www.changetochill.org.
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