What does it take to be at the top of your game when it comes to your big race, competition or final?
Well, read-on to hear a comprehensive guide about 3 different strategies you can immediately implement into your training to ensure you are at peak performance for your big day!
1. Visualisation
What is visualisation?
It is the process of mental imagery and rehearsal.
But… What does that mean?
It involves completely immersing yourself by imagining you are completing your race, skill, movement, routine or performance in a way that would give you ultimate success!
The brain is working overtime to target the muscles that will be involved in performing your race, skill, movement or routine. This means the muscles are already primed and “ready” to work in a specific way to deliver you with that “perfect” performance.
So how do I do it?
Here is our ultimate guide to visualisation!
Visualise the outcome you want – how do you want it to unfold?
Use all your senses – what do you see, hear, feel, smell and taste
Visualise frequently – it’s like a skill, it gets better the more you practice
2. Sleep and Recovery
Do you know how important sleep and recovery is for peak performance? Getting more, or extended sleep each night has been shown to positively benefit athletes with their recovery and performance.
Follow our 6 top tips to maximise your sleep and recovery:
Have a regular sleep pattern – attempt to go to bed and wake up at the same time
Spend the right amount of time in bed – 7-9 hours for adults and 8-11 hours for kids
Reduce use of devices, phones and laptops – especially 30-60 minutes prior to going to bed
Relax, unwind and de-stress before bed – switch off from the day and do something you enjoy
Where possible, avoid eating late
Use your bedroom for sleep only – avoid where possible eating, watching TV, or using electronics in bed
3. Tapering
The concept of “tapering” involves modifying training to allow athletes and competitors to produce their best performance on a given competition day.
It actually involves reducing exercise in the days leading up to a race, competition or final. It is used often in endurance sports, but can be applied in all sports!
You can achieve tapering by still training the same number of times in the week, but lowering the intensity and duration of the training. This will mean you avoid sensations such as muscle soreness, fatigue or dehydration, placing your body in a more optimal position to perform at its peak when it comes to the day of your big race, competition or final!
These three strategies are things you can immediately perform, and are completely unique to each individual. So have a play around and experiment to see what effect it can have on your performance!
If you want to know more about how you can integrate these concepts, book in with our therapists and be at your 100% peak performance!
