We love watching an athlete get physically stronger, faster, fitter. Especially when you can track the data e.g. increased bench press by 20% or improved marathon time by 15 minutes.
This is particularly satisfying when the athlete is following a training plan that promised this physical improvement and then fulfilled on its promise.
Is it possible then for our brains to improve in the same measurable way?
An inspiring story.
When my friend Chad started practising mindfulness and breathing techniques he was able to slow his heart rate down by 10% at the start of a 100m race. This allowed him to be more attuned to the starting gun and improved his reaction time significantly. Chad began to win more races and physically see a difference in his performance due to an improvement in his mental fitness.
A quick lesson.
Whilst our mental progress can definitely be given numbers to track against this isn’t always the only way. I spoke with Sportmi psychologist Alexandra Norton and she told me something very important. “It isn’t always about seeing an improvement that you can quantify, but also FEELING an improvement in your mindset and confidence. Keeping a mindset journal can help athletes with this.”
You don’t need to be a professional athlete to improve and track your mental strength significantly, and YOU CAN follow a training plan to help your brain get fitter. A strong mind is attainable for any athlete.
At the very least do these things:
- Believe that your mind can get fitter
- Follow a training plan just like you do for your body
- Track your progress, quantitively and qualitatively, in a journal
Next week we’ll be sending out free training plans so stay tuned!
Stick with us, athlete, and your mind will get stronger, guaranteed.
With gratitude,
Honorata (CoFounder Sportmi) and team.
