Relaxation means a set of changes in the body that help reduce the effects of stress and anxiety (Weinberg & Gould, 2014). When people are stressed in sports or physical activities, their bodies react by increasing heart rate, muscle strength, and mental activity (Selye, 1974). These reactions are useful in emergencies, but they can negatively affect an athlete’s performance during competition (Greenberg, 2006). When athletes are stressed they may feel their heart beating faster and their muscles tense up or they may have too many thoughts and find it hard to focus on what’s important for their performance. To counteract these reactions, athletes can use relaxation techniques to calm their bodies and minds (Kellman & Beckmann, 2014; Smith, 1999). This is a deliberate choice by the athletes, and there are various techniques they can use. Some techniques focus on relaxing the body, like progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and autogenic training while others focus on calming the mind, like meditation, stretching, and imagery (Pelka et al., 2016). Some researchers (e.g., Schinke et al., 2007) suggest that athletes can incorporate activities that are familiar and meaningful to them, such as cultural practices or recreational activities, to help them relax. Overall, the goal of relaxation is to reduce the physical and mental reactions so that athletes can perform at their best and feel in control.
Greenberg, J. S. (2006). Comprehensive stress management. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
Kellman, M., & Beckmann, J. (2014). Sport and movement. In F. Petermann, & D. Vaitl (Eds.), Relaxation techniques (pp. 335 344). Weinheim: Beltz.
Pelka, M., Heidari, J., Ferrauti, A., Meyer, T., Pfeiffer, M., & Kellman, M. (2016). Relaxation techniques in sports: A sys- temic review on acute effects on performance. Performance Enhancement and Health, 5, 47 59.
Schinke, R. J., Hanrahan, S., Peltier, D., Michel, G., Danielson, R., Pickard, P., et al. (2007). The pre-competition and competition practices of Canadian Aboriginal elite athletes. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 1, 147 165.
Selye, H. (1974). Stress without distress. New York: J.B. Lippincott.
Smith, J. C. (1999). ACB relaxation theory: An evidence-based approach. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2014). Foundations of sportand exercise psychology. Human Kinetics.