PERFORMANCE

focus on the process of rebuilding health and fitness one step at a time. Often the total effort and time scale of recovery can be over- whelming - breaking goals into smaller bite-size chunks, often makes things seem more possible.

BOX 3: GOALS

Here is a simple model for goal achievement that seeks to enhance motivation and utilise the sub conscious part of the mind to increase success. This process can be worked through formally and recorded, or informally through conversation. For ease of use I have provided questions that will help to facilitate the desired responses.

G oal stated positively - what do you want to achieve? O utcome evidence - how will you know when you have achieved it?

A ction plan - what do you need to do to achieve this goal? L everage - what are the costs if you don’t, or the benefits when you do?

S ee self achieving - what will it be like to achieve this goal?

POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE People generally do things better when they are more positive. Research into healing and rehabilitation has demonstrated that a positive outlook is a key factor in the speed and effectiveness of recovery. Sports psychology research into injury rehabilitation has found that the generally positive outlook of sports performers could be a reason why they ‘heal’ faster than non-sports performers with similar injuries.

The therapist can assist the sports performer in maintaining a pos- itive outlook by encouraging them to watch and beware of their thoughts, and to recognise negative thoughts, stop them, and replace them with positive ones - not always easy but essential!

BOX 4: MAINTAINING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

Encourage the athletes that you work with to maintain a posi- tive perspective. Particularly get them to monitor their thoughts. Teach them to recognise negative thoughts, and to replace them with more positive, optimistic ones.

Use this process yourself when working with athletes to challenge their negative language, thoughts and perspectives. Help them to reframe their thoughts and to turn negative into positive.

STRESS MANAGEMENT AND RELAXATION Physical exercise is perhaps the best way of burning off stress. When an athlete is injured not only will they be dealing with the frustrations of the injury, but they are also prone to getting stressed and anxious more easily as they are not able to burn it off. To help counteract this it is important to try to encourage the athlete to be active in some way, whether by performing rehabili- tation activities or where possible by performing a different activ- ity that does not affect the injury. It is also highly beneficial to teach the athlete some relaxation techniques as these can be used to help to control stress, encourage healing and reduce pain.

10

VISUALISATION Visualisation or imagery as it is also known, is a popular mental training technique, and works because it has a measurable, physio- logical effect on our body. It is generally used to pre-play up and coming events, to recall successes, and to practise and develop skills. It can be very useful for injured athletes to visualise skills practise and competitive performances throughout the treatment and rehabilitation phase, as it can help them not just to maintain a sense of connection and purpose, but also has physiological ben- efits that can help to maintain performance levels. However, visu- alisation can also be used to enhance and accelerate the healing process. Mental techniques involving visualisation have been used in medicine as far back as recorded history and are the subject of increasing research and history.

The mind and body are connected and visualisation is one way of utilising this link for positive results in the rehabilitation process.

BOX 6: A HEALING VISUALISATION

Get the athlete physically and mentally relaxed. Use progressive relaxation and breathing to facilitate this process (you may also want to use music that is relaxing). Ask the athlete to imagine and focus on a scene that they find positive, nurturing and healing.

Concentrate on total-body healing and visualise a colour or sound that represents healing as it moves slowly through their entire body, cell by cell; or focus on the injured area and create a healing image and hold the image and “see” the area healing. Visualise an army of white blood cells marching to the infection or injury ready to rebuild or repair.

Finally, finish with a vision of the future. This vision can be a picture of the athlete gradually regaining strength and skills, managing stress and life in a healthier manner and eventually returning to their previous fitness level.

www.sportex.net BOX 5: TWO RELAXATION TECHNIQUES TO TEACH ATHLETES

BREATHING Breath control can help modify stress and response to pain. Try to breathe freely and stay relaxed. Allow your lungs to fill com- pletely by extending your stomach as you breathe (like filling an imaginary balloon in the diaphragm) and by feeling the air move in and out of the bottom of your lungs. Visualise healing, relax- ing energy entering your body as you inhale and a release of any negative thoughts as you exhale.

PROGRESSIVE MUSCULAR RELAXATION To help the mind and body to know what tension and relaxation feel like progressively tense and relax muscles. Starting with the head and working down, alternate flexing the muscles in each body part (producing tension), then relaxing them. Mentally and physically memorise the feeling of relaxation. Encourage the athlete to incorporate that feeling whenever possible through- out recovery. This technique also helps the athlete readily recog- nise tension so that they can then work through it.