Issue 091
August 2012
Kicking back is as important as kicking on. Here’s some tips to help your rest and digest
Rosi Sexton is a leading professional fighter, sports therapist and registered osteopath.
There’s no getting away from it, fighting can be stressful. Not only are there the physical stresses in the gym and the psychological stress of competition, but fighters may also have to deal with dieting, exhaustion, and balancing training with other commitments.
If you happen to find yourself in the middle of a crisis several weeks out from a fight, it’s all too easy for it to drain your energy and interfere with your preparation. Whether physical or mental, stress activates the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response.
This involves a specific part of the nervous system called the ‘sympathetic nervous system,’ as well as the stress hormones (including adrenaline and cortisol). Being stressed out isn’t all in your head, it’s a physical state that affects every part of your body.
Less well known is the fact the body has another part of the nervous system, to promote relaxation and recovery, called the ‘parasympathetic nervous system.’ In contrast to the fight or flight response, the PNS puts your body into a state to ‘rest and digest.’
Why is this important for a fighter? Hard training demands hard recovery. And recovery from training is linked to the function of your PNS. By dedicating time to relaxing, and doing activities that stimulate the PNS, you may be able to improve your recovery, have more energy for your next session and perhaps even reduce your risk of overtraining.
There’s more to relaxation than just slumping in front of the Xbox or your favorite soap, though. High-quality relaxation, as with every other part of your training program, takes regular practice and should be planned out.
Here are some of the best ways to go about reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
SNOOZE OR LOSE
The first, and most important thing to do is to make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep. If you find it hard to regularly get eight hours of sleep a night, consider taking a nap in the afternoon.
STRETCH IT OUT
Set aside time after a training session to cool down and stretch properly. This helps reduce sympathetic nervous system activity and switches your body into recovery mode.
FORWARD PLANNING
Plan the intensity of your training sessions. Hard training is important, but not every session should leave you feeling exhausted and beaten up. This is especially important when you’re trying to learn something new or change your game.
LOW-INTENSITY TRAINING
If your fitness program consists mainly of high-intensity interval training, consider throwing in some long, slow runs, or other low-intensity cardiovascular work.
GET ORGANIZED
Make sure you have everything you need ready before each training session and have a plan for fight week. That way you don’t have to deal with the stress of not having your gumshield, or realizing that your cornerman doesn’t have a plane ticket.
WEIGHT CUT
Plan your weight cut carefully and don’t leave it all to the last minute. Low calorie diets significantly increase your stress hormone levels. When you are dieting, try to eat small amounts regularly instead of starving yourself.
MEDITATION
Consider using breathing exercises or meditation – these can be very effective ways of promoting relaxation and recovery. They can also form a useful part of a fighter’s mental toolkit for dealing with pre-competition nerves.
LOG OFF!
The internet can be a pleasant distraction, but it can also be tempting to get drawn into heated debates or arguments that can rile you up.
FAMILY VALUES
This is often the first thing to suffer when you’re tired and stressed out. But social activities are a great way to relax – plus family time will also avoid confrontations with partners!
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