Ready to up your game? These workouts can help!
Strengthen your core
Virtually any sport you can think of will be improved by strengthening your core. Biking, running, basketball, tennis, swimming and more rely on these muscles. In fact, a weak core not only undermines performance, but it may also lead to injury. Good core exercises include planks, bridges, v-ups, and leg raises. When we hear core exercise, most of us think abs. In fact, these muscles concern your trunk including your back. Core exercises protect you from low back pain and injury, so you can comfortably stay strong and active.
Don’t skip the squats
Love ‘em or hate ‘em there is no denying that squats do a body good. Add a few sets to your regular workout to boost power output. Still not motivated to squat? Focus on upping your basketball game, biking with more speed or running faster. Sometimes when you are committed to the why the how is easier.
Practice breathwork
We don’t give enough thought to how breath impacts sports performance. Here’s why we should: proper breathing gets better oxygen to muscles and cells. It also improves focus, endurance, and overall performance. Practice performance breathing to be a better athlete. ACE offers this advice.
Begin by preparing to practice. To do this be sure both nostrils are clear. Choose a quiet area and time where you can focus on the experience of breathing. Deeply inhale and exhale through your nostrils keeping your attention on the breath. When your mind wanders, gently guide your attention back to your breath each time thoughts carry you away.
How to do performance breathing – this breath has three parts, inhale for a count of two, hold for a count of two and exhale for a count of four. ACE offers this form for applying performance breathing to sports: inhale for two steps, hold for two steps, exhale for four steps. This form is applicable to other sports. For example, a cyclist would inhale for two pedal strokes, hold for two pedal strokes and exhale for four pedal strokes.
You can improve performance by strengthening the muscles that support your sport. To get the most bang for your buck practice planks, squats and performance breathing to gain strength, stamina, and speed.
