Mental Toughness in Sports

While I have touched on the topic before, I feel that it is very important to mention as the new year begins. CONFIDENCE.

Confidence plays a huge role in success during athletic competition. It is almost on the same level as skill and natural ability. Think about yourself, when you believe something is possible and obtainable, and you believe in yourself, a lot of the time you are about to get it done. Now of course the goals you set must be realistic and be very personal. Sometimes you can not overcome environmental factors. However, all in all, confidence is mucho importante.

Confidence is one of those things that comes naturally to some. You know the person, the one with that swagger in their walk, the one who believes anything is possible. Some of us just don't have that natural confidence.  Don't despair, confidence can be built.

Positivity breeds confidence!

Any psychology book you read will mention POSITIVE SELF TALK. Taking the word CAN'T out of your vocabulary. This is a huge aspect of being confident and successful. If you start saying that things are possible, you will begin to believe that those same things are possible. Start with obtainable goals, then build on them once they are accomplished. The smallest boost resinates everywhere, into all aspects of life.

Remember, confidence extends past the playing field into life. Doctors, Salesmen, Lawyers, Coaches, Personal Trainers, Teachers, etc all believe in themselves, so others follow suit. Kind of a big part in being a leader, no?

I leave you with this final thought:
If you do not think you can, who will?

Make it Happen!

Sometimes I feel like you have to do something somewhat primitive to get your life back. Let me explain. For the past nine months my life has been very cyclical. On December 26, 2009 my girlfriend at the time broke up with me. This was the beginning of the chain of events which changed my life.

On New Years Eve I was so down that I convinced a friend of a friend to hook up. Convinced is the wrong word, but bare with me. It was after this weekend that I chose to reevaluate myself, my life.

This is how I saw myself, 24 years old, single, unemployed, and still without the college degree that despite what I say, I busted my ass for. Oh, not to forget that I was tipping the scale at 195lbs (I'm only 5'7") Needless to say, it was time for a change. I emailed a friend of mine, Lauren, about my dissatisfaction with where I was in life. This was her response:

If you want to do all those things, you need to fully DECIDE and choose to do them, and ask the universe for guidance. This might sound all woo woo to you, but all you need to is claim what you want, don't hold back, don't take no for an answer, and ask for help and guidance to get where you want to go without expectations of in what form you will get them. That's what I do. I just listen to my body and my inner wisdom. We all have it. But's it takes practice to get in touch with that. 

As this is just an outtake from the email, to me her response conveyed this message, "Make it Happen!"

The What-Ifs

We all have those moments in life. The times when we sit back and reflect on the things we have done. Whatever the outcome we will always begin to think "what if?" What if we had done things differently, what if we were a moment sooner, what if we had gone left instead of right, etc.

As we get older we begin to second-guess the decisions of our past. We realize the mistakes that we've made and how to right them. Some mistakes we can change, however, most we cannot. So why should we sit and dwell on that which we cannot change? You must discover the things that you can, and right them to the best of your ability. Take nothing in this life for granted, especially a second chance at something.

How Does This Apply to Health and Fitness?

Compression Shorts

Compression shorts have been around for years. However, their use across all athletics has been increasing recently. This is, in part, due to companies such as Nike and Under Armour creating different types of these thin moisture-wicking materials. Now many athletes wear them because they are sponsored by a famous athlete, or they think it is cool to wear. However, the use of compression shorts is much more than just a fad.

Compression shorts serve multiple purposes for athletes, both male and female alike. For starters, they help to keep the leg muscles warm, due to the compression action they supply. This in turn, helps reduce the possibility for a number of muscular pathologies. They also reduce the friction and help to dissipate moisture. Friction plus moisture can lead to many skin pathologies such as Jock Itch, Chaffing, Folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles), and fungal infections.

For men, wearing compression shorts helps to protect your manhood. Now I don't know a single man who wouldn't want to benefit in this aspect. Protection from Testicular Torsion and blunt trauma is high on my priorities list when competing in athletics. Superficially, they look great on women. Really accentuating their curves, herein lies another benefit for men.

Personally, I wear compression shorts underneath my regular shorts whenever I take part in anything that requires me to work up a sweat. Whether I'm going for a run, playing a pickup game of basketball, or lifting weights at the gym. So if you own a pair, you understand my affinity for compression shorts. If not, pick up a pair, what's the worst that could happen, you start to like them?

I would like to apologize for my lack of postings in recent weeks. This is due to one reason, and one reason alone, the National Athletic Training Association Board Of Certification (NATA-BOC) Exam. All the studying that I have been doing has been time consuming.

Studying has gotten me thinking about how you can read about anything and enjoy it. In reality, you need to get out and experience things to truly appreciate them. All the things I've learned from my schooling and reading does not hold a candle to the things I have experienced first hand. For instance, you can look at pictures of a place and read all about it, but if you haven't been there to take it all in, well that means nothing. Without having experienced something first hand, you have not lived.

So my advice to you is to go out and live. Shut down the computer, put on some clothes, and go experience what the world has to offer you.

Slip Up

So over the past few weeks I have been eating very healthy. I have been trying to increase my intake of non-processed food. It was going great, until this weekend. It isn't an excuse but the holidays are very tough to keep healthy in an Italian family. The anti-pasta, salads, pastas, starches, meats, and desserts make for a long day of eating. 

Now when I am helping to prepare for the meals, I am able to keep some of the dishes more health conscious. In my household we have some more healthy choices available, plus I have been trying to change the dietary habits of my parents and I. Easter Sunday was not at my house, it was at my Nana and Papa's home. My Nana, well the woman loves to cook for her family. She always makes a specific dish for each of her children and grandchildren, needless to say there is a lot of food available. Problem with this is what I used to eat, does not directly correlate with what I have been eating. 

I have been trying to keep a modified version of the Primal and Paleo diets. I consider it a more modern hybrid where I don't disregard all Dairy and Grains, just most. As they say in these diets, the Dairies and Grains don't really leave you full; therefore you will continue to eat more and more. Let me tell you, this is quite accurate, the amount of dairy I took in this weekend met my quota for probably an entire week. Between the mozzarella, swiss, & cheddar cheeses, the whipped potatoes, cheesecake, and Italian dressing, my body is crying for detoxification.

With this minor setback I am currently feeling the aftermath: bloating, lethargic, and an overall feeling of dissatisfaction. Do I feel guilty about my weekend, No. Why should I feel guilty about any of this? I am feeling the results of my actions and quite frankly not enjoying them. Now it is Monday, a new week. Time to get back on track, which is until my next obstacle, Memorial Day Weekend.