Having grown up knowing the benefits of physical activity, specifically gymnastics, for a child’s physical, mental and social growth, I was thrilled when my daughter, Indiana-Rose, took a liking to the sport at the age of 2. Indi was born with Cardio Pulmonary Stenosis and ended up having catheter heart surgery at almost 3 years of age. I remember Indi taking about 2-3 weeks off … Continue reading The Mum Spot: Cinnamon May’s Gymnastics Life
Positive mental preparation leading up to competitions Does mental prep make a difference? To know if mental preparation and planning for competition might be useful to you, ask yourself the following questions: What percent of performing your routines successfully in competition is related to your mindset? On a scale of 0 – 10, what would you rate the importance of your mental state to your performance … Continue reading Positive Mental Preparation for Competition with Dr. Sue Jackson
To start with, I recommend not owning (or using) the phrase “mental block”; use more neutral and forward-thinking language such as “this skill is one I am still developing” or “I am working on getting this skill”. Choose statements that work for you, but recognise that mental block is not helpful. Understand that there is a difference between thinking and focusing. Thinking is often about … Continue reading Overcoming Mental Blocks with Dr. Sue Jackson
We are excited to announce that Dr Sue Jackson will be a contributor to The Gym Spot. Dr Jackson is one of Australia’s most recognised Sport Psychologist’s, and has vast experience in the field, both through working with elite athletes and lecturing at Australian universities over the past two decades. Dr Jackson is the co-author of “Flow in Sports”, with the world renowned psychologist and … Continue reading Introducing Sports Psychologist, Dr. Sue Jackson
Listen to your body. Don’t ignore signals that your body is giving you about your ability to move through a certain range, or do specific movements. Listen to your treating therapists, for example, your physio or sports medicine doctor. Follow the guidelines they set out for returning from this injury. Mental imagery is an important psychological tool to use when recovering from an injury. Imagery … Continue reading Advice on Working Through Injuries with Sports Psychologist, Dr. Sue Jackson
It’s every gymnast’s worst nightmare –an injury that forces you to take time off to recover and press pause on physical activity for a while. It seems like the worst thing that could happen to you, but sometimes it can be the best! Having something happen that forces you to take some well-deserved rest and recovery has mental benefits as well as physical. We got … Continue reading Staying Positive during Injury Recovery
Elite level gymnast Jack Riek knows the ins and outs of the gymnastics world and the challenges that come with committing oneself to this intense lifestyle. Being part of a sporting world that is demanding on both the body and mind, Jack has offered some advice on avoiding physical injury when competing or training. Earlier this year, we followed Jacks journey as he competed at … Continue reading Training Tips from Australian Representative Jack Riek
