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5 Tips for Relaxing With Sports


Relaxing With Sports - Using simple and effective tips, a good session, whether intensive or relaxing, allows the body and mind to release tension. Breathing, stretching, meditation… We give you all our best advice for being as zen as a panda!

How does sport help reduce stress?

Conseil Sport, the well-being, health and nutrition podcast from DECATHLON

When was the last time you felt stressed? Do we even know how to recognize it? Does sport help? To answer these questions, we find our Sandrine and Hélène Petot, research and development engineer. Let's get to know, in this episode , this essential faculty of living beings which can become harmful if it becomes a permanent state... Come on, let's take a deep breath and relax .

Adopt abdominal breathing

To relax as much as possible before, after or even during sport, depending on the practice chosen, adopt abdominal breathing : inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, as slowly as possible.


To relax as best as possible, it is better to take the time to disconnect from the surrounding world and ignore everything around us. Visualize and concentrate on your breathing for a few minutes. Close your eyes and focus on the air as it travels through your lungs to your belly, Relaxing With Sports, causing it to slowly expand. Finally, his rejection which slowly deflates him and releases the accumulated tensions.


Taking the time to breathe through your stomach brings vitality and energy when you feel tired. You instantly gain tone by practicing this breathing as often as possible.


To be able to visualize and concentrate on breathing, sit in a quiet place in a lying position or sitting cross-legged or in diamond pose, sitting on your knees. It is important to make yourself comfortable and take the time to choose this relaxing position.

Do yoga

Yoga is the ultimate Zen activity. It allows you to let go , to concentrate on your way of occupying space, of moving, of strengthening yourself and of becoming more flexible .


To practice yoga , find or create a cocoon, a bubble devoid of any bad tension in which you can practice the discipline for approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. During the session, analyze the sensations that accompany your exercises to fully benefit from relaxation .


Practice intensely

For athletes who are less sensitive to gentle practices and who have difficulty releasing tension, particularly physical outlet sports activities are another good way to eliminate stress .


The feeling of relaxation and well-being felt after an intense practice is largely due to endorphin , a molecule released by the brain which disperses throughout the nervous system and body tissues to produce positive effects against the anguish and anxiety. Concentration on the physical effort made and pride in the accomplishment after the event can also help to forget stress and experience a feeling of intense relaxation after sport.

Think about stretching

Even outside of a sports session, at any time of the day, stretching gently wakes up or “removes” the body. Stretching is a simple way to relieve contractures and soothe the mind, especially since it only takes a few minutes to fully benefit from it .


They help to relax the body and relieve muscular or joint tensions before they take hold. Indeed, when we stretch, Relaxing With Sports, the body temperature gradually increases and, through mechanical action, the contraction-relaxation of the muscles modifies the pressure of the blood capillaries and improves blood circulation, and thereby flushes out toxins.


A stretched body is also better equipped to deal with stress , for a simple reason: each movement uses two antagonistic muscles at the same time: one contracts while the other relaxes. Conversely, when you are stressed, the two antagonistic muscles tense, which blocks your joint mobility and causes pain.

Meditate and visualize

Take the time to take some time! When you relax after a workout, you can combine the senses of visualizing bodily relaxation that gradually sets in, muscle by muscle, with calm, controlled breathing .


You can then visualize the relaxation of the muscles of the face, jaw, shoulders, chest, back, arms, pelvis and legs. Then stay for a few moments listening to this bodily relaxation, in harmony with breathing.


Then visualize, at the end of the exercise, the vital energy invading the body, the batteries being recharged.

For athletes, you can also visualize a recent competition, the emotions of a victory or a great workout!

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