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Relaxation itself can be useful in a number of circumstances including:

the promotion of rest, recovery and recuperation
the removal of stress related reactions, e.g. increased muscular tension,
etc.
the establishing of a physical and mental state which has an increased
receptivity to positive mental imagery
the establishing of a set level of physical and mental arousal prior to
warming up for competition

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When combined with positive mental imagery it is useful in:

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developing self confidence

developing pre-competition and competition strategies which teach
athletes to cope with new situations before they actually encounter
them
helping the athlete to focus his/her attention or concentrate on a
particular skill he/she is trying to learn or develop. This can take place
both in or away from the training session
the competition situation

InternalMentalImagery(IMI)
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[4]

Research by Yao et al. (2013) found that training by IMI of forceful muscle
contractions was effective in improving voluntary muscle strength without
physical exercise. In conclusion it is suggested that training by IMI of forceful
muscle contractions may change the activity level of cortical motor control
network, which may increase muscle strength. So perhaps when injured IMI
may help in the recovery process and develop muscle strength.

HowdoIachieverelaxedmuscles?
Progressive muscular relaxation involves the active contracting and relaxing of
muscles. When a muscle is tightened for 4-6 seconds and then relaxed, the
muscle returns to a more relaxed state. This process should be performed for
the following parts of the body in turn - feet, legs, thighs, buttocks, stomach,
back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, jaw, face and eyes.

Howwillrelaxedmusclesfeel?
[1]

J.H. Schultz in the 1930's (Schultz & Luthe 1959) noticed that patients in a
relaxed state experienced one of two sensations: the feeling of warmth or the
feeling of heaviness in completely relaxed limbs . During the relaxation
process, concentration should be focused on one of these sensations. For the
first few sessions, the athlete should alternate the focus between sessions to
determine which one they prefer.

CanRelaxationhaveaNegativeEffect?
In a competition situation an athlete will either be:
Under excited; low in arousal; find it hard to "get up" for the
competition; disinterested; etc.
Over excited; high in arousal; over the top; nervous-anxious; scared
of the competition; sick with worry; etc.
Optimally excited; nervous but in control; looking forward to the
competition but apprehensive; thinking positively; feeling good; etc.
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If we were to use relaxation procedures with an over excited athlete, we

might be able to reduce his/her arousal level to that of the optimally excited
athlete. This would have a positive effect on his/her performance. However if
we asked an under-excited athlete to use relaxation procedures it would only
make it harder for him/her to "get-up" for the competition. The coach
therefore has to know his/her athletes and how they react in competitive
situations.

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RelaxationTraining
There are a number of relaxation techniques that have the following
characteristics:

procedures for first recognising and then releasing tension in muscles

concentration on breathing control and regulation
concentration on sensations such as heaviness, warmth
mental imagery

Regardless of which technique is used, the following two conditions need to

exist if the technique is to be learned:
the athlete must believe that relaxation will help
a quiet, dimly lit and warm room which is free from interruption

Centering
The Centering technique was developed by the Tibetan Monks over 2000
years ago. Centering requires you to focus your attention on the centre of
your body, the area just behind your naval button. The technique has a
calming and controlling effect, providing an effective way to manage anxiety.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms hanging loosely by your
side
Close your eyes and breath evenly - try to keep the tension in the upper
body to a minimum as you breath
Inhale deeply from your abdomen (your stomach will extend) and be
aware of the tension in your face, neck, shoulders and chest. As you
exhale let the tension fall away and focus on the feeling of heaviness in
your stomach
Continue to breath evenly and deeply and focus your attention on the
centre of your body, the area just behind your naval button
Maintain your attention on that spot and continue to breath evenly and
deeply, feeling controlled, heavy and calm
As you breath out think of a word that encapsulates the physical feeling
and mental focus you want e.g. "relax", "calm"

SelfHypnosis
This is one of the most popular self-hypnosis techniques employed by
athletes. It aims to help you distance your mind from the here and now and
place you in a setting that you associate with relaxation and inner calm. This

script could be recorded as an MP3 file - where there are 3 full stops (...)
leave a pause for a few seconds and remember to speak clearly and slowly.
[3]
The following script (Karageorghis 2006)
is an adaptation of a script
published by the London College of Clinical Hypnosis.
Firstly you need to relax, put on some very relaxing music or sounds of
nature, sit or lie down in a position that you find comfortable in a place where
you are unlikely to be disturbed.
Look up at your eyebrows and begin to concentrate on the sounds around
you... maybe the distant sound of a car driving by or the hustle and bustle
outside on the street... then concentrate on the sounds of the music, feel it
flowing over you as if it were the tide going in and out, in and out... now
begin to pay attention to the sound of your thoughts... concentrate on your
breathing. Take deep breaths in and out... in and out... listen to your heart
beat... become aware of your eyelids and feel them blinking quickly and notice
that you have a strong desire to close your eyes... allow your eyes to close
and feel a deep sensation of relaxation. In a few seconds, you will imagine
your favourite place of relaxation... maybe somewhere you have been before,
a beautiful garden, a deserted beach, a summer meadow or somewhere you
can imagine you would feel relaxed... and now... just imagine that you are
standing on a balcony... and there is a long set of stairs in front of you...
leading down from this balcony... there are strong stairs... with wide steps...
and a handrail on each side... the stairs are well lit... and you can see them
clearly... In a few seconds' time... you can count down from 10 to one... and
with each descending number between 10 and one... you will take a single
step down the stairs... and with each descending number you will become
more and more calm, more and more relaxed... each step down from the
balcony will take you deeper and deeper... into your wonderful state of
relaxation... and as you slowly descend these stairs... you are going to
experience a sense of ever-deepening relaxation... throughout your entire
body... You will feel the stairs under your feet and when you eventually reach
step one, you can pause and wonder where you might go next... again you
feel very tranquil and this tranquility is accompanied by a sense of
anticipation... you will then step off... and when you do so... you will find
yourself in your favourite place of relaxation... and enjoy... this beautiful
place... Provide yourself with only positive and beneficial suggestions. For
example, relating to increasing your self-confidence, attaining peak
performance in an upcoming competition, or mastering a specific sports skill
that has perhaps proved elusive to you. If, at any time, for any reason, for
example in case of emergency or any situation where full attention is
required, by opening your eyes, you will be fully alert.
To take yourself out of your relaxing place in a gradual manner, simply count
up slowly from one to ten, on reaching the number eight, open your eyes, and
at the number 10 you will be fully awake and alert. As you stand up, have a
stretch and notice how good you feel.

MeditationforRelaxation
A number of people involved in sports psychology believe that meditation can
be useful in getting maximum performance from an athlete (Syer & Connolly,
[2]
1984) . Engaging in meditation helps reduce stress before an event and with
experience the athlete can learn to relax different muscle groups and
appreciate subtle differences in muscle tension. The technique includes the
following steps:
Lie down on your back in a comfortable position and close your eyes
Relax all your muscles, beginning at your feet and progressing to your
face
Breathe through your nose and become aware of your breathing. As you
breathe out, say the word "won" silently to yourself. For example,
breathe in . . . out, "won"; in . . . out, "won"; and so on. Continue for 20
minutes. You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an
alarm. When you finish, lie quietly for several minutes at first with
closed eyes and later with opened eyes.
Maintain a passive attitude, permit relaxation to occur at its own pace and
expect other thoughts. When distracting thoughts occur, return your
concentration to your breathing. Try to practice a relaxation technique once a
day.
[5]

Doke (2015)
is a strong believer that meditation is great for relaxing after
training, calming nerves and helping you focus prior to competition. He is the
founder of of the Anamaya App, a meditation programme founded on 20 years
research and featuring more than 350 meditations and 11 focus areas,
including sport.

References
1. SCHULTZ, J.H. and LUTHE, W. (1959) Autogenic training: A
psychophysiologic approach in psychotherapy. New York: Grune and
Stratton
2. SYER, J. and CONNOLLY, C. (1984) Sporting body sporting mind : an
athlete's guide to mental training. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press
3. KARAGEORGHIS, C. (2006) Imagery in sport - how imagination can
enhance performance. Peak Performance, 238, p. 1-4
4. YAO, W. X. et al. (2013) Kinesthetic imagery training of forceful muscle
contractions increases brain signal and muscle strength. Frontiers in
human neuroscience, 7
th
5. DOKE, G. (2015) The right application, Athletics Weekly, 12 March, p.
54

RelatedReferences
The following references provide additional information on this topic:
KOSSLYN, S. M. et al. (2006) The case for mental imagery. Oxford
University Press
MURPHY, S. M. and MARTIN, K. A. (2002) The use of imagery in sport
HALL, C. et al. (1985) The measurement of imagery ability. Human
Movement Science, 4 (2), p. 107-118

PageReference
If you quote information from this page in your work then the reference for
this page is:
MACKENZIE, B. (2000) Relaxation [WWW] Available from:
https://www.brianmac.co.uk/relaxation.htm [Accessed 28/10/2016]

RelatedPages
The following Sports Coach pages provide additional information on this topic:

Articles on Sports Psychology Training

Books on Sports Psychology Training
Competitive Anxiety
How hypnosis can help your athletes to produce their top performance
Mental Imagery
Performance Profiling
Psychology
Relaxation
Relaxation Techniques
Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT)
Stress Management
TEOSQ - Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire

AdditionalSourcesofInformation
For further information on this topic see the following:
BEASHEL, P. and TAYLOR, J. (1996) Advanced Studies in Physical
Education and Sport. UK: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
BEASHEL, P. and TAYLOR, J. (1997) The World of Sport Examined. UK:
Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.

 BIZLEY, K. (1994) Examining Physical Education. Oxford; Heinemann

Educational Publishers
DAVIS, B. et al. (2000) Physical Education and the Study of Sport. UK:
Harcourt Publishers Ltd.
GALLIGAN, F. et al. (2000) Advanced PE for Edexcel. Oxford;
Heinemann Educational Publishers
McARDLE, W. et al. (2000) Essentials of Exercise Physiology. 2nd ed.
Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
VILE, A. and BIGGS, J. (2004) Grace Under Pressure. UK; Lulu Press
ORLICK, T. (1986) Psyching for Sport. USA; Human Kinetics Publishers,
Inc.
HALE, B. (1998) Imagery Training. UK; The National Coach Foundation

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