Welcome to a new series, Gymnastics Competition Season Tips!
This series will focus on providing tips and tricks to keep you on your A game this gymnastics competition season! In this post, we will focus on the importance of visualization and how it can improve your performance at gymnastics competitions.
Gymnastics visualization is when you imagine yourself doing your skills and routines in your head. There are many reasons that gymnasts have used this technique for many years:
- Mind-muscle connection is very real! You want to be able to picture yourself doing perfect routines in your head so that your body can work to match it.
- It allows more routine repetitions without physically having to do the numbers. This is very helpful when your training is limited due to an injury.
- It builds confidence through these extra repetitions.
- It allows you to get comfortable in new settings when you don't have the opportunity to do extra repetitions. For example, at competitions, to make sure you know what corner of the floor to start your routine in!
- It forces you to slow down, relax, and focus on your gymnastics.
So, how do you visualize?? There is no "correct" way to visualize your gymnastics. You have to find what works for you and your brain and then make it a habit.
- You can do it with your eyes open or closed
- You can do it standing by the event at the gym or while lying in your bed
- You can walk through the motion of your skills or you can stand still
The key is finding what works for you! Once you find the visualization technique that you like:
- Make it a habit. Try to do it every day before practice and then it will feel natural at meets.
- Try to visualize your skills or routines on each event at least 5 times a day.
- Try to add keywords to your routines as you visualize them. Then, you can say these keywords to yourself as you are performing your routine to help connect all of the dots!
- Such as tell yourself "Strong tap, toes up" as you go into your Giants on Uneven Bars!
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