Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: Excellence in sport through mindfulness training

Exuberant joy for some, hanging heads for others – emotions are part of the fascination of sporting events. Emotions also have a significant influence on the performance of athletes: Those who have their emotions “under control” are more successful. That is why many top athletes rely on mindfulness training. Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have shown in studies that the ability to maintain concentration and regulate emotions can be trained in the same way as a muscle. They are now presenting their results and tips for training for professionals and amateur athletes in the publication Mindfulness Training in Sport .

“Mindfulness exercises have a similar effect to strength training,” says Professor Darko Jekauc from the Institute for Sport and Sport Science at KIT. “Anyone who exercises regularly increases their mental strength.” Mindfulness means concentrating on the present moment, i.e. consciously perceiving physical sensations, thoughts and feelings without evaluating them. “Because emotional movements such as joy, anger, fear or helplessness are noticeable on a physical and mental level and thus influence performance,” explains the professor of sports psychology. “The presence in the here and now helps to get out of the carousel of thoughts, to overcome difficult emotions and to consciously experience the essential moments in life.”

Emotional stability brings stable performance

Because athletes are able to reduce their own evaluations and increase acceptance of the current situation, their emotional stability increases, says Jekauc. And those who are emotionally stable tend to evaluate situations optimistically instead of focusing on difficulties. Prominent examples of success through mindfulness are Novak Djokovic in tennis, Steve Kerr and Kobe Bryant in basketball or Malaika Mihambo in athletics. Basketball coach Phil Jackson, who won a total of eleven NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, has also used mindfulness training as a “secret weapon”.

Training program for professional and recreational sports

In addition to concentration exercises such as breathing exercises, mindfulness training also teaches techniques for observing your own thoughts and feelings and not letting them rule you. “The aim is to make life more mindful in all its facets, such as work and sport,” says Jekauc. The sports psychologist and his team have now published a book on a mindfulness training program for athletes. The focus is on a scientifically based mindfulness program for professional and recreational sports, which can be carried out alone or in a group. The eight units of the program contain practical exercises and information on their background and effects.