September 16, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Senior Magnificence & Life-style Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and life-style director at mindbodygreen and host of the wonder podcast Clear Magnificence College. Beforehand, she’s held magnificence roles at Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports activities Illustrated, and Attract.com.
Picture by mbg inventive / courtesy of supply
September 16, 2024
We love celebrating ladies on the prime of their sport. In our new sequence Sport On, we’re interviewing prime athletes about their well-being routines—overlaying all the pieces from diet that makes them really feel sturdy to the moments that convey them pleasure.
As the primary American girl to win a Grand Slam Main title in wheelchair tennis and one of many prime wheelchair tennis gamers within the U.S., 33-year-old Dana Mathewson is aware of what it means to be on the prime of her sport.
All the time an athletic child, Mathewson performed quite a lot of sports activities in her youth when she was able-bodied. “I all the time appreciated soccer. I appreciated softball. I attempted tennis a couple of times at summer time camp however was not likely into it,” she tells me over a current video name.
Nonetheless, after creating a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction known as transverse myelitis (TM), she turned partial paraplegic, “or mainly somebody that should use a wheelchair to run or to get round,” she says.
After encouragement from her mother (which she says was, maybe, insistent at instances), she picked up adaptive sports activities—and this time tennis caught. The remaining unfolded all due to Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive.
Right here, how she stays on the prime of her sport.
mbg: What was it like once you began enjoying wheelchair tennis?
Dana Mathewson: My situation shut a number of doorways that I assumed had been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to a number of totally different individuals once I was within the hospital and discovered what wheelchair sports activities and adaptive sports activities had been.
At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated. I simply wasn’t uncovered to so much at the moment, and I feel that is truly the case for lots of People. Our nation is so massive that you simply don’t come into contact with a number of totally different demographics.
At first I used to be one of many children who had little interest in wheelchair sports activities. I assumed it sounded actually boring. I could not conceptualize what it might be.
However my mother was like, “Nope! I need you to be lively. I’m signing you up for each camp attainable.” And tennis was a type of.
I picked up a racket at—I feel then I used to be round age 13—and one thing simply clicked. I do not know what it was that made me like wheelchair tennis greater than able-bodied tennis as a result of it is just about the identical factor besides one’s in a wheelchair. However it simply clicked for me and I have been enjoying it ever since.
mbg: What helps you’re feeling your strongest?
Mathewson: I am an enormous breakfast individual. I can not begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s a lot of those that get up and all they want is espresso and an apple. I am not that lady.
I really like waking up and having scrambled egg whites or an egg white omelet with toast. If I am actually within the temper, I am going to sauté mushrooms and spinach and put that in there. That method I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that scorching meal simply helps me really feel prepared.
Apart from that, I feel that I am very massive on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater, ever since I used to be somewhat lady. So for those who had been to supply me a steak, I would not actually wish to eat it. However I haven’t got the vegetarian mindset of not eager to eat meat due to moral causes, I simply have not actually loved it.
So I eat a number of tofu. I eat a number of plant-based proteins. And I do eat hen and eggs and issues like that. However I discover that once I’m cooking—particularly as a result of my husband is vegan—we eat a number of plant-based meals. And that is additionally very straightforward to arrange when you’ve gotten a tighter schedule like I do.
mbg: What’s your energy coaching program?
Mathewson: I’ve an entire group of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning group has particular applications I’ve to do each day.
So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that is a number of higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscle tissue I’ve in my legs lively. That may contain me utilizing the SkiErg machine, the rower, free weights, bench press, and stuff like that.
Then Tuesdays and Thursdays are extra conditioning-based, so we’ll have courtroom conditioning drills.
Friday is a circuit the place I mix pulling a sled, rowing, lifting, and battle ropes. It is brutal.
There’s good variability between conditioning and energy. I feel that for those who go utterly one or the opposite, you’ll be able to burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle tissue the train that they want.
Once I was in faculty, I used to be simply very obsessive about the concept of being skinny and being toned. I feel a number of ladies fall into the lure of, “Nicely, I am simply going to be on the elliptical for half-hour or I will be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, nevertheless it doesn”t truly burn energy the identical method it does like burning muscle.
So I attempt to ensure I get each: At some point cardio, sooner or later energy, sooner or later cardio, sooner or later energy. They’re each intense days, however your physique will get a break.
Once I was in faculty, I used to be simply very obsessive about the concept of being skinny and being toned. I feel a number of ladies fall into the lure of, “Nicely, I’m simply going to be on the elliptical for half-hour or I’m going to be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, nevertheless it doesn’t truly burn energy the identical method it does like burning muscle.
mbg: How do you get well?
Mathewson: After coaching, there’s a number of stretching that we do. That was one thing that I’ve to confess I did not do for the majority of my profession, and I used to be simply fortunate I did not have accidents. However now that I am getting older, I actually see the significance of stretching and cool-downs after a exercise.
I additionally suppose it is essential to get well mentally. I put aside time to play with my canine, name my pals, and even simply sit on my sofa and watch TV. I really like the Actual Housewives. It is good to have issues in your life that convey you pleasure!
A number of years in the past, my mindset was like, “I must work onerous. I simply must put my head down and be productive the entire time.” However I feel it is truly productive to be lazy typically. That is what refuels you. Being a sofa potato, being a sloth, being on my own for a bit is what recharges my batteries.
My life is a lot on the go as a result of I am both coaching—exerting bodily vitality all day—or I am touring and competing—so there’s nervous vitality. So it is essential for me to show it off.
mbg: I needed to ask you in regards to the psychological facet, anyway. So we simply talked about the way you decompress. However I additionally wish to understand how you activate and prepare for these matches.
Mathewson: That is been one thing I’ve actually needed to work on prior to now few years. Tennis is such a mentally primarily based sport, and I did not understand simply how a lot till I bought to the extra elite degree of enjoying. As a result of at that time, everybody has a very good forehand. Everybody has a very good backhand. Everybody has a very good serve. Perhaps one individual is somewhat bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes individuals win extra usually is their mindset.
And I feel as an early tennis skilled, I heard that however did not actually embrace it or did not actually perceive it, however I very a lot do now.
A number of what I have been doing is constructive self-talk once I’m enjoying or earlier than the match. I have a tendency to provide an excessive amount of credit score to my opponents earlier than a match even begins. In case you try this, then you definitely’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already considering like, Nicely, she hits tremendous massive or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get all the pieces.
I’ve needed to be taught to visualise constructive outcomes. The evening earlier than a match, I’ll give myself jobs or issues I wish to do as a result of I am very goal-oriented. What I imply by that’s I am going to give myself assignments for myself for a match. I am going to write them down on a notecard, then attempt to visualize what it might feel and appear like to realize the targets. I do it time and again and once more.
I are likely to get fairly distracted once I do visualization work. It is truly actually onerous, as it may be onerous for me to remain targeted. It is like coaching your muscle tissue to do one thing. However I try this for a couple of minutes at a time, and I am going to attempt to visualize as I am falling asleep as properly. It helps construct confidence.
mbg: I feel one other factor that units elite athletes aside is resilience. Some a part of me thinks it may be one thing innate, that prime athletes are born with. However I additionally suppose it is a talent set that may be realized. How have you ever constructed resilience over time?
Mathewson: I feel you are proper that sure individuals have extra of that cussed mindset, which helps you be extra resilient. What I imply by that’s, like, you get knocked down 5 instances, then you definitely’ll stand up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. However I feel that that may also be a realized trait too.
With tennis being my private instance, there’s just one individual each week in a match that wins, proper? In order that signifies that everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a yr. So there’s a number of shedding that you must get comfy with in tennis!
It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You would possibly win a couple of, however in the end you are ending up with an L most definitely. Until you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you discover ways to reframe losses.
It is about fostering a resilient mindset—a progress mindset. There are methods of “shedding” which can be constructive. You may say, “I misplaced, however that is OK as a result of my serve was actually good as we speak.” Or “You understand what, I must work on my returns subsequent time.”
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: Oh, that is so attention-grabbing. I’ve by no means considered that, nevertheless it’s an amazing level. I wager that is truly an amazing lesson to be taught early on. I truly really feel like tennis might be an amazing sport for youths to be taught for that cause. Talking of, I needed to ask you about recommendation you may need for younger ladies athletes who wish to play tennis. Or any sport actually…
Mathewson: Tennis is basically technical, so, sure, it may be irritating. It might flip a number of children away from it. Or possibly children shall be pissed off as a result of they do not have a group they will play with, and that may be onerous.
However tennis is likely one of the coolest sports activities in that it lets you decide up a racket and play with anybody on any given day. You possibly can simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You do not want an entire group to play, like basketball or soccer.
However other than that, I would say to only keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it is not all the time straightforward.
There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that individuals do not all the time take into consideration once they’re children. Like possibly you will have a match on a weekend once you wish to go to a sleepover. Or possibly you will be getting pissed off that one observe did not go properly, or different persons are enjoying higher than me.
So try to have enjoyable with it nonetheless, as a result of it is not your job. You are allowed to not be excellent. It’s one thing you do for enjoyable. So embrace the enjoyable a part of it.
