September 16, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Senior Magnificence & Way of life 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 artistic / courtesy of supply
September 16, 2024
We love celebrating ladies on the prime of their recreation. In our new sequence Recreation On, we’re interviewing prime athletes about their well-being routines—masking all the pieces from diet that makes them really feel sturdy to the moments that carry 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 recreation.
At all times an athletic child, Mathewson performed quite a lot of sports activities in her youth when she was able-bodied. “I at all times appreciated soccer. I appreciated softball. I attempted tennis a couple of times at summer season camp however was probably not 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 principally 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 because of Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive.
Right here, how she stays on the prime of her recreation.
mbg: What was it like whenever you began taking part in wheelchair tennis?
Dana Mathewson: My situation shut a number of doorways that I assumed have been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to a number of totally different folks after I was within the hospital and discovered what wheelchair sports activities and adaptive sports activities have 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 rather a lot at the moment, and I feel that is really the case for lots of People. Our nation is so large that you just don’t come into contact with a number of totally different demographics.
At first I used to be one of many children who had no real interest in wheelchair sports activities. I assumed it sounded actually boring. I could not conceptualize what it will be.
However my mother was like, “Nope! I need you to be energetic. I’m signing you up for each camp doable.” 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 nearly the identical factor besides one’s in a wheelchair. However it simply clicked for me and I have been taking part in it ever since.
mbg: What helps you’re feeling your strongest?
Mathewson: I am an enormous breakfast particular person. I can’t begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s a number of people who 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 will 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 large on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater, ever since I used to be just a little lady. So should you have 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 rooster and eggs and issues like that. However I discover that after 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 organize when you have got a tighter schedule like I do.
mbg: What’s your energy coaching program?
Mathewson: I’ve an entire staff of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning staff has particular applications I’ve to do every single 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 energetic. That can 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 should you go utterly one or the opposite, you possibly can burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle tissue the train that they want.
After I was in school, 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 entice of, “Effectively, I am simply going to be on the elliptical for half-hour or I’ll be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, nevertheless it doesn”t really burn energy the identical method it does like burning muscle.
So I strive to ensure I get each: At some point cardio, someday energy, someday cardio, someday energy. They’re each intense days, however your physique will get a break.
After I was in school, 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 entice of, “Effectively, 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 really 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 assume it is essential to get well mentally. I put aside time to play with my canine, name my mates, 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 carry you pleasure!
A number of years in the past, my mindset was like, “I must work arduous. I simply must put my head down and be productive all the time.” However I feel it is really 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 aspect, anyway. So we simply talked about the way you decompress. However I additionally wish to know the way you activate and prepare for these matches.
Mathewson: That is been one thing I’ve actually needed to work on previously few years. Tennis is such a mentally based mostly sport, and I did not notice simply how a lot till I acquired to the extra elite stage of taking part in. As a result of at that time, everybody has an excellent forehand. Everybody has an excellent backhand. Everybody has an excellent serve. Perhaps one particular person is just a little bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes folks win extra typically 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.
Lots of what I have been doing is optimistic self-talk after I’m taking part in 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. If you happen to do this, you then’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already considering like, Effectively, she hits tremendous large or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get all the pieces.
I’ve needed to study to visualise optimistic outcomes. The night time 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 will give myself assignments for myself for a match. I will write them down on a notecard, then attempt to visualize what it will appear and feel like to attain the targets. I do it many times and once more.
I are inclined to get fairly distracted after I do visualization work. It is really actually arduous, as it may be arduous for me to remain centered. It is like coaching your muscle tissue to do one thing. However I do this for a couple of minutes at a time, and I will 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 is perhaps one thing innate, that prime athletes are born with. However I additionally assume it is a talent set that may be discovered. How have you ever constructed resilience over time?
Mathewson: I feel you are proper that sure folks 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, you then’ll rise up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain attempting. However I feel that that may also be a discovered trait too.
With tennis being my private instance, there’s just one particular person each week in a match that wins, proper? In order that implies that all people else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a 12 months. So there’s a number of shedding that it’s a must to get snug with in tennis!
It is week-in and week-out video games, and most instances you do lose. You may win just a few, however finally you are ending up with an L probably. Until you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you learn to reframe losses.
It is about fostering a resilient mindset—a development mindset. There are methods of “shedding” which might be optimistic. You may say, “I misplaced, however that is OK as a result of my serve was actually good right now.” Or “You recognize what, I must work on my returns subsequent time.”
Picture by mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
mbg: Oh, that is so fascinating. I’ve by no means considered that, nevertheless it’s a fantastic level. I guess that is really a fantastic lesson to study early on. I really really feel like tennis might be a fantastic sport for youths to study for that motive. Talking of, I needed to ask you about recommendation you might need for younger ladies athletes who wish to play tennis. Or any sport actually…
Mathewson: Tennis is de facto technical, so, sure, it may be irritating. It will probably flip a number of children away from it. Or possibly children will probably be annoyed as a result of they do not have a staff they’ll play with, and that may be arduous.
However tennis is among the coolest sports activities in that it means that you can choose 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 staff to play, like basketball or soccer.
However except for that, I would say to simply keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it isn’t at all times straightforward.
There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that individuals do not at all times take into consideration once they’re children. Like possibly you may have a match on a weekend whenever you wish to go to a sleepover. Or possibly you may be getting annoyed that one apply did not go properly, or different persons are taking part in higher than me.
So try to have enjoyable with it nonetheless, as a result of it isn’t your job. You are allowed to not be good. It’s one thing you do for enjoyable. So embrace the enjoyable a part of it.
