September 16, 2024
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Senior Magnificence & Way of life Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior magnificence and way of life 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 sport. In our new sequence Sport On, we’re interviewing prime athletes about their well-being routines—overlaying every part from diet that makes them really feel sturdy to the moments that convey them pleasure.
As the primary American lady 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 prime of your sport.
At all times an athletic child, Mathewson performed a wide range of sports activities in her youth when she was in a position bodied. “I all the time favored soccer. I favored softball. I attempted tennis a couple of times at summer time camp, however was not likely into it,” she tells me over a latest video name.
Nevertheless, after growing 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 occasions) she picked up adaptive sports activities—and this time tennis caught. The remainder unfolded all because of Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive.
Right here, how she stays on prime of her sport.
mbg: What was it like if you began taking part in wheelchair tennis?
Dana Mathewson: My situation shut a number of doorways that I believed have been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to a number of completely 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 previous. I simply wasn’t uncovered to loads at the moment, and I feel that’s truly the case for lots of People. Our nation is so massive that you just don’t come into contact with a number of completely different demographics.
At first I used to be one of many children who had little interest in wheelchair sports activities. I believed it sounded actually boring. I could not conceptualize what it could be.
However my mother was like, “Nope! I need you to be energetic. I’m signing you up for each camp attainable.” And tennis was a kind 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 in a position bodied tennis, as a result of it is nearly the identical factor besides one’s in a wheelchair. Nevertheless it simply clicked for me and I have been taking part in it ever since.
mbg: what means show you how to really feel 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 lot of those who get up and all they want is espresso and an apple. I am not that lady.
I 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 manner I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that sizzling 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 a bit of 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 desirous 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 mostly 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 arrange when you’ve a tighter schedule like I do.
mbg: what’s your energy coaching program?
Mathewson: I’ve a complete workforce of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My energy and conditioning workforce has particular packages I’ve to do day-after-day.
So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that’s a number of higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscular tissues I’ve in my legs energetic. 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 mostly, so we’ll have courtroom conditioning drills.
Friday is a circuit the place I mix pulling a sled, rowing, lifting, and battle ropes. It’s brutal.
There’s good variability between conditioning and energy. I feel that should you go utterly one or the opposite, you may burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscular tissues 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 women 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, but it surely doesn’t truly burn energy the identical manner 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 women 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, but it surely doesn’t truly burn energy the identical manner 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 didn’t do for the majority of my profession and I used to be simply fortunate I didn’t have accidents. However now that I’m getting older, I actually see the significance of stretching and funky downs after a exercise.
I additionally assume it’s necessary 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 like the Actual Housewives. It’s good to have issues in your life that convey you pleasure!
A couple of years in the past, my mindset was like, “I have to work onerous. I simply have to put my head down and be productive all the time.” However I feel it’s truly productive to be lazy typically. That’s what refuels you. Benign 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’m both coaching—exerting bodily power all day—or I’m touring and competing—so there’s nervous power. So it’s necessary 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 prior to now few years. Tennis is such mentally based mostly sport, and I did not notice simply how a lot till I obtained to the extra elite degree of taking part in. As a result of at that time, everybody has forehand. Everybody has backhand. Everybody has serve. Perhaps one particular person is a bit of 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.
Loads of what I’ve been doing is constructive self discuss after I’m taking part in or earlier than the match. I have a tendency to present an excessive amount of credit score to my opponents earlier than a match even begins. For those who try this, you then’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already pondering like, Nicely, she hits tremendous massive or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get every part.
I’ve needed to study to visualise constructive outcomes. The night time earlier than a match, I’ll give myself jobs of issues I wish to do as a result of I’m very aim oriented. What I imply by that’s I’ll give myself assignments for myself for a match. I’ll write them down on a notecard, then attempt to visualize what it could appear and feel like to realize the targets. I do it repeatedly and once more.
I are inclined to get fairly distracted after I do visualization work. It is truly actually onerous, as it may be onerous for me to remain centered. It is like coaching your muscular tissues to do one thing. However I try 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’s a skillset that may be realized. 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 such as you get knocked down 5 occasions, you then’ll rise up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain making an attempt. However I feel that that will also be a realized 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 everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a 12 months. So there’s a number of shedding that it’s important to get comfy with in tennis!
It’s week in and week out video games, and most occasions you do lose. You would possibly win just a few,, however in the end you are ending up with an L almost certainly. Until you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you learn the way reframe loses.
It’s about fostering a resilient mindset—a progress mindset. There are methods of taking a look at “shedding” which might be constructive. You’ll say, “I misplaced, however that’s OK as a result of my serve was actually good at this time.” Or “You understand what, I have to work on my returns subsequent time.”
Picture by mbg Inventive / courtesy of supply
mbg: Oh, that’s so attention-grabbing. I’ve by no means considered that, but it surely’s an excellent level. I wager that’s truly an excellent lesson to study early on. I truly really feel like tennis might be an excellent sport for youths to study 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 de facto technical, so sure it may be irritating. It could actually flip a number of children away from it. Or possibly children can be annoyed as a result of they don’t have a workforce they’ll play with, and that may be onerous.
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 don’t want a complete workforce to play, like basketball or soccer.
However apart from that, I’d say to simply keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it’s not all the time straightforward.
There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that individuals don’t all the time take into consideration after they’re children. Like possibly you’ll have a match on a weekend if you wish to go to a sleepover. Or possibly you’ll be getting annoyed that one apply did not go properly, or different individuals 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.
