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 Faculty. 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 high of their sport. In our new sequence Sport On, we’re interviewing high athletes about their well-being routines—protecting all the pieces from vitamin that makes them really feel robust to the moments that deliver them pleasure.
As the primary American lady to win a Grand Slam Main title in wheelchair tennis and one of many high wheelchair tennis gamers within the U.S., 33-year-old Dana Mathewson is aware of what it means to be on high of your sport.
At all times an athletic child, Mathewson performed quite a lot of sports activities in her youth when she was in a position bodied. “I always liked soccer. I liked softball. I tried tennis once or twice at summer camp, but was not really into it,” she tells me over a current video name.
Nonetheless, after growing a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction referred to as Transverse myelitis (TM), she grew to become partial paraplegic, “or basically someone that needs to use a wheelchair to run or to get around,” 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 high of her sport.
mbg: What was it like once you began taking part in wheelchair tennis?
Dana Mathewson: My situation shut numerous doorways that I believed have been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to numerous 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 rather a lot at the moment, and I believe that’s really the case for lots of Individuals. Our nation is so large that you just don’t come into contact with numerous 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 will be.
However my mother was like, “Nope! I want you to be active. I am signing you up for every camp possible.” And tennis was a kind of.
I picked up a racket at—I believe 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. However it simply clicked for me and I have been taking part in it ever since.
mbg: what means enable you to really feel your strongest?
Mathewson: I am an enormous breakfast individual. I can not begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s plenty 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 means I’ve protein and carbs to get me going. Having that sizzling meal simply helps me really feel prepared.
Except for that, I believe that I am very large on veggies. I’ve by no means been an enormous meat eater ever since I used to be a bit of lady. So when 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 numerous tofu. I eat numerous plant based mostly proteins. And I do eat hen 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 numerous plant-based meals. And that is additionally very simple to organize when you may have a tighter schedule like I do.
mbg: what’s your power coaching program?
Mathewson: I’ve an entire staff of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My power and conditioning staff has particular packages I’ve to do each day.
So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that’s numerous higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscle 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 court docket 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 power. I believe that when you go fully one or the opposite, you may burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle tissues the train that they want.
After I was in school I used to be simply very obsessive about the thought of being skinny and being toned. I believe numerous ladies fall into the entice of, “Well, I’m just going to be on the elliptical for 30 minutes or I’m going to be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, however it doesn’t really burn energy the identical means it does like burning muscle.
So I attempt to ensure I get each: At some point cardio, in the future power, in the future cardio, in the future power. 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 thought of being skinny and being toned. I believe numerous ladies fall into the entice of, “Well, I’m just going to be on the elliptical for 30 minutes or I’m going to be on the bike for an hour.” Yeah, that burns energy, however it doesn’t really burn energy the identical means it does like burning muscle.
mbg: How do you recuperate?
Mathewson: After coaching, there’s numerous 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 recuperate 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’s good to have issues in your life that deliver you pleasure!
Just a few years in the past, my mindset was like, “I need to work hard. I just need to put my head down and be productive all of the time.” However I believe it’s really productive to be lazy generally. 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 vitality all day—or I’m touring and competing—so there’s nervous vitality. So it’s necessary for me to show it off.
mbg: I wished to ask you in regards to the psychological aspect, 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 previously few years. Tennis is such mentally based mostly sport, and I did not notice simply how a lot till I received 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 individual is a bit of bit higher than the opposite. However what actually makes folks win extra usually is their mindset.
And I believe 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.
Numerous what I’ve been doing is optimistic self discuss 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 try this, then you definitely’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 evening 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 will feel and look like to realize the objectives. I do it repeatedly and once more.
I are likely 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 tissues 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 believe one other factor that units elite athletes aside is resilience. Some a part of me thinks it is likely to be one thing innate, that high athletes are born with. However I additionally assume it’s a skillset that may be discovered. How have you ever constructed resilience through the years?
Mathewson: I believe 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, then you definitely’ll stand up six since you’re cussed sufficient to maintain attempting. However I believe that that will also be a discovered trait too.
With tennis being my private instance, there’s just one individual each week in a event that wins, proper? In order that implies that everyone else has to lose. You play X variety of tournaments a yr. So there’s numerous dropping that you must get comfy with in tennis!
It’s week in and week out video games, and most occasions you do lose. You would possibly win a couple of,, however finally 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 learn the way reframe loses.
It’s about fostering a resilient mindset—a development mindset. There are methods of taking a look at “losing” which can be optimistic. You’ll say, “I lost, but that’s OK because my serve was really good today.” Or “You know what, I need to work on my returns next time.”
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: Oh, that’s so attention-grabbing. I’ve by no means considered that, however it’s a terrific level. I guess that’s really a terrific lesson to study early on. I really really feel like tennis might be a terrific sport for teenagers to study for that cause. Talking of, I wished to ask you about recommendation you may need for younger ladies athletes who wish to play tennis? Or any sport actually…
Mathewson: Tennis is admittedly technical, so sure it may be irritating. It will possibly flip numerous children away from it. Or possibly children will probably be pissed off as a result of they don’t have a staff they’ll play with, and that may be arduous.
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’ll be able to simply go to the park, meet somebody, and play with them. You don’t want an entire staff to play, like basketball or soccer.
However other than that, I’d say to only keep it up and belief the method. As a result of it’s not at all times simple.
There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that individuals don’t at all times take into consideration after they’re children. Like possibly you’ll have a event on a weekend once you wish to go to a sleepover. Or possibly you’ll be getting pissed off that one observe 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 is not 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.
