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 recreation. In our new collection Sport On, we’re interviewing prime athletes about their well-being routines—overlaying every thing from diet that makes them really feel sturdy 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 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 recreation.
All the time an athletic child, Mathewson performed a wide range of sports activities in her youth when she was in a position bodied. “I at all times favored soccer. I favored softball. I attempted tennis a couple of times at summer time camp, however was probably not into it,” she tells me over a latest video name.
Nevertheless, after creating a uncommon autoimmune dysfunction referred to 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 remainder unfolded all due to Mathewson’s sheer expertise and drive.
Right here, how she stays on prime of her recreation.
mbg: What was it like whenever you began enjoying wheelchair tennis?
Dana Mathewson: My situation shut quite a lot of doorways that I believed have been my solely doorways resulting in athletic pursuits. However fortunately mother had talked to quite a lot of totally different folks once I was within the hospital and came upon 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At that stage of life, I had by no means seen anybody with a incapacity that wasn’t 90 years outdated.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 lots at the moment, and I believe that’s truly the case for lots of People. Our nation is so huge that you just don’t come into contact with quite a lot of totally different demographics.
At first I used to be one of many youngsters who had no real interest in wheelchair sports activities. I believed it sounded actually boring. I could not conceptualize what it might be.
However my mother was like, “Nope! I would like you to be lively. I’m signing you up for each camp potential.” 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. Nevertheless it simply clicked for me and I have been enjoying it ever since.
mbg: what means allow you to really feel your strongest?
Mathewson: I am a giant breakfast particular person. I can not begin the day with out breakfast. I do know there’s plenty of folks 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 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 believe that I am very huge on veggies. I’ve by no means been a giant meat eater ever since I used to be just a little lady. So for those who 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 quite a lot of tofu. I eat quite a lot of plant based mostly 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 quite a lot of plant-based meals. And that is additionally very simple to arrange when you could have a tighter schedule like I do.
mbg: what’s your power coaching program?
Mathewson: I’ve a complete staff of coaches down right here in Orlando that I work with. My power and conditioning staff has particular applications I’ve to do day-after-day.
So, for instance, Mondays and Wednesdays are lifting days. So for me, that’s quite a lot of higher physique, however we do even have me doing stuff simply to maintain no matter muscle mass 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 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 for those who go fully one or the opposite, you’ll be able to burn your physique out—otherwise you’re not offering your muscle mass 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 quite a lot of ladies fall into the entice of, “Properly, 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, however it doesn’t truly burn energy the identical manner it does like burning muscle.
So I attempt to verify I get each: Someday 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 quite a lot of ladies fall into the entice of, “Properly, 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, however it doesn’t truly burn energy the identical manner it does like burning muscle.
mbg: How do you get well?
Mathewson: After coaching, there’s quite a lot 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 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’s good to have issues in your life that deliver you pleasure!
Just a few years in the past, my mindset was like, “I must work exhausting. I simply must put my head down and be productive the entire time.” However I believe it’s truly 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 power all day—or I’m touring and competing—so there’s nervous power. So it’s essential 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 up to now few years. Tennis is such mentally based mostly sport, and I did not understand simply how a lot till I acquired to the extra elite stage of enjoying. As a result of at that time, everybody has forehand. Everybody has backhand. Everybody has serve. Possibly 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 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.
A number of what I’ve been doing is optimistic self discuss once I’m enjoying or earlier than the match. I have a tendency to offer an excessive amount of credit score to my opponents earlier than a match even begins. In the event you try this, then you definately’ve already misplaced the match, proper? Since you’re already considering like, Properly, she hits tremendous huge or she’s actually quick. She’s going to get every thing.
I’ve needed to study to visualise optimistic 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 purpose 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 might appear and feel like to realize the objectives. I do it many times and once more.
I are inclined to get fairly distracted once I do visualization work. It is truly actually exhausting, as it may be exhausting for me to remain centered. It is like coaching your muscle mass 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 effectively. 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 perhaps one thing innate, that prime 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 instances, then you definately’ll rise 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 particular person 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 quite a lot of dropping that you must get comfy with in tennis!
It’s 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 probably. Until you are Serena Williams. By nature of tennis being my job, it teaches you resilience since you find out how reframe loses.
It’s about fostering a resilient mindset—a development mindset. There are methods of taking a look at “dropping” which might be optimistic. You’ll say, “I misplaced, however that’s OK as a result of my serve was actually good as we speak.” Or “You realize what, I must work on my returns subsequent time.”
Picture by mbg Artistic / courtesy of supply
mbg: Oh, that’s so fascinating. I’ve by no means considered that, however it’s a fantastic level. I guess that’s truly a fantastic lesson to study early on. I truly really feel like tennis might be a fantastic sport for teenagers to study for that cause. Talking of, I wished to ask you about recommendation you might need for younger ladies athletes who wish to play tennis? Or any sport actually…
Mathewson: Tennis is absolutely technical, so sure it may be irritating. It might probably flip quite a lot of youngsters away from it. Or perhaps youngsters will probably be annoyed as a result of they don’t have a staff they will play with, and that may be exhausting.
However tennis is likely one of the coolest sports activities in that it means that you can choose 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 a complete staff 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 at all times simple.
There’s sacrifices that should be given to a sport that folks don’t at all times take into consideration once they’re youngsters. Like perhaps you’ll have a event on a weekend whenever you wish to go to a sleepover. Or perhaps you’ll be getting annoyed that one observe did not go effectively, 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 good. It’s one thing you do for enjoyable. So embrace the enjoyable a part of it.
