Integrate art into its sports practice

Prepare the body and mind for high-level sporting practice.

The benefits of mental preparation

Performing in high-level sport does not only depend on physical form and intensive, rigorous training. Another capital aspect in the success of high-level sport is mental preparation , far too often overlooked in the environment. This observation is notably confirmed by the experiences in sport psychology carried out in 1897, by the psychologist Norman Triplett, who aimed to understand the mechanisms of motivation on the performance of the sportsman. Relaxation has thus been shown to be a physiological phenomenon that allows to regulate the intensity of stress before, during and after the practice of high-level sport .

Many means exist to reach a state of maximum concentration and success. In order to optimize their potential, the sportsman must be concentrated and relaxed during his sport. Meditation, yoga, sophrology and breathing exercises are all activities that can help sportsmen to let go of any tension or stress, so that they can fully focus on their practice.

What place has painting in all this?

Painting by numbers, and more broadly painting is part of a relaxation technique called ASMR or "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response" (response from the Autonomous Sensory Meridian). This acronym describes a feeling of deep relaxation triggered by a hearing and/or visual stimulus. This technique was partly developed by the painter Bob Ross in the 80s and 90s through the 400 episodes of the joys of the paint, showing his "ability to induce the ASMR response with each brushstroke".
The viewing of ASMR videos is recognized by several studies (Mcerlean and Banissy, 2017; Barratt and Davis, 2015;) for sleeping, the reduction of chronic pain and the reduction of anxiety due of the state of appeasement in which they place the individual.

The practice of painting by numbers makes it possible to reach a state of letting go, similar to that provided by meditation and ASMR due to the concentration required for its practice . When doing a painting by number, you enter a state of meditative concentration and it keeps yourself away from the stress of your daily life while practicing manual and creative activity.

Painting by numbers is therefore suitable for becoming a daily pillar of your mental preparation .

Painting by numbers, an activity to occupy his convalescence

Restoring the body with the care of the mind

The practice of high-level sport is a risky activity that puts the body to the test. Physical injuries do not only impact the body but also have repercussions on the mind . Wounded people can indeed experience many different negative psychological reactions such as depression linked to the incapacity of practicing its vocation, fear and anxiety of no longer being able to retreat back to their profession, the feeling of social isolation or the development of low self-esteem by feeling unnecessary.Therefore, it is a priority to treat and occupy their mind during this trying period . Painting by numbers, or painting in general, can be an excellent palliative because this activity makes it possible to develop new skills while being guided on the one hand, to gain self -confidence and to occupy their time while reaching a state meditative relaxation.

Lucy Charles Barclay's experience

English professional triathlete Lucy Charles Barclay, winner on Ironman triathlon and Ironman 70.3 world champion in 2021, recently inflicted a stress fracture. This sportswoman tried out a painting by numbers during her convalescence . Discover her full testimony on YouTube!