Building physical and mental grit

If you have children at school, you are likely aware that Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) is a compulsory school subject. However, you may not realise that NSW schools are mandated to provide secondary students with 150 minutes of planned and organised physical activity and sport each week.

There is considerable research and science behind the benefits of physical activity. However, when you grasp the multitude of benefits in improving everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing, it’s clear why young people love to participate.

The benefits on your body when engaging in physical activity and sport include:

• increased memory and brain function • protection from disease • support of healthy body function and weight • improved sleep and • reduced stress and anxiety.

And, while the physical benefits of sport are far-reaching, so too are the interpersonal and social benefits: • learning to interact with others, • cooperating as part of a team, and • collaborating and working towards an individual or shared goal. Sport makes us physically stronger but being physically strong is only part of what keeps us healthy, as being mentally strong is equally as important. Let’s talk about tennis for a moment.

Ashleigh Barty

Ashleigh Barty is an outstanding female athlete and proud Indigenous Australian who was recently crowned the 2021 Ladies’ Singles Wimbledon Champion. Ash has an extraordinary history in the sport and from a young age led a public sporting life in both tennis and in Big Bash cricket. She is an incredibly hard worker and has overcome injury, setbacks and criticism, all while displaying humility and positivity. She is a proud advocate for her sport, her culture, and herself.

Ash embodies the essential characteristics of an athlete who is both physically and mentally strong. Of course, she is in a somewhat unique position, to make her sporting talent her career, but she understands that staying at the top of her game requires a focus on both her physical strength and her mental stamina. That’s why in 2018, she engaged a mental strength coach to help her through some of her most brutal matches and gruelling training programs.

You don’t need to be the world’s number one tennis player or engage a mental strength coach to work on your mental stamina because mental strength is vital for everyone, not just elite athletes.

It’s the final stages of a game, match, exam, assessment task, or project where you can lose focus or take your eye off the ball. Maintaining your ability to stay focused on the task and not on the ‘pain’ is essential for success in any endeavour.

Mental strength training So, perhaps it’s time to revaluate how you are going and start to think more about what you can do to stay fit, both physically and mentally.

‘Grit’ comes in many forms, not just through sport. We can train our ‘mind muscle’ to become more resilient and sustain us through tougher times by the small things we do each day.

For example, thinking positively about ourselves or focusing our energy on what gives us fulfilment and satisfaction and not on the fleeting approvals of others. We can plan for setbacks without dwelling on failure, and we can be consistent in working towards our goals and aspirations, no matter how big or small. If you look at the highs and the lows of Ash’s career and you will see that she sets a fine example for us all. It’s important we all find time for physical activity, prioritise sleep, and engage in genuinely relaxing activities to support our mental and physical strength.