To improve focus and develop immense concentration, you can follow the example of professional athletes. Focus is one of the most important skills in exercise and sports.

If you are a Roger Federer fan, you must know the high level of focus, poise, intelligence, and skill that this Swiss professional tennis player demonstrated with every stroke. His immense concentration in the game makes him play on the defensive line and win almost every given point, even when he makes mistakes. Fortunately, there are some ways to improve focus that Federer and other professional athletes use.

Winner of 19 Grand Slam singles titles, Federer trains really hard for his trade. He plays an average of five sets of tennis every day, which is accompanied by a conditioning session and an hour of drills, as reported by The New York Times.

Focus is one of the most important mental skills in exercise and sports. Most athletes lose focus or space out during the competition. Similarly, kids who have a hard time focusing, are easily distracted by doubts, negative thoughts, mistakes or other factors like parents and coaches yelling during a game.

Fortunately, there are some simple evidence-based techniques that improve focus. We’ve been scouring the research of concentration and distractions to find out what works best. It’s important to understand that although you can improve your concentration, it’s impossible to be on all the time.

The Importance of Focus in Exercise and Sports

Most sports involve reciprocation between two or more players. During times of high pressure in a game, each player needs to show an immense amount of concentration in the game. If they are unable to keep themselves in the present and worry about a past mistake, they won’t be able to give the game their best shot.

Keeping their anxiety and over-excitement aside, a player should be able to see things earlier and notice even the smallest details to give themselves the much-required edge in the game.

Yes, concentration is more than important in sports. For a sportsperson, super focus works as their superpower. But how do you achieve this? Here are science-backed ways to improve focus that will help you with that.

4 Ways to Improve Focus in Exercise and Sports

Eat Breakfast

Over 60% of teenage boys and 70% of teenage girls regularly skip breakfast. According to a 2008 study, students who eat breakfast, such as cereals rich in complex carbohydrates, have better concentration than their peers who don’t.

Practice, Practice, Practice

To improve focus and develop immense concentration, you need to practice as much as you can. With such mindfulness, your body, hands, and legs will be programmed to make the next move during the big game, even without you actually thinking about what move to make. This is how you gain expertise in your game or exercise.

Even after a big success, committed players only take some time out to celebrate their victory and practice even harder in the post-season games. When practicing, don’t forget to focus on your breathing to help improve your concentration.

Recognize When & Why You Lose Focus

As mentioned above, mindfulness is highly important for an athlete to succeed in their game or exercise. However, an athlete is not a superhero. S/he too is a normal human being, just like the rest of us.

They too get distracted, their coaches yell at them, they get upset when their team loses, especially due to their own mistakes, or when bad publicity about them is creating a buzz on the news channels. Such things work negatively in bringing down a player’s morale and concentration.



However, an expert athlete knows what needs their attention and, most importantly, when to lose their calm and when to keep it.

Work on Your Memory

No one is a born athlete, they are made. Other than the hard work and dedication, a player needs extremely careful about their diet, since this is what will give them the strength and stamina to play well. If focusing on the task is tough, you may want to work on your memory.

There are some effective brain exercises that can help you boost your memory. You may also want to eat more foods that improve focus and enhance mental power, which is much required during a big game.

So, make sure to train your mind and body to focus, and don’t shy away from taking support from anyone or anything that could help.

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