Athletes Are Turning to Meditation and Mindfulness for a Performance Boost. But Neuroscience Shows That It’s the True Believers Who Are Finding That Higher Gear Through Prayer.
BEFORE THE SIDE cramp hit and he started to panic, Ryan Hall felt like he was running better than he ever had in his life. It was mile ten of the 2007 Houston half marathon, and he was in first place, averaging 4:30 per mile.
Hall didn’t typically suffer from cramps, so when he felt one coming on, he ignored it and kept pushing. But the discomfort persisted, then got worse. Panic took hold.
So Hall prayed. He was direct: Lord, please help me get to the finish line without my stomach blowing up. He focused and repeated it again to himself. A minute later the pain was gone, and Hall went on to win the race in 59:43, a North American record and at the time the fastest half marathon ever run by a non-African. Remembering that day and the pain he experienced, Hall says, “There’s definitely power in prayer.”
Of course, for Hall to point to prayer as a performance enhancer isn’t exactly surprising—he’s known as much for his Christian faith as for being one of America’s most gifted distance runners. And anyone familiar with professional sports has witnessed the pregame bowing of heads and postgame shout-outs to God. Skeptics might dismiss it as religious posturing, but science is revealing that prayer works. When believers pray, something happens in their brains that actually makes them better athletes.
Bu hikaye Outside Magazine dergisinin July 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Outside Magazine dergisinin July 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
#she hunts
A new school of social-media influencers are giving hunting a fresh and decidedly female face. Food writer RACHEL LEVIN joins two rising stars of“Instagram” in the Arizona backcountry to chase mule deer for her first photographs by Jen Judgetime. Can she stomach what it takes to be an omnivore?
Breaking the Waves
What has life under lockdown taught the greatest surfer on earth? That switching it up was exactly what he needed.
Wellness That Endures
Strategies and tips to help you get through anything
The New Reality
AFTER A NEARLY TWO-DECADE HIATUS, ECO-CHALLENGE MAKES A COMEBACK ON AMAZON PRIME AT JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT
Out There, Nobody Can Hear You Scream
Two years ago, LATRIA GRAHAM wrote about the challenges of being Black in the outdoors, and countless readers asked her for advice. She didn’t write back, because she had no idea what to say. In the aftermath of a revolutionary summer, she responds.
Mr.Freeze
Wim Hof became famous for submerging himself in frigid water with the calm of a Zen master, and his teachings about breathwork and the health benefits of cold plunges have attracted millions of followers. Our writer traveled to Iceland to chill with the man who made cold extremely hot.
Life Is a Highway
TOOLS TO HELP YOU SAVOR THE JOURNEY
Enter Sandman
SLUMBER WELL IN CAMP, NO MATTER HOW FAR OFF THE BEATEN PATH YOU PARK
All Together Now
MARINE BIOLOGIST AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON BECAME A STAR IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT BY DEFTLY COMMUNICATING WHAT FEW PEOPLE UNDERSTAND: THAT CLEANING UP THE PLANET REQUIRES A COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
In It for the Long Haul
GEAR THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME