A Yoga Intervention for Stress Management of Young Athletes During Covid-19 Lockdown

This research aimed to check the effectiveness of a specially designed yogic package suitable for athletes who were in fear due to the covid-19 lockdown to test its effectiveness in bringing back their mental power. Yoga is not a new science. Centuries back, the importance of physical and psychological health and the impact of yoga has been explained in Thirumandiram by Yoga Maharishi Thirumoolar. Psychological resilience is necessary to enhance athletic performance and foster valuable life skills. Through positive adaptation to adversity and stressors in competitive performance, athletes can cultivate their ability to respond to negative stimuli, ultimately evolving personal growth effectively. For young athletes, the development of resilience is particularly crucial. Due to confinement and social isolation regulations, young athletes face distinct challenges in sport, including future fear, physical toughness, body image issues, emotional maturity, increased mental distress, and internalization of emotions during a covid lockdown. The aim of this research is to test if yoga could build resilience and discuss the implications and applications relevant to young athletes. 30 young athletes between 19 - 21 years accepted to participate in the research were accommodated. The pretest was conducted on the selected variables and selected subjects were assigned into two groups of 15 subjects each. The Experimental Group (YG) underwent yoga training and the control group (CG) did not undergo any specific training for 3 weeks (6 days a week for 2 sessions a day).  After 3 weeks of training, a post-test was conducted on resilience (self-determination, physical toughness and Emotion control & Maturity) for both groups. To find out if any significant difference exists between pre and post-training, a t-ratio was applied.  The result depicts that yoga is the best tool to work on resilience in such unprecedented tough times, securing current physical and mental health, enhancing sports performance, and helping young athletes stay navigated to life's goals

Impact of COVID Lockdown on Mental Health of Elite Athletes – A Status Study

Covid lockdown upset the whole globe to a stunning shock. Never in life had we ever faced such a crisis, complete lockdown, which all led to lonely untouchable deaths, sickness, isolation, quarantine finally ended up in disordered mental health. Though there is an increased awareness of health and using the need to stay fit, the lockdown restrictions don’t pay space for it. If this is the case for the typical athletes who dedicate their entire life, investing time, body, mind and soul into the athletic performance, have completely dislodged routines. A layman’s eyes may find a sportsman's life a fun-filled, excited, easy go. But it’s not the true colour. Ambitious and amateurish life in training has changed to a cloudy future feared min set. This study aimed to determine the mental health status of elite athletes during the covid lockdown. To cosnduct the study, data was collected through google form using Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10). Out of the 374 athletes who responded, 218  athletes (58.29%) were in extreme stress almost all the time during the covid lockdown. Thus it is concluded that in this situation, coaches and sports psychologists have to create awareness about the lockdown, contact athletes and counsel them. Athletes are the pride of every nation and need to recover from psychological setbacks. So, it is. The need of the hour is to design the best training programme suitable and possible during lockdown to protect their skills and abilities. Even from these minds, our national athletes need to recover from psychological setbacks. So, we must find the best training method for them and protect their skills