How do you react when you’re under pressure?
For me, it depends on what the situation calls for and who is involved. If it’s a medical emergency I am usually the first to react and don’t hesitate at all. If it’s a social stress I will get really quiet and not say a word to anyone. If its a simple stress, say playing an intense board game or doing a workout where someone else is depending on me to succeed, I tend to get worked up. This week’s workout is a fight or flight drill where your performance affects your partner.
The workout is simple but can be stressful if you’re anything like me. The goal is to complete as many alternating rounds as possible with a partner. One partner does the three kettlebell exercises over and over until the other partner can successfully complete their basketball shots. It works great if you have a partner that remains cool under pressure but if not you could end up doing a lot of kettlebell swings. If you don’t have a partner it’s still a tough workout just without as much of the pressure.
Jon and I completed four full rounds plus two more with planks instead of the KB exercises. By the end we both had jello arms and were exhausted. It goes by really quickly so you have to stay focused for your partner. I found myself getting more stressed as the workout progressed and my arms got tired. My reaction to the pressure was to try to move faster and shoot more frequently but all it did was make my shots messy which made Jon have to wait for longer. By the last round he was coaching me from the side of the court in a plank, poor guy!
We shortened the free throw number to three for our plank round so the other partner wouldn’t have to wait as long (Sorry Jon). Particularly since it was taking me forever to make my shots with tired arms and I started to get frustrated. Be prepared to get a little winded chasing after the basketball and have a towel nearby to wipe your hands off.
Enjoy this one it’s a toughie! I love anything that can improve not just my physical strength, but mental as well. It’s important to train our brains just like the rest of our bodies to keep everything healthy. Below are a few more ideas for staying healthy from the Bankers Health Group. (I had the pleasure of collaborating and contributing to the creation of this graphic along with some other awesome bloggers!)