When commit to an activity you love that will help you reach for your fitness goals, you set yourself up to succeed. Challenging ourselves to be stronger or faster, to nail choreography, and to feel confident and comfortable in our abilities is second nature in #CheerLife. And that’s no surprise because our whole sport is about positivity! One of the reasons why cheerleading attracts athletes long-term is because we have a ton of fun while being active. You get to dance and do gymnastics to upbeat music, all with other people who are as excited as you are to step onto the blue mat for every practice and performance. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Once you’ve got the what part down of your athletic goals down, like tumbling, balance, or dance, focus on the who part, which is you. Your personal growth as an athlete depends as much on the health of your mind as it does your body. You get to be your own cheerleader – you got this! Check in on how you’re feeling. Are you having fun? When it’s really hard to get going on a weekend ahead of team practice or to focus on your homework so you can fit in an extra tumbling session, take the time to think about all of the reasons you enjoy cheer, and why you’re reaching for your specific goals. For a lot of cheer athletes they love the friendships, and the excitement! If you aren’t loving it, talk to your family, and to your coach. In cheer we nurture a supportive team atmosphere, because we know that the best way to hit zero is to put our whole hearts into our performance. To do that, we build each other up while we light up the gym with our zest for life! Maybe you’re so focused on your overall goal that you’ve missed celebrating your small wins. Is the new routine getting easier? Were you able to hold that pose for 1 second longer last time? The little steps are what carry you to your goal, so watch carefully for them and be kind to yourself.
Keep up your energy and positive attitude with proper nutrition, it makes you feel good all over! When you exercise, especially when you’re having a blast, you burn energy that your body has stored up precisely for this purpose. And your body needs you to replace that energy so it can heal your sore muscles and help keep your mind on your next task after your workout – like that homework we were talking about. Drink lots of water, and put healthy snacks in your cheer bag. Read our blog post about healthy food choices, too!
Once you land on an activity you love, there’s no stopping you!
Cheer Sport Sharks offers active programming for everyone at every skill level. Check out our cheer programs, our PD Day camps, and our JAWsome birthday parties! Call us at 1-888-25-CHEER for more information from your local Cheer Sport Shark location.
