MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. --
7 tips on dealing
with PFT anxiety
Anxiety
is prevalent in our world. It occurs at home, work, social situations, playing
sports, and test-taking. Academic testing anxiety is very similar to physical
test-taking anxiety. Those symptoms include: headaches, nausea, feeling too hot
or too cold, etc. The adrenaline flows through your body prior to any of these
events and can adversely affect your performance.
In
regards to the physical fitness test, the ways to combat anxiety are similar to
those of academic test-taking anxiety. The PFT anxiety-removing techniques are
as follows:
1) Be Well
Prepared for the Test
Do
not start "studying" (exercising) for the PFT in the few weeks before
the test. Fitness is a daily habit that needs to be developed 3-5 times a week.
2) Test Yourself
once a Week
If
it is the stopwatch that causes most of your anxiety, make sure to train with
the stopwatch when doing pushups, sit ups, running so it becomes the norm.
3) Maintain
Healthy Lifestyle
Eat
more fruits and vegetables than fast foods, sleep regular hours, drink more
water, and exercise 3-5 times per week.
4) PFT Taking
Meals
On
the evening prior to the PFT, drink water, eat more fruits and vegetables as in
salad, and lean forms of protein like fish and chicken. On the morning of the
test, eat an orange or banana- both high on the glycemic index and provide
blood sugar for immediate energy. Make sure to also get your carbs and protein,
for example- oatmeal and nuts, for more fuel.
5) Test the Way
You Train
Do
not do something for the first time on test day like eating a protein bar or
energy drink. Find out what works for you during your practice tests.
6) Relax
Take
deep breaths before the stop watch starts and think positively. Remind yourself
you have been working hard, and very soon your hard work will pay off.
7) Treat Yourself
Reward
yourself with your cheat lunch after PASSNG your PFT! Once you arrive to your
test well prepared, the PFT becomes "just another workout" and the
only anxiety you will get is a healthy dose of adrenaline that enables you to
compete with your counterparts.