PFT Anxiety:
Channel the Nervous Energy Prior to Physical Fitness Tests

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. I know before taking a chemistry test at the Naval Academy, I felt the same when I took the Navy SEAL PFT. Those symptoms were: 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 testing-taking anxiety. The PFT anxiety-removing techniques are as follows:

Be well prepared for the test. Do not start "studying" (exercising) for the PFT a week or two before the test. Fitness is a daily habit that needs to be developed 4-6 times a week. (See article archive for ideas)
 

1. Test yourself. Take the PFT once a week. It is the stopwatch that causes most of your anxiety, so train with the stopwatch when doing pushups, situps, running etc...
   
    
2. Maintain healthy lifestyle. Eat more fruits and vegetables than fast foods, sleep regular hours, drink more water, and exercise 4-6 times per week.
   
    
3. 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. Pasta is a pre-race favorite among runners and swimmers also. On the morning of the test, eat fruits like apples, bananas, or baby carrots - all high on the glycemic index and provide blood sugar for immediate energy. (See Food Pyramid Article)
   
   also see Lean Down Plan
    
4. Test the way you train. Do not do something for the first time on test taking day like eat a protein bar or energy drink. Find out what works for you during your practice tests.
   
    
5. Relax. Take deep breaths before the stop watch starts and think positively.
   
    
6. Treat yourself. Give yourself a reward IF you reach your training goals.
    

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. This healthy dose is similar to competing in a 10K race.

 

The Advanced Maintenance and Recovery Program

The Combat Swimmer Stroke DVD