New series - mental coach Michael Berrer answers questions about "mental health", episode 1
In our new series of articles, former German tennis pro Michael Berrer answers questions on the multifaceted topic of "mental health".
by Stefan Bergmann
last edit: Jan 25, 2023, 03:44 pm
Ex-DTB player Michael Berrer has fully arrived after his tennis career. The 42-year-old from Stuttgart, who was able to climb to 37th place in the ATP ranking during his active sports career, has become self-employed and has his hands full with his company "MB-A". In addition to his work as a mental coach for athletes (in addition to tennis professionals also at VfB Stuttgart), the father of two also advises companies such as Porsche. For Berrer, the goal is always to exploit the potential of his customers as far as possible. tennisnet.com also answered questions from the Davis Cup starter. In a multi-part article series, the likeable Baden-Württemberger provides insight and expertise on the subject of "mental health".
tennisnet : We are really living in very challenging times right now: people have to look at the money, have to process everything that has happened in the world in the last three years (keyword: Corona, Ukraine war)). Many have probably also been through a lot at work or in their private lives. How exactly can sport help you in such a situation? How exactly does sport affect the psyche?
Michael Berrer: On the one hand, sport is of course a very, very important way of reducing stress. I can let go. Everyone has different methods for this. I have eg. a very clear, structured program that I actually always go through. That means I do a targeted strength training program three times a week. Then I go running twice a week and of course I try to get to the tennis court as often as possible. And I just notice that the easy run is not only very, very important for my cardiovascular system. I can let go. I don't always need music for that, I also listen to a lot of audio books. In this way, you can continue your education parallel to the training. Or I just walk and focus. This also trains your attention - for yourself and for your surroundings.
Attention and mindfulness exercises are extremely popular right now...
Exactly. There are great studies that scientists from the USA have created. The title of their paper is "A wandering mind is an unhappy mind". And that is exactly that. I also try to control my media consumption in this way, because if I read the newspaper or Google News every day, then I know that in two weeks I will be completely depressed. You think the world is collapsing every time. There are messages like: "Go ahead, stock up", "There will be a power cut" or "We will run out of gas". Of course, I can't tell if that's really happening. I've read a book or two about this and I'm perhaps somewhat prepared. But at some point I have to live again, have to focus on the here and now. And I think sport is a very, very important tool and everyone has their own preferences. It can be a walk in the fresh air, a vigorous run, high-intensity training or strength training.
How did you come up with your right training program?
I discovered a certain mixture for myself because I realized that I needed strength training. Because it also keeps my entire torso stable. That's how I feel fit, and I don't have any weight problems because of it. The run clears my head. And tennis creates a distraction for me and is motivation at the same time. It's just my biggest passion. This means that when I go to the tennis court, I smile and I think it's cool to chase the ball. And I think that's why sport is so important, because it simply has a positive effect on our psyche. Because we can reduce stress. Sometimes we may also need to use exercise to create some level of stress in order to stay balanced, as I'm also a big proponent that we do need some level of strain and stress. But in sport I can choose this myself.
And how important is nutrition in all of this?
Nutrition is also a very important topic when it comes to mental health. My old trainer introduced me to intermittent fasting a few months ago. and that was great for me. Suddenly I was really a little under 96 kilos. I've never dropped below 100 kilos as a professional and I still feel full of energy. It's also super fun to experiment with. Of course it's also a bit of suffering. I do it in a very rudimentary way. I don't eat anything after 8:00 p.m. and don't eat again until 12:00 p.m. the next day. This is my 16:8 interval. It's super exciting what happens inside you. You feel detoxified and full of energy.
Conclusion of this episode: We always need things that are simply good for us. And then we need a bit of a challenge again. Science also says: Sport and exercise are part of staying in mental balance.
If you have any questions about "mental health in sport", please send them to us at: redaktion@tennisnet.com. We will forward your question (anonymously if you wish) to Michael Berrer and will publish it here in future issues. Together we raise awareness of the need for mental health!