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Its clear that being intrinsically motivated is better for your well being as your basic psychological needs are met. It means you have a sense of choice (autonomy), you know you are capable of success and fills the need to feel connected to other people in a social environment. When you experience lower level of these needs you will tend to not enjoy what you are doing and will reflect on your mental wellbeing as well as physical progress.

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I am someone that tends to only focus on external rewards and gratification so to try and motivate myself purely based on my own satisfaction seemed difficult for me at first. I noticed that I was able to feel this enjoyment mostly when improvising as I was able to dance how I enjoyed dancing. While the feeling is difficult to describe, I can confidently say that I have been able to notice times that I have been intrinsically motivated more and more.
I'm a not a very motivated person in general but I think that simply becoming aware the concept of intrinsic motivation is something that has altered my mindset for the better and boosted my motivation as I have began discovering the many things I enjoy about doing dance.

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This is a video of me warming up my wrists for ground based foundation. This is something I chose to add to my warm up because the class was particularly intense on the hands and wrists, and so doing this small specific warm up for my wrists was really helpful as it mobilises and stretches my hands and wrists meaning I am less likely to injure my wrists, and also gives me confidence that I am prepared to place weight on my hands.

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applying this to ground based foundation

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applying this to ground based foundation

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In ground based foundation, I have developed a warm up that works for me both physically and mentally. For the most part it is fairly basic, however there are a few specific moments in my warm up that are particularly beneficial in relation to the class- including these specific warm ups means I am able to feel prepared and ready for the class.

In terms of cooling down I am aware that I'm still trialling ways to mentally transition out of ground base foundation classes. Due to the fact that as a group as well as individuals we are incredibly focused in this class its sometimes difficult to exit this head space and relax. So far I have found that taking the time to actually stop and breathe at the end of the class to be beneficial as it allows me to reflect and relax as opposed to rushing to my next class or straight into stretching.

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Its important to note that a warm up should begin gradually. It should build in its intensity and slowly progress in its complexity. The warm up should not involve deep stretching or begin with activities such as full out sprinting as this could result in injury due to the body not being prepared properly for these activities.

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Another goal I set myself was a to join the focus groups more often. Focus groups are a relaxed environment where myself and others have the opportunity to show and explore different ways of moving as well as concepts visited in the class. Being someone who isn't very confident, I struggle to join in. Overcoming this mental barrier is something that I am still working on  however I have noticed that I have become much more comfortable entering the group and have found enjoyment in doing so.
Though I have seen improvement, I'm still not particularly satisfied with myself in terms of meeting this goal. Yet after reflecting upon this I came to terms with the fact that it is okay to not always meet your goals at a desired time, and my self confidence is something I can continue to work on despite being separate from the initial goal of focus groups.

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Considering the fact that when setting goals you are working to achieve them as best as possible, it could be argued that the 'work' or actions leading up to this milestone is almost devalued.  To further explain this point, consider intrinsic motivation and doing things because they are 'fun', and not with the idea that improvement must be seen overtime or that there is a standard to meet. From this viewpoint, it is easy to confuse goal setting and potentially damage someones intrinsic motivation as they are hyper focused on a goal instead of their enjoyment.

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I've chose ground based foundation to discuss alongside my chosen dance science topics because, it is the class that I feel I have done for the longest in Unit 1. I also feel like it is the class I am most comfortable talking about and dancing in.

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Applying this to ground based foundation:

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Applying this to ground based foundation:

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One of the first things we focused on in ground based foundation was handstands, starting small and eventually building them up and trying to hold them for as long as possible with control. Coming from a gymnastic background, it was something I had been familiar with, however, I have always struggled to hold my handstand with control or without walking. So I decided to make it a goal to be able to hold a controlled handstand for at least 5 seconds by the end of term 1. I ensured that this goal was supported by the SMART criteria, which it was, and also considered what I could be doing outside of ground based classes to work towards this goal.

Something that I was already doing unknowingly, which was benefiting me is quota. Quota consists of 10x pushups, superman lifts, mini handstands and squats. This has built my upper body strength allowing me to support myself better in a handstand. As well as this, I practised handstands against a wall at home, trying to maintain balance and stability while being comfortable in a handstand position.

I was able to see my improvement overtime due to the structure of the ground based classes: repeating handstand crossings from the side and other exercises. When focusing on my internal universe (a concept learnt in ground based foundation)I found that I was able to visualise and understand how to maintain my control.

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Psychological benefits of warm up + cool down:

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Psychological benefits of warm up + cool down:

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Alongside the physical benefits of warming up and cooling down, there are also psychological benefits like being able to focus and mentally prepare for class or mentally 'wind down' after a class. This may be done through meditation for example.
In Pilates, at the end of the class we cool down mentally through Shavasana. This time allows me to reflect on the class as well as focus on my breathing which for me, personally, is beneficial as a cool down.

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Goal setting gives a purpose to our actions as well as providing us with the drive to meet/achieve said goals. It means we can create milestones for ourselves and actively work towards achieving them. 'Goal-setting in psychology is an essential tool for self-motivation and self-drivenness – both at personal and professional levels. It gives meaning to our actions and the purpose of achieving something higher.' Chowdhury, The Science & Psychology of goal-setting 101 2022)
Setting goals can be extremely useful in a professional dance setting as it means there is something an individual can work towards. If the goal is clear then dancers can alter or adapt their training to fit the goal. For example, if my goal was to improve floor work skills and moving in or out of the floor, I could work on strength and ground based technique to allow me to meet my goal. This can also benefit dancers mentally as it ensures there is a motivation to dance and improve.

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IN ground based foundation,
focus groups allow us time to improvise and explore concepts we have visited in class- it is also a part of the class where I have noticed myself feeling intrinsically motivated, because of this I can carry on with the rest of the class in this mindset.

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Through dance science lessons I have discovered that the goals I am setting for myself should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound (SMART goal setting). ‘SMART is an effective tool that provides the clarity, focus and motivation you need to achieve your goals. It can also improve your ability to reach them by encouraging you to define your objectives and set a completion date.’  (the Mind Tools Content Team, 2016).
Upon reflecting I realised that, in the past, I had been setting unrealistic goals which affected my mental health as I felt as though I wasn't achieving, when in reality, I just wasn't goal setting effectively. Understanding this means that I now feel confident in my ability to set goals for myself, ensuring that I stick to the SMART criteria.

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WARM UP:
According to (Wilmerding & Krasnow, 2017),
'The aims of a warm up are to raise the pulse, mobilise the joints and gently stretch the muscles as well as prepare them for muscular work.'  Doing so- effectively will both prevent injuries as well as prepare your body for activity.
Furthermore, your warm up can be specific and personalised in order to target areas which may require a more careful warm up when considering the class.

COOL DOWN:
It is just as important to cool down as it is to warm up as it decreases the risk of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) as well as preventing injury. The aims of a cool down are to lower the pulse and release any tension or stress on the muscles. Cool down is also the perfect opportunity to stretch and work on flexibility.

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From what I have learnt in dance science classes I believe that it is important to differentiate between what is motivation in terms of meeting goals (as discussed in the goal setting part of this padlet) and what is intrinsic motivation:
According to (Schofield & Start, 2019), 'motivation is an internal state that drives behaviour to achieve your needs and goals'. Motivation can also be driven by external or social factors as well such as family, peers, dance teachers,etc. Motivation is necessary in all aspects of life, not just dance however obviously in a dance setting, motivation becomes extremely important in terms of attendance and seeing improvement.
On a personal level as well as a professional level I have come to understand the importance of intrinsic motivation in that it is the 'drive to undertake an activity based on our interest and enjoyment and confidence.' (Schofield & Start, 2019). Due to the deep engagement and satisfaction we derive from an intrinsically motivated activity, we are more likely to have an improved performance.

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periodization in Ground based foundation:

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periodization in Ground based foundation:

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I have been able to recognise periodization in ground based foundation significantly, mainly due to the structure of the classes.
For the first two weeks we spent a lot of time breaking down different 'steps' and solidifying basic technique, as the weeks progressed we experimented more with this basic technique and built exercises that have been gradually increasing in intensity.

For example: In the right and left stab exercise,
week 1-2; we focused on the half bridge position
week 2-3; we focused on the side holds (slightly more intense) and developed both this and the half bridge into an exercise
week 4+; we began leaning the stab positions and spent some time solidifying this technique
week 6+; all of these steps were linked together to create an exercise which we continue to practice each session. In doing so, maintaining the skills that have been developed.

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A major part of this unit has been understanding and recognising periodization. It was an unfamiliar concept to me to begin with however I feel like it now makes more sense to me, and I am able to see evidence of periodization in areas such as our timetabling.

Periodization is the carefully calculated and systematic planning of training that is concerned with the individual 'peaking' at a desired time. 'Systematic planning' involves the number of classes each week, the length of classes and also rest periods; when they are needed and for how long. Also the intensity of the class and the skills being developed. Generally, periodization focuses on building up in intensity, reaching peak performance and then transitioning or building back down again which optimises performance and training efficiency as well as decreasing the risk of injury.
Periodization is also beneficial in terms of maintaining wellbeing as it both creates a manageable workload, which decreases stress as well as 'ensuring sufficient physical rest and metal recovery time' (Lyakh et al., 2016, pp.173-180).