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 physical fitness test. Those symptoms were headaches, nausea, feeling too hot or too cold, etc. The adrenaline flows through your body before any of these events and can affect your performance adversely.
In regard 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:
1. 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).
2. 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 push-ups, sit-ups, running, etc.
3. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Eat more fruits and vegetables than fast foods, sleep regular hours, drink more water and exercise 4-6 times per week.
4. PFT-taking meals
On the evening before the PFT, drink water, eat more fruits and vegetables, and lean forms of protein like fish and chicken. Pasta is a prerace favorite among runners and swimmers. On the morning of the test, eat fruits like apples, bananas or baby carrots -- all high on the glycemic index, and they provide blood sugar for immediate energy. (See Food Pyramid article).
5. 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.
6. Relax
Take deep breaths before the stopwatch starts and think positively.
7. 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 feel 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.
Other related boot-camp articles
Prepare Yourself for Boot Camp
Next step: If you are considering joining the military, your next step should be to speak to a recruiter from the service of your choice.
Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you’re looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.
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