How to spa like the sports stars, from Rory McIlroy to Jürgen Klopp

Rory McIlroy’s nail-biting victory in the Masters last month was five-star drama but what sticks in my memory most is the champion crediting motivational texts from the sport psychologist Bob Rotella with helping him to keep his cool after his six-shot lead evaporated during the tournament.

Isn’t it fascinating that, for all their success and supportive entourages, even elite athletes can be so plagued by nerves and negative thoughts that they need professional input? Could such strategies help us with everyday struggles? I think we all know the answer to that.

The reality though — at least for me — is that putting in the legwork to find a good psychologist is like reading Ulysses: nice idea but I’m never actually going to get around to doing it. Guess I’ll never wear the green jacket of the Masters winner. Or maybe I might; because these days spas are offering expert psychological advice.

I don’t mean life coaches. Spas have had those for years and I’m sure there are many fine ones, but I’ve only met the sort that suggest you manifest yourself a romance/promotion/calorie-free chocolate. The growing global discussion on mental health, however, is encouraging pioneering spas to think bigger and recruit clinical psychologists.

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Zem in Spain (zemaltea.com), for example, opened last year with a resident psychologist and I’ve just been to Tulah in Kerala (tulah.life), another glamorous newcomer, which includes an emotional wellbeing screening with a qualified psychologist in every programme. I chatted to Dr Annu Choudhary about tactics to write that novel I’ve been going on about for years. She suggested a visual cue by my computer (I decided against a copy of Ulysses) to encourage me to spend the first 30 minutes at my screen every day on creative writing. It’s working. Well, mostly.

It’s not the only technique used by sports stars that translates well for those of us who have never been on a podium. There’s also breathwork, for example. It requires minimal instruction, it instantly sharpens focus and it’s the ultimate Martini option: you can do it any time, any place, anywhere.

Before the 2019/20 season, when he was the Liverpool football manager, Jürgen Klopp brought in high-wave surfer Sebastian Steudtner to demonstrate the benefits of breath control. Steudtner used underwater exercises to teach the squad how to master the panic and hold their breath once submerged. Their times went up from barely ten seconds at the start to nearly four minutes and taught them how to click into a calm and focused mindset in high-pressure moments during matches. They ended up winning the club’s first league title in 30 years that summer.

You may also have noticed the Ireland rugby team getting into a huddle during games. They’re practising box breath (inhaling for four seconds, holding for four, exhaling for four and holding for four) to stay in control.

I’ve been a breathwork convert since a retreat in Lanzarote in 2018 with the affable Alan Dolan, aka the Breath Guru (breathguru.com). I learnt the connected breathing method: inhaling deeply through an open mouth and exhaling gently, as if to fog a mirror, continuously for 30 minutes. That’s harder than it sounds, but the reward is an initial sense of euphoria followed by lasting clarity. If you don’t fancy the Canaries, Dolan holds workshops and free events in London.

And while I’m not ready to take penalties for Liverpool, I enjoyed the challenge of underwater breathwork at Nihi Sumba (nihi.com). Other quirky options at this barefoot Indonesian hideaway include breathwork sessions on horseback. Full disclosure: I’m a very nervous novice so it was a neigh from me for that one.

However, I did sign up for horse-whispering at Le Barn in Bonelles, Parisians’ answer to a Pig hotel (lebarnhotel.com). I used eye contact and body language to communicate with my hulk of a horse. It was scary but strangely meditative. Canine therapy is similarly therapeutic and Reggie the cavapoo acted as the unofficial emotional support dog for the England women’s football team during last year’s successful Euros campaign.

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The former England men’s football manager Gareth Southgate, on the other hand, introduced Pilates to the national squad. His successor, Thomas Tuchel, is also a fan. It’s not just about core strength; they both believe it improves mental focus and enhances recovery too. My Pilates picks are Suvretta House in Switzerland, where its next-gen hybrid reformers made me satisfyingly achy (suvrettahouse.ch), and Absolute Sanctuary on Koh Samui, an affordable Thai resort that delivers such world-class Pilates and yoga that many Brits are regulars (healingholidays.com).

Or you could go route one at the Peligoni Club on Zakynthos (peligoni.com). You’ll primarily be there for the five-star blood, sweat and tears inspiration of bootcamp leaders such as the Olympians Chris Hoy and Rebecca Adlington. Fortunately, recovery is trending right now so there’ll be plenty of time for cooling down in the turquoise Ionian, rehydrating at the beach bar and protein-maxxing at its alfresco restaurants.

Tottenham Hotspur’s footballers will definitely be looking forward to the beach after a dismal season. And I imagine many are relieved that the club has brought in Roberto De Zerbi as manager, rather than going back to ex-coach Mauricio Pochettino, as was rumoured at one point. Pochettino’s preparations for the 2019 Champions League final included a firewalk, an ancient wellness ritual that involves walking over burning embers to test mental resolve. They lost 2-0 to Liverpool. Should have tried breathwork.

This month…

● I’ve been tracking my body composition with PHYT, an AI-powered app that delivers impressively accurate stats on body fat, muscle index, bone mass and metabolic rate in seconds. It’s a powerful incentive to stay in shape (phytapp.com)

● I’ve discovered Sisterly Tribe, ethical Scandi workout gear in gorgeous muted colours (sisterlytribe.com). Who wants lurid leggings?

● I’ve been using Skin Diary’s Night Repair Therapy cream, created by four leading dermatologists, and a saviour after a long-haul flight (theskindiary.com)

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