Developing Training Program on Psychological Mindfulness to Improve Artistic Swimmers' Performance in Guangdong Province

Qian Luo; Chanchai Siriphan

doi:10.60027/iarj.2026.e292543

Authors

Qian Luo Bangkokthonburi University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6061-4737
Chanchai Siriphan Bangkokthonburi University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9981-655X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e292543

Keywords:

Mindfulness, Psychological Training, Artistic Swimming, Athletic Performance

Abstract

Background and Aim: In recent years, there has been a growing acknowledgment of the critical role that psychological skills play in athletic performance, particularly in high-pressure sports like artistic swimming. Mental training is often treated as an isolated or secondary component of training, rather than being integrated into the athletes' regular physical and technical preparation. Therefore, this research aims to develop a mindfulness training program on psychological mindfulness to improve artistic swimmers' performance in Guangdong province.

Methodology: 16 athletes from the Guangdong Provincial artistic swimming Team were selected through strict criteria. Through a systematic sampling method, 16 athletes were divided into 2 groups. 8 athletes in the experimental group were trained with the developed mindfulness training program, while 8 athletes in the control group were trained with a traditional training program. The training was conducted for 12 weeks with structured sessions three times per week. The artistic swimming performance test was conducted before training, after 6 weeks of training, and after 12 weeks of training. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc, and independent t-tests to assess group differences over time.

Results: The results showed that artistic swimming performance in the experimental group had a significant difference at 0.05 between pretest-mid-test, pretest-posttest, and mid-test-posttest. In addition, the comparison between the experimental and control groups with the post-test results of the artistic swimming performance showed a significant difference at 0.05

Conclusion: The developed mindfulness training program effectively improves the artistic swimming performance of artistic swimming athletes.

References

Birrer, D., Röthlin, P., & Morgan, G. (2019). Mindfulness training for athletes: A review of the empirical evidence. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1), 1–28.

Carter, L., Hall, J., & Martin, S. (2023). Mindfulness training and its impact on the mindfulness of professional athletes. Journal of Sports Psychology, 59(2), 105–120.

Chen, H., & Li, Y. (2023). Psychological mindfulness and its impact on performance in artistic swimming. Journal of Sport Psychology, 36(2), 180–193.

Cohen, D. A., & Miller, A. S. (2020). Impact of mindfulness on performance anxiety and stress in sports: A review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 45, 101–109.

Foster, E., & Davis, T. (2022). The role of mindfulness in precision sports: A focus on artistic swimming. Sports Performance Review, 11(4), 212–225.

Foster, S. L., Chow, G. M., & Eklund, R. C. (2020). Mindfulness and athletes’ mental toughness: A meta-analytic review. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 9(2), 227–243.

Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2019). Mindfulness and performance enhancement in sport: A systematic review. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 31(4), 457–478.

Gupta, S., McCarthy, P. J., & Jones, M. V. (2021). Mindfulness-based interventions in sport: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 14(1), 1–28.

Gustafsson, H., & Hassmén, P. (2021). Mindfulness and stress management in sport: Implications for athletes’ well-being. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 10(1), 1–15.

Jones, S., & Roberts, P. (2023). The role of psychological mindfulness in enhancing athletic performance. Journal of Sports Psychology, 55(2), 88–103.

Kaufman, S., Frank, B., & Madsen, J. (2021). Mindfulness and emotional regulation: Strategies for enhancing sports performance. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 52(3), 267–280.

Lee, K., & Chan, R. (2024). Integrating mindfulness into elite athlete training programs: A performance-enhancing approach. International Journal of Performance Science, 17(2), 150–163.

Morris, D. (2021). Psychological mindfulness in athletes: The role of mindfulness. Journal of Mental Health in Sport, 9(3), 143–157.

Patel, J., & Khan, T. (2023). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for improving focus and emotional regulation in athletes. Journal of Applied Sports Psychology, 45(4), 289–305.

Reid, M., & Robinson, P. (2019). Focus and concentration in high-performance sports: A case study on artistic swimming. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 50(5), 387–402.

Robinson, C., & Taylor, J. (2022). The impact of acceptance and commitment training on emotional control in artistic swimmers. Sports Psychology Review, 22(1), 102–115.

Silva, S., Williams, G., & Harris, L. (2021). Mindfulness and mindfulness: A meta-analysis of athletic performance outcomes. Journal of Performance Psychology, 38(2), 95–110.

Smith, J., Martin, P., & Lewis, R. (2023). Mindfulness and psychological mindfulness in athletes. International Journal of Sports Psychology, 27(2), 119–134.

Stevens, R., & Clark, D. (2021). Reducing performance anxiety in high-pressure sports through mindfulness. Journal of Sports Psychology, 53(5), 243–255.

White, P., & Johnson, C. (2022). Mindfulness as a tool for skill acquisition in sports. Motor Learning and Performance Review, 19(1), 60–75.

Zhang, Y., & Wang, X. (2023). Integrating mindfulness into mindfulness training for artistic swimmers in Guangdong. Sports Science and Performance, 25(1), 88–101.