Why Should I Incorporate Mindfulness into my Workout?
Exercise is great for our health right?! Of course it is! Even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes. ‘ARGHH, has it only been 5 minutes?!’ (insert overwhelmed emoji).
AND it can be even better for us if we remain very present and focused for the duration of our workout.
BUT we’ve all been to the gym and jumped on an exercise bike and stared up at the TV wall, right? Or at least we’ve likely seen someone pedalling or walking slowly as they catch up on The Bold and the Beautiful. I remember one of the first gyms I went to as an adolescent, (OK, so that was quite a while ago now!) had magazines for people to read while they were on the cardio machines. This focus of attention means that we are not tuned into our bodies or what we are aiming to achieve in the time we have dedicated to physical activity. Did our heart rate increase? What muscles did we use? How was our form? It’s hard to answer these questions when our presence is elsewhere. We might feel like giving up because we are not seeing the results we are working for.
Mindfulness is about bringing awareness to the present moment, using our senses to focus our attention on the here and now. When we are using our mindfulness skills, we know what our goal is for this very moment, we can turn our external distractions into internal focus and in turn we notice results earlier. We are more effective when we are tuned into ourselves and what we are experiencing.
When exercising, use your mindfulness skills to:
· Really listen to your body, what is your posture doing? Are you breathing (you’d be surprised how many people hold their breath when performing an exercise)?
· Use your breath to aid you – exhale on exertion – trust me, you’ll be much more efficient in your movement.
· Focus your attention on the muscle group you are working. If you are performing a squat, is your weight in your heels? What do you feel in your thighs, in your buttocks? Know where you are supposed to feel the movement. This will also aid in injury prevention.
· Acknowledge any discomfort with awareness of what it is telling you. Is it your quads burning and building muscle from an effective squat set or is it your lower back or knees hurting as your form was off balance? This will indicate whether we should keep going; stop and adjust our stance or reduce the amount of weight we are using. When we are not tuned into ourselves, we miss important information.
· If you are running outdoors, use your senses to notice what you see, hear, smell and feel. Can you feel your connection to the earth as your foot hits the ground with each step you take? Does the air smell fresh? Can you hear birds singing; insects chirping, cars bustling or waves crashing? Is the wind cold on your skin or is the sun warming it up? Is there aFocus on your breath as you use is to continue your motion.
· Keep a diary and write down how you felt before and after your exercise routine. Was there a shift in your mood, your motivation, your energy?
When your distractions threaten to take you elsewhere, use your mindfulness skills to bring you back to the present moment enabling you to effectively work on your current goals. Just be aware that by increasing your mindfulness and effectiveness you will likely increase your muscle soreness too. No pain, no gain as they say!
Emma Lightfoot
Psychologist - Personal Trainer