According to Google, mindfulness is “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations”. Being mindful has loads of benefits but for us busy WellMammas, focusing on the present moment and accepting (as opposed to judging) what you are feeling and thinking can be a challenge at the best of times.
I workout very regularly and have found that focus and mindfulness have a huge impact on my performance and results. Really connecting with yourself and living in the moment when you exercise delivers huge benefits:
Better movement, less injuries
When you focus on what you are doing, you will heighten your body awareness, pay attention to your angles, your stride, your interaction with the equipment or environment. What happens when you do this is that you create and strengthen new synaptic connections in your brain: you learn and practice. When these connections are strong, your nervous system becomes more proficient at telling your muscles what to do and you will use them more efficiently. You move better, you perform better, and you are less likely to get injured.
Good neurochemicals
In theory, exercise should bring your stress levels down and generate the production of feel good hormones like endorphins. If you are fully experiencing the moment and enjoying it for what it is, that will most likely happen. Visualize yourself really performing will also produce similar results.
However, your body will get into a stress response if you spend your workout time worrying about work and your growing life to-do list or dwelling in negative self-talk (how much you hate your belly fat or how out of shape you feel, etc). You see, your body cannot differentiate between stressors: so whether you are obsessing over something negative or whether a lion is running after you, the body’s reaction will be very similar: increased blood pressure, altered breathing, blood sugar and cortisol surge, etc. Working out in these conditions can actually work against you. Instead, be mindful and keep the endorphins coming.
Reduces worry and anxiety
This is something I learned in my neuropilates studies and that has considerably helped me manage everyday worrying.
Consider this: worrying is something that lives in your brain’s prefrontal cortex and it uses the same circuits as decision-making and problem-solving. The prefrontal cortex is also very connected to the frontal cortex and subcortical regions, which are the areas involved in movement control. When you really have to pay attention to what you are doing – for example, trying to balance on a tight rope or doing a complex movement – you physically can’t worry at the same time. If you worry while exercising, consider following tip #5 below.
A few tips
- Start every session with an intent
Intention is everything. Whether it’s a run, a walk, a HIIT class or an online workout, remind yourself why you are doing the session. Taking a minute to reflect on your objective before you begin will actually increase your chances of achieving it. Remember, “where intention goes, energy flows”. - Get rid of irritants
You know what I mean, there’s nothing more annoying than having hair tickling your face while you sweat or a shoe lace that keeps getting untied when you’re working out. Make sure you are wearing comfortable clothing, have the towels and equipment you need close by, do everything you can to avoid getting distracted. And it goes without saying that your phone shouldn’t be anywhere around. All those little things make a difference in your mindful exercise practice - Use music
If you are doing a sport that allows it, play music you love while doing it. Exercising to music enhances your performance in many ways and helps you keep your mind on the present moment. Studies suggest listening to music while you move helps elevate “your mood and achieve self-awareness”. - Do something you enjoy
If you see your workout as a chore and you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. Find an activity that you like, otherwise you will be producing those unwanted stress hormones, your mind will want to wander and you’re not likely to want to do it again. It’s just counterproductive. - Try something different
When you master a sport – especially if it’s a solitary one like swimming, running, biking, etc – you can easily do it on auto-pilot, which makes it easy to think about all the worries and stressful issues you may be experiencing. If this happens, try adding novelty to the workout like running in a new environment or with somebody else. Or just try a new sport that requires your full attention like a dance or yoga class.
