Mindfulness and exercise have been studied
frequently in the past decade. Researchers are very much aware of the psychological
and physical benefits of both exercise and mindfulness but is the average
athlete?
The use in mindfulness in yoga has been found to
decrease in self-objectification (how one looks) and increase physical
self-concept and health/fitness benefit reasons for exercise. Simply put, it
made the subjects feel less about how they look and more about how good they
feel when exercising.
Another benefit to using mindfulness while exercise
is the decrease in heart rate and breath rate. It’s why mindfulness is so great
for stress! This decrease in stress also brings about positive health
behaviours. You no longer just ‘think’ about exercising, but you actively go
out, set goals, then perform the activity. And by being more aware of your body
you can potentially reach maximum levels of performance and enjoy doing the
activity.
There are many ways in which one can perform
mindfulness including the traditional ‘body scan’ or during yoga. But did you
know you could perform mindfulness while running, cycling or even
weightlifting? Well you can, if you follow a few simple principles.
First, you need to be fully aware of your body and
surroundings, and not on autopilot. Second, you should change your activities
around so they do not become mundane, making new habits is a good thing. Third,
Avoid competition or judgement on your own performance. Just enjoy the activity
for what it is. Next, focus on the present, not the past or the future. Finally,
when your mind does wander just gently bring it back to focus.
My personal advice is to try some mindfulness
activities, there are some good apps out there that can help such as Headspace ©.
These apps can give you the basic skills you need to bring mindfulness into
your training. And the first few are
normally free (always good)!
The reason mindfulness is so good for you is that
you learn to pay attention to your thoughts and feelings, instead of ignoring
them or just going into auto-drive. And mindfulness can elicit changes over
time, don’t expect things to be perfect overnight, everything takes time and
practise.
Below are some ways you can bring mindfulness into
your next exercise routine:
Have a purpose: a goal, a calorie count, step
count, time duration
Remember why: You want to reduce stress or increase
energy and, hey, exercise makes us feel good!
Slow down: your reps while weightlifting, perfect
your form or think of your posture while running
Breathe: this is the key to mindfulness and is the
best way to reduce stress
Finish on a high: Be sure to take your time cooling
down and stretching, end with some relaxation techniques
Taking the time out to exercise our bodies and
minds can help bring a calmness to our hectic lives. We often try to turn off
our minds with distractions like TV, Internet and video games, which doesn’t
help in creating healthy behaviours. If we want to live longer, happier lives
with less stress than we must make the effort to do so.
