Mindfulness, simplified, is forming a habit of paying better attention. It’s about living in the moment: doing so with an improved ability of suspending judgment.
Simultaneously, mindfulness is being less reactive to our past conditioning and routines. It’s an ability, if you will, to become fully present like a masterful mind surfer.
This overall shift in better physical well being sets you up for greater success in not only your fitness regimes but also other, often more important, aspects of life. Let’s take a look at three key ways to integrate it into your fitness routines:
Be where you are
So often, mirror shots are snapped during and in between sets, or we’re uploading our workouts to our social media stories.
Capturing the perfect form or physique on camera during a workout is an impossible chasing of perfection and the anti thesis of mindfulness in action.
If you’re looking to build your online following, perhaps treat your photo shoots as a separate planned activity. Keep your focus on the routine and your breath in between.
‘Be where you are’ is sound advice for every aspect for life including your bench presses at the gym.
Notice your body and your environment
During your workouts, replace your wandering thought patterns with attending to your breath and micro senses within the body. Channel your energy and focus there. An increased acumen of all your senses, the sights, sounds, smells and sensations both inside and out is a good indication of mindfulness at work.
Suspend Judgement
We sometimes become so fixed in our mindsets or beliefs, including fitness habits. Aside from working on poor form or use of equipment, there are always different perspectives to ponder. For example, every year we see new equipment landing in the market, and the same is true for strength, toning, and training.
There are plenty of credible specialists who share insights or find new ways to mix things up.
A fixed mindset often shows itself through instant opinions and judgements: judging someone else’s routine for instance without a discussion. An open or growth mindset considers perspectives and is less hasty to jump to judgements of right or wrong.
So, turn mindfulness and fitness from a hashtag to a habit. In the same way there is a significant correlation between your actual physical training and greater lion share around nutrition and diet, the same can be said for mindfulness.
To simplify mindfulness and turn it into a daily habit, ponder this: calmness of mind is a priceless gift one mindfully gifts to self. Regardless of whether you’re in the gym pumping iron, in the garage using body weights, or chilling at home.
Mark Carter is an international keynote speaker, trainer and coach. He has over 20 years’ experience as a global learning and development professional. His TEDxCasey talk ‘Paws and Effect: how teddy bears increase value perception was the movie trailer for his latest book Add Value. You can contact Mark at markcarter.com.au or his book website addvalue.markcarter.com.au.
