There's merit behind the statement mind over matter when it comes to working out and tackling your fitness goals.
Whether you struggle to get your mind in the right place to get started or struggle to keep going once you’re at it, sometimes the biggest barrier isn’t your physical ability or inability, but your mental one.
That voice in your head that tells you that you can’t casts doubt on your stamina or tries to confirm that you are indeed running as slow as you keep saying you are.
Take your workout into your own hands and tackle your mental training by overcoming these 5 barriers:
You let your thoughts convince you that you’re right
If you are out on a run, feeling really slow and unfit, you may hear that little voice in your head start telling you just that:
“You are going so slow!"
"You are really unfit!"
"You are never going to be able to run far enough to complete your half marathon!”
And then suddenly, you hear other thoughts in your head confirming what you are saying and trying to further convince you it’s true!
Overcome this by fighting back: say “no, I’m not slow, I’m just having an off day.”
Or
“Of course I can complete the race, I just have to put in the time and training to build myself up.”
Research shows that positivity pushes you forward and helps train your brain to think positively when things go bad!
You give in easily
When it gets hard, when you get a little out of breath, when you start to feel tired, your tendency is to quit instead of pushing forward.
Without pushing through the struggles, you will never grow and be able to push harder.
Overcome this barrier by doing the following: the next time you want to quit because it gets hard or because you get tired, tell yourself that you just have to go for 5 more minutes.
Whether you are on the elliptical, doing your WOD, or out for a run, you can push through for another 5 minutes on whatever you are tackling.
Five might lead to 10 or more, or you may see that you really are that tired and decide to be done.
You follow someone else’s plan
Going to the gym or for a run with a friend is a great idea: it helps you stay accountable and makes the time pass faster because you have someone to talk to.
In doing this however, make sure you don’t end up just following their workout plan and forgetting about what works for you and what helps you reach your fitness goals.
This applies to cases where your partner is both more and less fit than you: less fit and you don’t reach your potential, more fit and you run the risk of injuring yourself.
You have an all or nothing attitude
“If I can’t workout for a full hour, what’s the point of even going to the gym?”
If this sounds like you, it might be time to step back and adjust your perspective.
When it comes to fitness and working out to improve your health and help you lose weight, it’s not necessarily about how much you do, but about simply doing something at all.
Remember that something is always better than nothing, so don’t get caught up in convincing yourself you should skip your fitness altogether if it gets cut short or you have to alter your schedule.
By: Laura Peill – (Check out her blog Viand Nutrition)
Leave a comment