Ever find yourself ready to throw in the towel mid-bench press, while your muscles still have plenty to give? It happens. Sometimes the battle isn’t physical; it’s all mental.
Welcome to the complex tug-of-war between physical fatigue and mental blockades. Chelsea Wooding, a mental performance consultant whose insights we snagged from Well and Good, delves into this heady dilemma. So, let’s break down mental toughness and learn how to develop a good mindset for workouts.
Lacking Mental Stamina? 3 Ways to Build the Right Mindset for Your Workouts
Decoding Discomfort
Picking apart pain can be tricky. When is it time to stop and when is it just a matter of pushing through with the right workout mindset? Navigating this matters—big time—for reaching your peak without a crash and burn.
Wooding offers sage advice, “Sometimes, your mind’s plea to quit means you’re flirting with overtraining or injury. That’s when you play it smart and listen.”
Use Breathing as a Tool
Help develop your workout mindset by learning how to use one of your most valuable tools: your breathing.
Redirecting your focus to your breath offers a two-for-one deal: tune into your bod and dial down your panic-button nervous system. Dr. Wooding affirms, “When you home in on breathing, those ‘quit now!’ thoughts tend to simmer down because, hey, your brain can’t shout and count breaths at the same time.”
Think of breathing as your trusty anchor; it gives your mind a much-needed detour from quit-ville.
Remember Your Why
Silence that quitter’s voice by reminiscing on your ‘why.’ You know, that spark that had you lace up your sneakers in the first place. Each workout should circle back to that intention. This motivation can help toughen your workout mindset.
Wooding shares his game plan, “I brace myself mentally for the workout’s length to sidestep the mental wall smackdown. Take a 30-minute Peloton ride; I psych myself up to crush those minutes because once the clock runs out, my proof is in the puddle of sweat I’ve left behind.”
So, when embarking on your next fitness escapade, don your mindset for workouts like it’s game-day armor. By tuning into discomfort, mastering your breath, and rekindling your goals, your mind will forever be your ally in the quest for gains. Ready to sweat it out with your newfound mental mojo? Let’s get to it!
