Your mind is the foreman of your muscles, and if you can’t get your software in order, your hardware will fail. Here’s why you should reset your thoughts for a stronger body.
Are you the type that hits the snooze button so many times that you lose your workout? Do you give up even if you have two more reps in the tank? Is your inner voice critical? If you answered yes, you are the secret villain of your own story. Your brain is in control of your actions, thoughts, words, and feelings. So do you train your mind or let it unknowingly undermine your life? Training your brain does not mean reviewing calculus. It involves guiding you toward positive thinking, a process so effective that an entire branch of psychology called cognitive behavioral therapy is devoted to it. This challenges negative thought patterns to increase happiness. The natural spillover from your fitness and health levels is something you’ll notice right away. This is why.
Body and mind
Your mind is all powerful and needs training. Much of the battle for health and fitness involves your thoughts, so it’s wise to train your brain to create a positive feedback loop and eliminate those bad thought patterns. The very basic judgments you make about your physical activity can affect your health and well-being, according to research in the journal Health Psychology. The study revealed that people who considered themselves less active were more likely to die than those who considered themselves more healthy and active. The way you think can even make you healthier, according to research in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry. So if you have positive thoughts, you will feel better. And, if you’re feeling better, you’re more likely to exercise regularly — that’s the tail-eating snake scenario.
Real world
Not convinced? Have you ever been in a bad mood, but forced yourself to go out with friends anyway? You forced a smile into your grill and realized that you were actually happy and forgot what mood you were in before. You forced yourself to change your thoughts, and therefore you also changed your feelings. So what if you’re already a positive thinker, but you’re exhausted? Well, one of the best solutions for chronic fatigue is a combination of exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy, as shown in the journal Clinical Psychology Science and Practice. The therapy has a reputation of being only for people with mental illness, but everyone can benefit, even if it’s self-administered. At this point, you better not be thinking, “Ahh, this won’t work,” but, “Hell yeah, let me try!” He’s heard the saying, “You are what you eat,” but it’s just as valuable to appreciate that you are what you think!
mental adjustments
Here are some thoughts you want to pop into your head, and some you want to banish right away!
THINK THIS:
- I will feel better after exercising.
- Cardio is good for my heart.
- I have one more representative in me.
- Stretching will help increase my strength by allowing more range of motion during the exercise.
- The feeling after my workout will make my day better.
- I have enough self-confidence to complete my training to the best of my ability. Who cares if someone looks at me or judges me?
- I am proud of my body, including its flaws.
- Everyone starts somewhere.
- Most of the people in the gym want me to succeed too.
- Even a small amount of time has a big impact.
NO THIS:
- I don’t feel like exercising today.
- Cardio is a huge waste of my time.
- Why bother pushing myself to get the next rep?
- Stretching will do nothing.
- I’m having a bad day, I don’t feel like exercising.
- I hate going to the gym because people stare at me.
- There’s no way I can use that.
- I’m too out of shape to go to the gym, people will laugh.
- The workouts take too long and I don’t have that time.
About the Author: Zane Hadzick is a NASM Certified Trainer, Bodybuilding. com and athlete NutraBio.
