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Brandon Hyatt, MS, CSCS
Dec. 04, 2024

We know that working out goes beyond just the physical. For some, it is an outlet to release mental stress, and for others, it just feels good to be fitter. Working on your fitness to improve your health is wonderful, but where does mindfulness come into play? Can your workout experience improve with mindfulness?

Let’s talk about some tips on intersecting fitness and mental health through mindfulness. By the end, you’ll have some practical tips to apply immediately to your training that will improve your mental game.

Mindfulness in Training is Increased Self-Awareness

We’re usually on autopilot most of the day, and too often, we go through the motions in a workout. Don’t get it wrong, working out is better than not, and sometimes, the best we can do is go through the motions. However, if you want to grow in your mindfulness while lifting, self-awareness can fine-tune your experience and performance.

• Think about which muscles you are supposed to feel versus the muscles you are feeling

Going through the motions can sometimes make knowing what muscles we target difficult. For example, if you’re doing Nordic hamstring curls without much awareness, you could easily just feel it in your calves when you’re also supposed to feel it in your hamstrings. Being intentional about which muscles you’re supposed to feel can allow you to make training adjustments before the exercise is over.

• Think about how you felt at the end of your set

Going through the motions can make setting the right intensity and volume for a given exercise challenging. At the end of every set, you should be intentional about self-assessing the intensity. For example, you may have been able to pump out another five reps, but because your mind was on your phone, you missed out on that clue to dial in your training.

On the flip side, your body may have a lower threshold for stress that day, and you may not want to overload it with acute stress from training. If you’re having a stressful day, low on sleep, and missing other self-care essentials, you probably don’t need to push it to failure or near failure on every set.

• Think about some specific cues to improve your technique

Being on autopilot can make it easy to miss subtle cues with a lift, such as grabbing the floor with your feet while deadlifting and squatting. Before each set, be intentional about each cue for the lift and rehearse them in your head. Using mental imagery before starting a new exercise, especially one with more components, can improve your mind-body connection.

Remember, working out isn’t all physical

There’s an essential component of mindfulness that can be used to make real-time adjustments to meet the needs of the training session, both physically and mentally. By integrating these tips centered around self-awareness, you can have more meaningful workouts, recover well, and a stronger mind-body connection.