Its All In The Mind
Exercise is predominantly thought of as a workout for the body. You go for a run, lift weights or attend an exercise class. Many people are very good at signing up for these kinds of activities, but not necessarily good at sticking to them.
What makes you stop? Sometimes it is due to unforeseen circumstances that cannot be helped. More often than not though, it is your mind deciding that it is no longer worth the time or the effort to continue.
When your mind gives up, your body probably isn't done. There is still distance that can be run or reps that can be completed. Having control over you mind will allow you to truly push your body to its limit. Here are some tips for gaining control over your mind.
1. Find a happy place
When your going through a tough patch in a session your mind will invariably suggest quitting, sitting down and giving up. It happens to us all. A good way to get through this is to let your mind wander to something else, something happier and relaxing. Disengaging your mind from your body in this way allows you to 'forget' about the exercise and how tired you are and lets your body carry on doing what it can. Just make sure you keep doing the exercise right!
2. Give up control
When we have control over our own actions and boundaries, we make things easier for ourselves. If we give up that control, our body can be pushed much, much further. Exercising with a friend or a trainer allows you to relinquish control of your body (to an extent) to that person. They can then tell you where the finish line is and when to stop.
3. Get angry!
Angry is a very basic human emotion. When angry, our minds can become a bit disconnected from your actions. To use this in exercise, you should learn to get angry from time to time. not at anything in particular, just be angry. Be angry at the weights, at work or at the person that pulled out in front of you in your car earlier that day. Being angry allows you to override the softer side of your mind that wants to quit. You will try and get to the end of your workout with as much energy as you can muster, and only then will you realise how much it aches.
Exercise is predominantly thought of as a workout for the body. You go for a run, lift weights or attend an exercise class. Many people are very good at signing up for these kinds of activities, but not necessarily good at sticking to them.
What makes you stop? Sometimes it is due to unforeseen circumstances that cannot be helped. More often than not though, it is your mind deciding that it is no longer worth the time or the effort to continue.
When your mind gives up, your body probably isn't done. There is still distance that can be run or reps that can be completed. Having control over you mind will allow you to truly push your body to its limit. Here are some tips for gaining control over your mind.
1. Find a happy place
When your going through a tough patch in a session your mind will invariably suggest quitting, sitting down and giving up. It happens to us all. A good way to get through this is to let your mind wander to something else, something happier and relaxing. Disengaging your mind from your body in this way allows you to 'forget' about the exercise and how tired you are and lets your body carry on doing what it can. Just make sure you keep doing the exercise right!
2. Give up control
When we have control over our own actions and boundaries, we make things easier for ourselves. If we give up that control, our body can be pushed much, much further. Exercising with a friend or a trainer allows you to relinquish control of your body (to an extent) to that person. They can then tell you where the finish line is and when to stop.
3. Get angry!
Angry is a very basic human emotion. When angry, our minds can become a bit disconnected from your actions. To use this in exercise, you should learn to get angry from time to time. not at anything in particular, just be angry. Be angry at the weights, at work or at the person that pulled out in front of you in your car earlier that day. Being angry allows you to override the softer side of your mind that wants to quit. You will try and get to the end of your workout with as much energy as you can muster, and only then will you realise how much it aches.
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