Mindfulness Will Make You a Ninja
(I wish I came up with this title myself, but I stole it from a friend. Oh well)
You might not improve your sword-fighting or star-throwing skills, but I guarantee a simple practice or two will help lower your stress and improve your fitness basically overnight. Simply being quiet (both literally and in my mind) has helped me manage anxiety symptoms and improve the quality of my workouts throughout the last year. I was skeptical and I’m definitely no pro, but a little goes a long way.
Mindfulness practices seem to be what all the cool kids are doing on the internet these days, and of course people like to overcomplicate it and play it up like it’s magic or a new idea. This doesn’t need to be spiritual or weird. I look at it as “just be aware of what you’re doing (and why).” We’re surrounded by distractions – ads, pointless social media posts, memes, dumb internet arguments, worthless tasks at work…you get the idea. Some of these things can be great in small doses. I love bombarding my wife with memes. They can bring entertainment and humor to our day, and we NEED that. Life shouldn’t be all work and no play, and sometimes a small, temporary distraction is welcome.
We only have a problem when those distractions start to become the “main thing” and other, more important things become distractions. You might be more concerned with a social media argument than the workout you’re supposed to be doing. Or whatever’s happening on the TV, rather than what you’re eating. Or worrying about tomorrow, rather than focusing on today.
Don’t be that person in the gym who is more concerned with their Instagram post about their workout than the workout itself. We all know who “that guy (or girl)” is. Get your head out of your phone and look around. Turn off the TV while you’re eating and just eat. You don’t need to be entertained every second of every day.
When you’re working out, focus on what’s in front of you and WORK. Take a couple minutes between each exercise and set a goal, whether it’s sets or reps or a technique cue you need to work on. Focus on your breathing and get it under control. If you have the energy to browse your phone between every set, you aren’t working hard enough. That’s just the uncomfortable truth. You don’t want to waste your precious time. We don’t get more of it. You might even get in and out of the gym faster.
Likewise, pay attention to what (and how much) you’re eating during most meals. Eat slowly. Turn off the TV and just be where you are. Simple awareness of your body’s own hunger and fullness cues can radically change your eating habits without intentionally changing anything else. You might be surprised.
Finally, if you struggle to get to sleep at night, do a brain dump. Write down 2-3 big tasks you need to accomplish the next day, then put the list away. You’ll deal with that tomorrow. Then try sitting quietly for 2, 5, or 10 minutes and just breathe. Breathe in through your nose to a 5 count and out through your mouth for an 8 count. Just a few minutes will help you wind down and might greatly improve your sleep quality.
Try an experiment this week. Pick one area to work on – training, nutrition, or sleep. See what being more mindful will do for your quality of life. I guarantee it won’t hurt anything. You lose nothing and might have a lot to gain.
If you’re looking for a fitness trainer in the Mt Juliet/Hermitage/Nashville TN area, online fitness training, or just need some advice to get your fitness program started, contact me