Mindful exercise involves different ways for you to keep your mind fit in addition to your body’s fitness.  Your mind is important to your development and physical fitness.  Without exercises for your mind, you will fail in your fitness regimen. 

Many other exercise programs do not attack the possible unfitness that is present in a person’s mind.  It is not to say the person cannot think clearly; mindful exercise is a program to help make you think differently.  No longer are you filled with doubt and disbelief about how well you can achieve your goals. 

If you use the following exercises then you too can achieve the physique and confidence that you deserve.

14 – Audio/Visual; Using the Power of Voice to Significantly Enhance Visualization

Audio and visual assistance will help you understand your goals and eventually achieve your long term goals.  The exercises involving audio and visuals will be

helpful for you before, during, and after your exercise.  These audio and visual steps are actually exercises for your mind, so should be approached the same way as any physical exercise that you are pursuing.

Pre-Workout:

The best thing to do before any workout is to get prepared and excited about what you are about to partake in.  Your body will be pushed through many obstacles, and you should almost think of your body going to war.  Visualize your body going through a war.  The dumbbells are your first obstacle.  The repetitions are different steps you must go through in order to survive the war. 

Visualizing this will help make your brain realize that you are going to meet some barriers to your achievements that you can overcome and you will soon be ready to overcome these barriers.  By preparing yourself for the hardship you are about to face you will be more accepting when the exercising becomes more difficult. 

An audio aid that will be helpful as well is to listen to upbeat music. The last thing you will want to listen to is slow mellow music.  Upbeat music will get your blood pumping and your mind more alert. 

(If the thought of music combined with weight training resonates with you, please let me know, as I will soon be releasing a music guided fitness system that is bound to take the fitness/weight training industry by STORM!)

By visualizing a war, with the background of upbeat music and making yourself fully aware of what is to come soon your body and mind will be prepared to tackle any obstacles set before you.

During Workout:

It is no secret that noise can ruin your mood and concentration.  A good way to combat unwanted noise around you when you are working out is to create an audio scrapbook.  Include in this audio scrapbook and listing of pleasant sounds that will help you concentrate on the issue at hand.  In addition to this audio, it will be important for you to exercise your mind by repeating a positive message in your head after each repetition.

One of my favorite messages to say after every repetition is to think “No problem.”  You complete one repetition and say to yourself in your mind “No problem,” then do another repetition and say to yourself “No problem.”  This is actually an audio and visual training method because you are telling your brain what to do at this point and you are visualizing what you are doing at the same time. 

By doing this your mind will think your body is able to handle the weight or strain you are putting on it.  The truth is that the human body can handle much more than the mind believes it can handle, so you must condition your mind to believe that you are handling what you are presented with. 

If you constantly say to yourself, “Wow, this might be too much weight for me…I am too tired,” then you will fail in your workout because your brain will tell your body that it is too much weight for you.  Train your brain to think that there is “no problem” with the amount of exercise you are doing and you will soon find that when the brain believes the body will follow.

Post Workout:

After the workout is complete now is the time for you to relax.  The exercises at this point will all be about relaxation.  You can begin by listening to some mellow music.  You will do just the opposite of what you did in the pre- workout protocol.  Instead of thinking about such things as going to war, you will instead think about your accomplishments and the fact that the workout is over. 

You will visually see your muscles repairing themselves and getting stronger after the workout.  Think of your accomplishments and have a sense of pride with them.  Think of how your body will begin to come together after your workout.  Think of yourself looking in a mirror and seeing a dramatically sculpted physique. 

After you see this, you must say to yourself “I did this, maybe I didn’t think I could…I now know that I can.”  Ignore anybody that does not recognize a change in your body.  Only pay attention to how your body is feeling and know that if your body is feeling a certain way then changes must be taking place. 

Just know that this is the first step in becoming the physical specimen that you always knew you would become.  Always remember that you did this by yourself and can do anything that you set your mind to.

Everybody has the ability to achieve extraordinary results. All it takes is the idea and a mind set that accepts nothing but victory. Visualization and positive reinforcement are two weapons that will help you win!

Keep Going!

***If you like what you've read, please leave a comment? Thanks Much!***
 

James Villepigue CSCS