Have you come across what some people call Mindful Strength Training? If you haven’t, this has been around for some time and is highly recommended by medical experts such as your trusted Physical Therapists. We know what you’re thinking- yoga and meditation but Mindful strength training isn’t just for those mentioned.
Actually, Mindful strength training is entirely possible to do movement meditation while you do your strength workout- and no one will even know you’re doing it. We’ve prepared ways that can help your mind stay engaged during a workout.
Count your repetitions
We commonly breeze through our counting when working out. From the usual standard three sets of 10 repetitions, we recommend mixing it up a bit and keeping your mind engaged by completing higher repetitions with a lower weight. For instance, perform 2 sets of 25 repetitions for simple body-weight exercises. having to count your repetitions to higher and different numbers helps keep you mindful of your movements.
Slow down
Slowing down your movements helps you keep your mind on the muscle you’re working on to really feel the burn. Do it on purpose to feel the impact on your muscles, mix up your routine as well by completing seven regular repetitions, seven slow ones, and seven quick ones.
Concentrate on breathing
We think you will all agree that proper breathing is part of any workout. Pay attention to your breath while lifting and breathe out when contracting the muscle.
Increase your weight selection
Mindful strength training would involve practicing a variety of weight selections so you can really feel the impact on your body and also see your body’s capability to those selections. For example, practicing various sets of weighted lunges by gradually increasing your weight is good training. The goal is to feel the differences among the various weights as you go up in weight after each set. This would still depend on your fitness level and your physical condition as assessed by your physician and Physical Therapist. You can go up 10 pounds for each set you complete.
Practice different movements.
By movements, we mean eccentric movements and it means lengthening the muscle under load. Elongating the muscles involved in an exercise can help keep your routine fresh and your brain focused on working your muscles in a different way.
Aside from those mentioned, always make sure that you concentrate on your breathing and movements. You also need to take short breaks to relax your breathing and muscles. Choosing the right music is also important since it can get you to the right headspace and use that when you work out. It’s recommended that you listen to lighter forms of workout music.
Use these tips the next time you work out and you’ll get better results. It won’t be perfect at first but that’s how it is, it takes practice and more practice. Physical Therapists would say that you consider this an exploration of yourself. There’s no other way to find out which technique or tips work for you than to simply try them.
