5 Tips for Mindful Fitness: Strengthen Your Body and Mind

Understanding the Muscle-Mind Connection

Let me first start by saying that I am not a doctor or personal trainer but I am an avid gym goer and I love listening to podcast on the newest research on Health and Fitness as it pertains to woman. So I gathered the information I feel like has been the most useful in making my body feel stronger.

The first one of these tips starts with the harnessing the muscle-mind connection for more intentional workouts. For instance, when performing exercises such as squats or bicep curls, directing attention to the target muscles helps ensure proper form and technique, reducing the risk of injury while optimizing results. I personally like to go really slow and focus on the feeling of my muscles working. The goal is to be less sloppy and therefore get better results.

For myself, taking my headphones out while I do my weights has made a big difference. I still listen when I do cardio but taking them out helps me focus less on the rhythm of the music and more on the rhythm of my body movements.

The Importance of Slowing Down During Workouts and Stretching

I am still very young, only 28, but I have already noticed that my body appreciates slower workouts. It is when I am bending my back too quickly and not watching my form that I end up waking up in discomfort the next morning. Slowing down especially if you are just getting back into working out after a break has been so crucial for me. After my 2 weeks during Christmas when I am flying from family to family and not by my gym, I often feel creakiness in my joints and muscles from not using them in the way they are used to.

In addition, stretching has become a huge part of my routine especially mobility stretches. If you are someone who enjoys yoga or has not tried it I encourage people to see if they like it. Not only does it cover the bases of stretching your body, but it is also great for your core and balance.

Being Your Own Cheerleader

I know this might sound cringy to some people but this is HUGE. I would argue the biggest player in the game. Cortisol is raised when we are stressed and higher cortisol levels has been linked to belly fat that is hard to shake. So if you are stressed and saying in your head, "Oh my gosh, all of these people are looking at me and I don't like the way I look." or "That girl(or man) is so much better looking and in shape. I wonder what they think of me....blah, blah, blah" then I would take a wild guess and say you aren't lowering your cortisol with those levels and therefore maybe making you hold on to more stubborn fat.

Like I said before, I am no doctor, but I have seen amazing results in my body and also how I perceive myself by telling myself I am the sexiest woman I have ever seen. I am not saying I am better than anyone, but I am sure in love and happy to be in the healthy body that I have. I personally think about my sisters who I have seen struggle with their confidence and I just think about how I would speak to them. I would say that they look beautiful and stunning and are absolutely perfect. And that is how I deserve to talk to myself too.

Dress like your most in shape self.

Since one of my best friends is a therapist, I am constantly reading my fair share of personal development books, and I always find it interesting how you can create new identity's which can lead you to building and maintain new habits.

For instance, if you see all these cute women at the gym in their sexy two pieces or matching sweatsuits with slicked back hair or maybe braids (or whatever is your taste), then don't wait until you are at your goals to start dressing the way you envision your best, most in shape self. You are her now! Even if it feels a little odd at first just do it because you are becoming the woman that is sexy on and off the court! I found that when I feel good when I work out, I am more in tuned with my workouts and I take on the identity of the me that doesn't quit and moves fluidly and with confidence.

Have a Diet that reflects your healthy lifestyle

1. Eat healthy most of the time but don't shame yourself for when you do decide to treat yourself. Eating healthy is big for me because I tend to get frustrated if I am putting in all of this work at the gym but my shitty diet is slowing my progression.

2. Eat enough protein. This is something I struggled with at first because I eat mostly veggies and wasn't monitoring my protein intake so now I am more intentional. I love my cookies and cream Orgain plant protein shake for dessert. It helps me feel full and curve my cravings.

3. Create a lifestyle not a diet. For me this balance has been detrimental. My parents are a little too extreme on the health nut side for my taste. They eat desert probably twice a year and they don't eat many carbs which works for them, so I am not knocking it. For me though, I try to NOT to keep sweets at home, but I love to go out on the weekend and go get coffee and a yummy pastry with my sister or get a desert at my favorite restaurants on my weekly date nights with my boyfriend. I am not saying my way is the best, but it works for me and I can be more consistent with it.