Got the mind for it?

What is mindfulness? 

Mindfulness is the ability to be focused and attentive to what is going on in your body in the present moment. Distancing yourself from distracting or stressful thoughts can bring a new level of inner calmness to your exercise routine.

Stopping your mind from racing with thoughts about the past or the future helps to honour the present moment, and strengthens the connection with your body and mind. Reducing tension in the mind is also said to help release tension in the body.

Mindfulness, and focusing on the now, is a skill you can develop – one you can extend to other areas of your life, such as in sport or relationships. By improving your mental fitness, your mind will find it easier to cope with the challenges of everyday life.

What activities use mindfulness?

An activity as simple as getting in touch with your breathing while walking on a treadmill is an example of mindfulness. Synchronize your breathing with your stride to establish a rhythm, and concentrate your thoughts on nothing else but your breath and movement.

If a stressful thought enters your mind, focus your thoughts back onto your breathing, and your workout. Other activities that use mindfulness techniques include Yoga and the martial arts.

• Yoga - Yoga is good starting point to incorporate mindfulness into your health and fitness routine. Yoga exercises the body and mind simultaneously, incorporating a range of postures, techniques and movements that are both physically and mentally demanding. The inner focus on your breath, posture, and technique takes your mind off other worries. With practice, you can train your mind to be truly focused and exist in the present moment, helping to clear your mind completely of other thoughts.
• Inner martial arts - The soft or "inner" martial arts such as Tai Chi and Aikido call upon mindfulness techniques for focus and self-control. The movements are slow, fluid, calm and controlled, concentrating on deep breathing, balance, form, and mental imagery.

Strong mind, strong body

A scientific study found that a simple mindfulness technique could actually help to boost your muscular strength, benefiting exercisers and potentially improving recovery from injury. Participants had the electrical activity measured in their working muscles while thinking in three different ways. Attempting to produce as much force as possible, participants were asked to think about their muscles and how they were moving, think about the dumbbell they were lifting, or think about anything they liked.

The study showed that subjects who thought about their muscles and how they moved displayed significantly more muscle activity when compared to those who just thought about the dumbbell, or who thought randomly. By learning to get in touch with your body and mind, the more efficient your workout becomes.

References available on request