How to Workout Mindfully
Mindfulness in Movement
We’re all guilty of not listening to our bodies when we’re working out. We exercise
whilst watching the TV or over stretch ourselves into the ‘perfect’ pose or maybe hold ourselves
back because we think: I’m not fit enough. The issue with this is that we override our body’s
signals and miss out on a load of helpful information. If we listen we can find out when to take
rest, how to avoid injury or when to dig a little deeper; helping us build a fulfilling, long-lasting
relationship with exercise that gets results.
This ‘listening’ can be described as mindful movement, helping us cut out the noise and tune
into our body, and is why we are passionate about teaching intuitive exercise at the Brave Move Fitness Studio.
Though with mindfulness traditionally being taught on a meditation cushion or yoga mat, it can
be hard to understand how this art of being present can be found in other forms of exercise. So
let me unpack what mindful movement is and give you some tips on using it to enhance your
workouts:
What is Mindful Movement?
Put simply, mindful movement is about being fully aware of the experience of moving your body.
Mindfulness can be described as openhearted awareness of the present moment. Professor
Mark Williams, the director of mindfulness at the School of Psychology at Oxford University says
“most of us find that we sleep-walk through life, and become immune to life's riches” therefore
mindfulness can be a way to “wake us up”. When exercising, some of these riches lie in listening to the
intelligence of your body to inform how, when and why you need to get yourself moving.
An important part that’s often forgotten about being mindful is doing it without judgment. It is this
process of quieting down our inner critic that I believe has such importance for our modern
approach to exercise. The fitness world can be a breeding ground for comparing ourselves to
others, poor body image and punishing workout regimes and it causes many to have damaging
connotations with exercise. Research by This Girl Can found that ‘the fear of being judged’ was
the number one reason women didn’t exercise, whilst the chair from Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Foundation said: "We know about 10% of men in the gym may have muscle dysmorphia."
But we all need to move, and a healthy relationship with doing so is crucial. Therefore, being
present, listening to your body and learning to put down any criticism is vital in looking after
yourself, inside and out.
How can I exercise mindfully?
At Brave Move we teach weekly classes of Mindful HIIT or Mindful HIIT (low impact) that will take you
through how to be present during a fast-moving, sweaty, cardio workout; helping you prevent
injury, increase enjoyment and challenge your body respectfully. Win! But you don’t need to join
us to start practicing your own mindful movement, so here is a guide to get you started:
1. Take a few minutes before you start exercising to sit quietly and focus on your breath or
do a quick body scan. Ask yourself: what do I need from my workout? Whether it is to
look after an old injury or sweat out a stressful day, use what comes up to set an
intention for your workout.
2. When you start exercising, keep this observation going. Bring your attention to the
sensations in the body, the environment around you, or noticing any thoughts that come
up. Then just like a cloud passing by, acknowledge it and then let it move on.
3. After you exercise, take a few moments to rest and reflect. What differences can you feel
in the body then from the start? How do you feel emotionally? What lessons came up? If
you like, you may want to note these thoughts down in a journal to help you keep track
of your experiences.
It might feel strange at first and you’ll have days when you feel more intuitive than others - that’s
just life! But the more you practice the more natural listening to your body becomes; helping you
create a long-lasting love of movement that celebrates all that you have! Enjoy and keep
moving, for you.
Alice x