Keeping the Positivity (In Workouts)
Finding and keeping the positivity in workouts can sometimes be a difficult undertaking when things don’t go as you feel they should. For me, there are days when I go into my workouts feeling amazing and like I’m going to do extremely well but for some reason something happens and the whole workout becomes a struggle. Now, don’t get me wrong because there are days when my workouts go so smoothly and I was able to execute everything as planned but on those days it’s a lot easier to stay positive. I’d like to discuss a few strategies I’m trying to use to help keep myself positive and make sure that I’m focused on the overall goal and not just a single bad day or workout.
Gratitude is something I use throughout a tough workout because it helps keep me focused on the good things. I will remind myself that I’m grateful to be able to workout and move my body. That I’m grateful that I was able to complete the workout. I’m always careful to acknowledge how I’m feeling, whether it be disappointed, angry, sad, defeated or whichever feeling has come over me but I immediately try to flip the script and remind myself that I can always be grateful for something. If I didn’t finish a set of backsquats because the pain in my knees took over, I’m usually disappointed and angry with myself and even my knees but I can be grateful for completing the set before or grateful for my body signaling something wasn’t right with that movement. Just try to take a step back from your immediate reaction, take a breath and find something to be grateful for, even if it seems trivial in the moment, the simple act of being grateful can change your mindset.
Affirmations are something I use more when I’m going into a workout with a more negative feeling or mindset. One of my favorites to use is ‘I am enough’ because this reminds me that no matter how I’m feeling at the moment, I am always enough. I believe that we tend to fall more into negativity because of comparison - comparing ourselves to others, to social media, to younger, fitter, more whatever versions of ourselves. We need to love ourselves where we are in life. I’m not going to be able to do the things the 20-year old version of myself could do and quite honestly, I don’t want to. I want to be able to live my life in the space I’m in now and completely love myself for it. ‘I am capable’ is another one I use frequently because it reminds me that I am completely capable of accomplishing whatever I need to do regardless of what my mind is telling me. ‘I can and I will’ is also a strong one for me to use when I’m feeling down on myself or beating myself up mentally. Find something that speaks to you, that helps you shut down the negativity flowing in your mind. Find one or a few different things that speak to you on a level that you can’t deny the positive energy that flow when you say them.
Breaking a workout down into it’s parts. Sometimes it helps to look at a workout and break it into pieces, whether that be movements or sections or however it makes sense to break it up in your head. This is a technique that my husband, Chris, uses to help him through tougher workouts. And if I’m feeling intimidated by a workout, I will look at it and tackle each section or movement that way I can celebrate completing that portion. Some portions will go better than others but give yourself props for completing each portion especially if a section went worse than you were expecting but you still got it done. These are the time when you can really appreciate your body and what it does for you because it gets you through many situations that your mind questions.
Stop overthinking and just let it be. It’s truly as simple as that, however telling yourself to stop overthinking is something completely different, at least it is for me. I overthink damn near everything and it’s difficult to pull myself back and just stop but when I’m able to do it and just let it be what it’s gonna be, things tend to flow so much better than I expected. Some things I’m really learning about is the power of the mind and the control it can have over your body, your subsequent thoughts, your environment, your health and almost every aspect of life.
These are just a few of the tricks I use to keep myself positive during workouts especially when things aren’t going the way I feel they should. They may or may not work for you but I just wanted to share because keeping positive is something I feel we need more of in the world. I’m not talking about toxic positivity because sometimes things will just suck and that’s okay but you’ve got to find ways to keep your chin up that way you’ll keep reaching for your goals and you just never know when a smile or friendly acknowledgement will make someone’s day.
If you feel so inclined please share some ways you keep yourself positive and pushing through your workouts.
