If you hate exercising, chances are, you really hate it in winter. You know it'll make your day better, improve your mood and sleep and everything else those affect (pretty much everything), but doing it sucks until it's over and you can get on with your life. Right?
Well, here's a tip that might help make it better: Research from the YMCA found that people who practice mindfulness during exercise (focusing their full attention on the present moment--the feeling of their body moving, their breath, awareness of their surroundings), are actually more likely to want to exercise again afterward. A mindful workout = greater self-satisfaction and a greater chance you'll want to do it again.
During these dreary months, as you begrudgingly pull on your yoga slacks, make sure you check your mindset and put these mindfulness tricks to work.
Listen to your body–and then commit to responding
Exercise shouldn’t be an out-of-body experience where you’re pushing yourself like a speed demon on the treadmill, ignoring any pains or aches–nothing you do should be like that, but doing it during a workout will just make everything suck more. Work with yourself, not against yourself. You’ll build up self-trust and confidence, which is key to not dreading exercise.
So before you start your workout, check in with your bones, muscles, organs, tissues and your energy level and feel what they tell you. Listen to your body, and respond to what it needs, all through your workout. At the end of the day, exercising is all about doing something good for your body–not conquering some super specific goal in your brain.
Want more zen in your life this February? See our 6 quick fixes for dealing with stress. Because you don’t need to sit on a pillow for 30 minutes a day to feel the benefits of mindfulness.
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