Make Your Training a Quiet Moment

Our society has become a constant feed of information, noise, and entertainment. Every chance we get, we whip out our smartphone or tablet to distract us from the present. The new technology is creating a soundtrack of noise that defines our time.

This soundtrack naturally influences the way we train as well. Most of us enjoy listening to music or an audiobook/podcast while we train. This serves as a positive distraction that makes us forget how tired we are. In fact a lot of studies show that this distraction affects our performance in a good way, especially when it comes to endurance sports, but there are other ways to distract yourself from the exhaustion of working out and training.

Go quiet and focus inward

To me, practice, either with my team or by myself, has always been a sacred moment. As soon as training starts, all else disappears. No matter how bad my day has been, all that matters is the here and now.

Instead of letting yourself be distracted, turn your focus inwards. With no distractions, you will be forced to pay attention to what’s happening at the moment. Even if you start to question yourself and your willpower, there are other ways to distract yourself.

What to focus on when you get tired

So if there is nothing distracting you from the pain, what should you focus on to keep going (I’ll use running as an example since it’s something most people can relate to, but this can be applied to most workouts)?

Technique

Whenever you get tired, your technique is often the first thing that will start to falter. Reminding yourself to apply the correct technique will have a positive effect on your performance. It will also help you to avoid injuries. For example, when running remind yourself to lift your knees or to keep a good posture. However, focus on one thing at a time, not all at once.

Breathing

Those of you that do yoga or mental training know how pivotal breathing is. Breathing consciously is a method for being present, you let go of the past and the future and focus on the moment.

Breathing correctly will also allow you to slow your breathing rate and get more oxygen to your muscles, which will improve your performance.

With all this said, your mind wanders during a workout. When this happens, just remind yourself to focus on the here and now.

Train your mind as well as your body

By practicing both your body and your mind you will come from your workout with both a fitter body and a clear head, feeling really energized. Over time you will also get more self-confidence and become more focused, particularly in terms of your training, but also in other parts of life.

Remember - you can involve your mind in almost anything just by turning off the noise.

You will learn a lot about yourself and once you prove yourself wrong, there is no stopping you.

Main Photo Credit: Eviled/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: Samo Trebizan/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: antoniodiaz/shutterstock.com