MINDFUL MOVEMENT

A growling stomach, a dry mouth, drooping eyelids- our bodies are communicating with us all the time, but are we listening? It is important to keep yourself active, but what about those times you feel like you’re dragging yourself into the gym and through your workout? What then?

You should listen to your body.

I believe we get this idea in our heads that we have to be hustling constantly. Wake up, work, gym, eat, sleep, repeat. Our culture praises those who push themselves, even if it is past the limits of their own health. I have seen this attitude in the many gyms I’ve been in, and was surrounded by it when I did track in college. I was absolutely a part of this ‘no rest days’ phase once myself and let me tell you- I was exhausted. I felt guilty for missing a day of training, and felt like I always needed to be doing more. There is a fine line between pushing yourself to go workout on an off day and forcing yourself through a workout. This is where mindful movement comes in.

Mindful movement can mean different things to different people. For some, it might be a long walk… on the beach… with a pina colada. For others, it might mean meditation in the morning, weight training, and anything in between. Mindful movement doesn’t necessarily mean that something has to be easy, or boring-  a weight training session can be just as mindful and as a yoga class. All mindful movement means is that you check in with your body as you move it, and you adjust accordingly WITHOUT judgement.

Before I get into ways to practice mindful movement, I want to talk about two ways we ignore our bodies in the gym. So, let’s first talk about a common, self defeating culprit in the gym: overtraining.

Overtraining happens when your body is unable to properly recover from your workouts due to excessive training. This might mean you’re continuously not getting proper nutrition, or that you’re not taking enough time to recover between gym sessions. Symptoms of overtraining can range from excessive exhaustion during workouts, moodiness, lack of sleep, loss of appetite, and injury.

So, how do you avoid overtraining? Proper nutrition, for one. We’ve discussed this in depth in both what to eat before and after a workout, so I’ll be brief here. You need to consume a balanced diet of carbohydrates, fat, and protein to help your body recover to the best of its abilities. This is not to say you have to eat perfectly all the time, but this is to say that you need to be mindful of what you put into your body. Don’t be afraid of carbohydrates after a workout, and definitely don’t starve yourself when your body is asking for fuel!

Aside from your nutrition, proper rest is vital to your recovery. This might mean one rest a day a week or it might mean three. The amount of rest you need can vary from week to week, so this is a sliding scale. If you’re feeling extra stressed and tired from work, then giving yourself some more time to recover is a great way to practice your mindful movement. Although it might feel like it, missing a day or two at the gym will not set you back! If anything, by listening to your body and taking extra rest, you’ll probably find that your next workout feels better or that you are able to recover more fully. You also don’t have to rest every time you don’t want to hit up a HIIT class- there are more restorative options for movement, such as yoga or walking.

Mindful movement doesn’t just apply to recovery, however; it means knowing when to train as well. So, let’s talk about the flip side of overtraining: undertraining.

Undertraining is far less common than overtraining in gyms, and essentially means that fitness is not increasing or goals are not being met due to not training enough. This doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t making it to the gym- maybe you are making it to the gym, but nothing feels challenging anymore. The fix to this is (you guessed it): mindful movement. If you’re strength training and not feeling like your weights are doing anything for you, maybe you up them by a few pounds. If you’re working on building up your gym attendance or fitness levels, maybe you start by adding in a few walks a week, or attend an extra class. The key here is to build up slowly, especially if you’re a beginner at the gym. Your body is adjusting to movement, so be compassionate in your progression!

Whether you’re a bonafide gym rat or brand new to workout out, mindful movement should be your best friend. If you’re not sure where to start, no sweat (yet). This is a practice that can be done both in and out of the gym. Mindful movement starts with compassion towards yourself. One of my favorite ways to be mindful about my workouts is to check in with myself before and after I complete a sweat sesh. Usually, if I come out of my workout feeling the same or better than before, I know that I was able to listen to my body. If I’m feeling worse than before I started my workout, I try to notice this without judgement and give my body extra opportunity to recover, whether it’s with my diet or with a rest day.

Mindful movement is a practice that can look different for everyone. So, be patient in finding out what routines feel good for you! By noticing what your body is communicating, and being compassionate towards those signals, you’re investing in your own well being and giving yourself your best chance to excel in your workouts and promoting longevity in your movement routine.