How To Develop A Fitness Mindset and Improve Your Focus
Mindset is arguably the most important aspect of your fitness goals. You need to develop a mindset that will help you improve your mental focus, not only at the gym but in your everyday life. This isn't a miracle post that will magically transform your mind and make you want to exercise every day. It's practical. It's straightforward and will kick you into gear.
As a creative woman with ADHD I personally have a tendency to be jumbled in the brain.
If you’re like me, you constantly have fifty-eleven ideas bombarding your mind and you probably won’t slow down anytime soon. As a matter of fact, the pressure to produce consistently can further jumble your brain. it can become hard to regain your focus.
In return, it becomes easier to keep saying no to the gym.
This is a vicious cycle.
Taking control of your health is ultimately going to help your create continuously since exercising can help you tap into your creative energy. There are many other benefits:
Make you feel happier
Keep your brain functions sharp.
Improve your daily functions (yes to carrying all groceries in one trip)
Improving your sleep
Boost your confidence
No aspect of your life is disconnected from the other. It’s not about separating everything into their boxes but making them work together and live more fulfilled. Here is how you develop a fitness mindset and improve your overall focus.
DEFINE YOUR GOALS
First, define what your overall goals are - this will shape the way that you work out. You will find that your goals change over time but defining them will help you develop a fitness mindset. Some of these goals could be (certainly are not limited to this) :
Strength Building
Train for a marathon or competition
Simply incorporate fitness into your routine
Once you have defined these goals, seek out the best course of action to reaching them.
BECOME RESOLUTE
Deciding that you need to be more active is very different than actually becoming more active. Notice that fitness is such a mental game. That is why it is tied to the relief of depression, boosting your mood and helping with focus.
Not only is there an actual release of mood building chemicals, there is also the effect that progress incites motivation and confidence. This is also a mood-boosting effect.
Take these benefits to the heart.
You have to be resolute about your goal to take control of your mental and physical health. The way you take care of your body is a game changer when it comes to managing stress.
Keep in mind that this isn’t an all or nothing decision. Simply learn to incorporate fitness into your routine so that you can reap the benefits
OVERCOME THE REASONS NOT TO MOVE
I don’t have time
I don’t know where to start
I don’t want to pay for a gym membership
The gym is too far away
I’m going on vacation and I’ll start after
Keep it simple. You can dance wildly in your room for 20 minutes a day. You can park FAR when you go to stores so you can walk more.
Don’t feel like you have to make it an entire gym routine. Adding movement into your day regularly is the PERFECT start.
DON’T THINK OF IT AS A CHORE
Being active is a part of your life now. Don’t view it as an option, view is as a part of your daily self care.
Do you have to lift eight million pounds every day or run seven miles every morning?
No.
Your fit lifestyle needs to be flexible, and manageable to work. This is particularly true when you first start working out. You need to feel and see results without overdoing it so that you keep showing up.
Don’t get caught up thinking you HAVE to go to the gym every day. Incorporate something active in other aspects of your life. Meeting a girlfriend? Grab a coffee and take a walk in the park instead of sitting in the coffee shop.
Intentionally park farther away when you go to stores. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Get moving and stay committed.
GET A BUDDY
If you are struggling to go to the gym alone and truly have a hard time motivating yourself, it is time to find a friend to workout with. Collaborative efforts are proven to boosts motivation because your brain is wired to compete. If someone is there with you doing just one more squat rep than you, you will want to do another squat rep.
Try working out with someone who is on a slightly higher skill level, so they can push you without making you feel like you can’t do it.
It is a lot more fun to work out with a friend then to aimlessly be at the gym unsure of what to do next.
TAKE A GROUP FITNESS CLASS
If you do not have friends that are interested in getting fit, take a group fitness class. The collective motivation is proven to boost your overall desire to get better.
Taking a class will also help you to push your limits. Even so, when taking more advanced fitness classes, be careful not to push yourself to a place where injury could occur. Sometimes we try to get our bodies to do things they are not quite ready for and end up hurting ourselves. Make sure to listen to your body and rest or modify the exercises when you need to
In addition, group fitness will allow you to try different types of exercise.
There’s:
Krav Maga
Pole Dancing
TRX (Suspension Training)
Barre
Yoga
Buti Yoga
Hot Yoga
Aerial Yoga
Pilates
Zumba
Ballet22
Boot Camp
Strength Conditioning
And many more.
You will have the opportunity to learn to move your body in a new way, have fun and get in the process.
CHANGE THE WAY YOU EAT
Exercising will increase your appetite.
The caveat is if you eat poorly on a regular basis, your body isn’t getting the nutrition it needs. This means that exercise could just zap all your energy and your nutrition isn’t helping your body recover.
Stay away from crash diets because they will make it harder for you to move regularly.
Always have a snack on hand for food emergencies so you aren’t desperate for food when you finally get some.
But also, be kind in those moments and understand that it happens.
Eat intuitively. Eat more green leafy vegetables. Eat your donut when you want it.
Just make better choices.
To elaborate, eat mindfully. This simply means that you are listening to your hunger cues – eating when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full.
Yes, that is easier said than done because the temptation of the American diet is overwhelming. Someone always has snacks - heck even the “healthy” items are loaded with sugar
Just eat your snacks. Sugar won’t kill you.
Once you start getting your body acclimated to more vegetables and having them in your meals more often, you will want them more.
If you really need a plan, the Whole 30 Diet is the most effective diet (definitely an opinion) out there for cleansing your body and learning to eat better. It requires you to eat real food and you will still get the nutrients your body needs. Try it out if you are looking for a kick start to changing your eating habit. It is intense so definitely prepare for it and have food on hand! This is one that will require you to adhere to strict rules and no sweets/wine.
I no longer believe that doing the Whole30 diet is optimal for anyone struggling with binge eating, and a history of dieting and eating with restriction.
Remember taking control of your health is the number one reason to develop a fitness mindset.
It is so important to relieving depression that it should no longer be an option for you. Taking responsibility for your body and health is going to change the way you feel and how you feel about yourself
Comment below with how you plan to start getting active!
