6 Ways to Practise Mindful Training – Kate Kraschnefski

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on our lives, impacting our routines and creating enormous uncertainty. As hard as it can be to find motivation when stressed and tired, it’s when we’re experiencing such feelings that training can help us the most. Here are six ways to incorporate mindfulness into your training to reap the benefits: mind, body and soul.

1. Set an intention before you start

Take a moment to centre yourself and decide the purpose and intent behind your time investment. Repeat it like a mantra a few times before you get going. It can be something as simple as wanting “me time”.

2. Visualise parts of your body moving as you train

If you are working with weights, see the muscle in your mind’s eye, emphasise your movement and really sink into the feeling of your body working its magic.

3. Try super-slow reps

For example, if you are doing a squat, count to three as you lower your hips and then count to three as you stand. This type of training increases the time of your muscles under tension so can help you get better results from resistance exercises, and the counting motion helps bring mindfulness to your lifts.

4. Do a guided meditation at the end of your session

After you stretch, pop on your headphones and look up a guided meditation online, if you don’t have access to any already. Apps like Calm or Headspace are a great start and there are plenty freely available on YouTube. Lie down, drift away and let the benefits of your session integrate within your mind and body

5 . Tell your body “thank you”

As you train, take moments to thank your body for its ability to move, for being healthy and for keeping you alive. Acknowledge your ability and power. For example, if you are running, thank your legs for moving you, thank your lungs for filling your body with oxygen. At the end of your session, after you cool down, thank your body for successfully completing your workout. These moments of connection with the body bring presence and fill us with gratitude – two things essential to positive feelings and emotions.

6. Get outside

Even just the notion of a lockdown can cause anxiety. During most lockdowns, exercising outside is an acceptable way to escape the confines of home. So make the most of it. Soak in every second, seek nature, breathe fresh air and honor your body through movement. Keep your mask on hand, just in case.

Kate Kraschnefski is the head of training at the Australian Institute of Fitness

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The Australian Institute of Fitness

At the Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF), we are no stranger to the competitive and evolving nature of the fitness industry. That’s why we remain the #1 fitness educator since 1979. We continuously raise the bar by providing the best education and resources through dynamic and hybrid training methods that mould to your lifestyle. We are strong believers in evidence over fads, so you can be assured your training with AIF will solidify your career for the long-term.