When you think of a fitness program, what do you think of? More often than not, people think of only the physical aspects of fitness and dismiss the importance of the mental aspects. Or, other times, you’ll know the importance of it, but just choose not to factor it in as much. We will often work on our physical selves and focus all of our energy on just that, the physical.
Working only on the physical part will only get us so far. Sooner or later you will hit a hurdle in your workouts, which exercise alone will not get you past. For some it could be food, for others it could be that they have hit a plateau in their workouts. This is the time where being mentally conditioned will push us through these tough times. For instance, have there been times where you have not been able to resist that cookie or piece of cake, or other times where you completely skipped out on a workout in order to do something else? Often there is a “little” voice in our heads telling us something is not right with what we are about to do.
Missing that one day can often snowball into many more days off which, in turn, leads to a complete break in your routine. Many, if not all of us, have done something like this, and it’s during these times that the mental has to kick in and “talk” ourselves out of something. It’s the “should I or shouldn’t I” thought. When those conflicting thoughts arise, you have to remember and stay focused on your motivations, and the hard work that you have already put in. It is important for you to stay conscious of your motivations and, in turn, stay focused on your fitness goals. If you lose sight of your motivations, you will often stray away from those goals you have set out for yourself.
The mental is very similar to the physical in how it works, and how you build it. You have to work on it to strengthen it. The more you are able to keep your motivations and goals in mind when making those decisions that affect your goals, the stronger your mental conditioning will get. Even the “littlest” decision towards fitness will strengthen both the physical and mental. Think of these as affecting each other cyclically. As you strengthen one, the other will also be strengthened. However, if you neglect one, the other will be affected just the same. So remember, if you are just starting a fitness program (regardless of how little or big you may think it is), or if you are currently exercising regularly, step back and look at your whole routine. If success is important to you, then paying attention to both the mental and physical is crucial. Are you fully committed to your program both physically and mentally?
