Fitness and the Mind-body connection: How your thoughts determine your results..

 

                                      Doctors and fitness professionals often discuss the mind and body as separate entities. However, there is growing evidence that our ability to connect our thoughts to our bodies can have a significant impact on our mental and physical health.

 For example, when you focus your thoughts on a happy memory or a calming mantra, you may find that physical sensations of stress, such as an increased heart rate, naturally dissolve. Similarly, you can use the mind-body connection to enhance your workouts and improve your fitness. In this way, your mental fitness corresponds to your physical results.

The mind-body connection refers to using your thoughts to influence physical outcomes. how does that work? When you imagine an event, your body reacts mentally and physically as if it were a real event. please think about it:

Have you ever been nervous during a presentation or interview? You've probably imagined all the things that could go wrong. As a result, your mind is even more drained, your hands are sweaty, and you feel nauseous. This is the result of the mind-body connection. Even if you imagine bad consequences, your body is physically reacting.

This connection works in both directions. What you do to your body can also affect your mind. For example, eating a lot of processed foods tends to make you lethargic. This feeling of insecurity isn't just physical, it also affects your mood, thoughts, and emotions. On the other hand, eating fresh food will give you more energy, a sharper mind, and a more positive mindset.

Improve your form

Focusing while working your muscles can improve your form. For example, if you're doing bicep curls while watching TV, you may be pushing your elbows too far away from your body or swinging your weight around without realizing it. You can check your form and execute the full range of movements correctly.

 

Increase strength

Mental fitness literally improves your strength. In a 2017 study, a participant completed a low-intensity strength training program over his six weeks. One group of participants had to put in a lot of mental effort during training and the other group had to put in a little more mental effort. The study found that people in the high mental effort group experienced more muscle strength gains than the other groups, even though they completed the same workout.

 Increase muscle mass

One study found evidence to support the idea that focusing on the muscles you're working during a contraction increases muscle size. Activation and mobilization are improved, leading to more benefits.

 Enhance your reaction

Not to mention, focusing on the muscles you are training will also make you more attuned to your overall biological feedback. That means you can respond appropriately. In other words, depending on what your body is telling you, you can respond by increasing the weight and reps. In comparison, if you let your mind wander during exercise, you are more likely to miss these cues.

 Puts you in the moment

An exercise is also a form of mindfulness meditation. In other words, focus on the present moment. It's easy to listen to a podcast and switch off during your workout, but you lose sight of why you're working out in the first place. In contrast, tapping into the mind-body connection essentially means focusing on your movement, which makes a huge difference in both your results and your mental fitness.

 Improve performance and results

Thinking while doing things leads to better performance and ultimately better results. That can mean the difference between calling a workout just to check off a list and actually working hard. Yes, although you can train for mental health benefits. , connecting to the muscles will give you strength results that will keep you coming back for more.

Remember that the easiest way is the one with the least resistance. Harnessing the natural wiring of your mind and body is a great way to take your training to the next level. Everything starts with positive thinking.