How to shift your mindset for positive workout experiences

By Sophia McDermott, Lifestyle Coach & Fitness Expert.

Being an athlete in sports or being a serious fitness enthusiast is a wonderful and challenging journey. Often competing is part of the journey and a wonderful way to test yourself. Gearing up for a competition or a race takes a lot of discipline and preparation. Showing up to the gym or academy, or hitting the road, if running is your thing day in day out can bring up a whole lot of things due to the amount of training and the intensity of the training.

So with the acknowledgement of the intensity, the realness of training for a marathon,  or a competition can we expect to show up and be that furious warrior or the winner at every single session? As women, by default of biology we can be different from one week to the next. Our cycles bring very different moods and energy levels so the only way to get through this challenging journey of leading up to the contest and feel positive and accomplished is to tune in and listen to our bodies and make adjustments accordingly.

I think we all know there’s nothing worse than ending a rough training session and feeling so disheartened that we just want to cry. Thoughts entering our head of, “Why am I even doing this sport? Or “I am so crap I should just quit,” and the list goes on… It all started with walking into the gym or getting on the track at the start of that session with expectations to winor perform well but ironically it's these times that determine what we are really made of. Are we going to let crappy sessions beat us down and stop us from participating in this sport that we love or are we going to dust ourselves off and pick ourselves up and get back in the gym for another day? 

 It's important to tune in to yourself and ‘read’ what's going on inside you. In order to maintain that overall feeling of positivity in your athletic journey, It’s crucial to make the necessary adjustments pertaining to your mindset.  When you are having a low day, shifting your perspective is key to avoid feeling completely disheartened after a rough session. 

Firstly, give yourself a pat on the back for showing up. That right there needs to be acknowledged. 

Secondly, here are some ways to shift your perspective on these low days:

• Just have a fun workout and break a sweat.
• Try new things, be open and experimental with the mindset that if you don’t pull it off, it's no big deal.
• If you just don’t have the energy, use the session to stretch and loosen up tight muscles.
• Adopt a playful mindset.
• Practice the movements or drills without the intensity or resistance or speed if possible.
• Use the session as a social place to connect with like minded friends and training partners.
• Adopt a mindset of gratitude, that you have the ability, mobility and health to be able to train and workout in the first place.   

  There are loads of different ways we can shift our mindset so that each and every session we can feel accomplished regardless of how we are feeling that day. Being adaptable makes things much easier to deal with. Sometimes we don't realize that we are having a bad day until we start training or working out, so that's when adaptability is especially important because we may even have to change our mindset during the class. 

  Another important factor is speaking up and verbalizing how you are feeling. This is very important if your training involves others, such as a team sport. Sharing with your opponent that you’d just like to go slow or do some drills instead will allow your partner or team to work with you at the pace that feels right for you. 

        One of the amazing abilities of being a woman is our adaptability, so let's have our mindset or perspective match our feelings, mood and energy levels. We need to be mindful of our cycles as well as the stress of daily life. Some days we can  have a very stressful day with work, or with family.  Sometimes we are ‘going through stuff.’ In my experience, blocking it out and just trying to push through it is not the answer. You are better off tuning in and adjusting your mindset if necessary if you are feeling stressed or having a low day. Always adopt an attitude of gratitude regardless in order to have a positive experience in the gym or on the track with every single session, so that overall your athletic journey is one that brings joy and a feeling of accomplishment.