Building the Right Fitness Mindset: It’s All About the Fundamentals, Part 4
Ever heard of the sayings:
“your body won’t go where the mind doesn’t push it”.
Or “your strongest muscle (and worst enemy) is your mind”.
My personal favourite is “your fitness is 100% mental”.
What do they mean?
Well, put simply, the mind is a powerful asset. Like any other muscle group you intend on working, it requires time, care and attention.
Building the right mindset is the final piece of a four-part series that addressed the fundamentals needed for any fitness journey. Hence, this post explains what a fitness mindset entails, why it is important and how to build and maintain it.
If you have not already, check out Part 1-3 of the series.
Fitness mindset defined
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, fitness refers to the “condition of being physically strong and healthy”, and mindset refers to “a person’s way of thinking and their opinions”.
Based on those definitions, I believe the term fitness mindset relates to an individual’s view(s) [and associated behaviour(s)] towards the state of their health.
Which brings me back to the first saying I introduced earlier, “your body won’t go where the mind doesn’t push it”.
Therefore, your feelings, beliefs, thoughts and decisions ultimately determine your fitness mindset.
Also, let’s completely debunk speculation that this is a fixed concept (or state). It is not! Once we can breathe, think and act, we can always adjust.
The importance of a fitness mindset
Storytime: Learning Lesson
Picture this, I’ve trained for 10 months for my first international half marathon. Lost sleep, tempered my eating habits, invested in an outstanding outfit and paid for my registration, flight and hotel. I arrived at the event, the race has started; and I was about to achieve my first PR. Guess what happened?!
I was stupid enough to doubt myself. Rookie mistake! So, after all that time, energy and money, I allowed myself to believe I couldn’t, even after I did all the work to accomplish it. I did get a PR, but it wasn’t because of those last 3 miles of self-doubt; it was because of the 10 months of training and sacrifice + the 10.1 miles of drive and determination.
Crazy, right?
“your strongest muscle (and worst enemy) is your mind”. Makes sense now, doesn’t it? What drove me those 10 months and 10.1 miles was the same thing that broke me.
Hence, I cannot stress the importance of having a fitness mindset that works in the most challenging times.
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A recipe for a fitness mindset
A ship with no destination is subjected to the whims of the tides,
DDTT Editor.
To create and sustain a solid mindset, we need to have an end in mind.
Finding out why you are doing this, what you would like to accomplish, and how is important.
Ingredient A: Vision building
#1 Soul-searching
Start by drafting your vision and plans for your fitness journey. This is your fitness journey, not anyone else’s, so ask yourself these questions:
- What do you want to achieve?
- What do you need to enable you to achieve your goals?
- How are you going to do it?
These answers need to be realistic. Don’t try to lie or fool yourself. With any fitness journey, the ultimate benefactor is yourself, no one else!
#2 Setting boundaries
Taking stock of what may be the fixed or semi-fixed variables in your life is also important. This is the interrogation phase to pinpoint the core elements needed to build your fitness vision. I reiterate, be as honest, practical and comprehensive as you can be. A large part of your fitness journey is dependent on setting this ground-work.
Firstly, we all have different schedules, responsibilities and financial constraints. And secondly, we all have a degree of physical and mental limitations. DON’T forget to take note of them.
Do you have any known underlying issues, for example, are you asthmatic, or do you have an injury (or injuries)? Are you a quitter?
For some of us, these may be permanent, semi-permanent or temporary (meaning that we are working on resolving and/or curing these limitations). Making a note of your constraints will allow you to set realistic targets.
This brings me to another point…
TIP #1
Set realistic expectations. Failure to account for these potential limitations could inhibit some (or all) of the goals you may have set.
#3 Taking a step back to prioritize and finalize
Now that you have a rough sketch of your fitness vision, your limits and some of your goals, firm things up by aligning your lifestyle to the goals you wish to accomplish.
#4 Devising an action plan for your fitness goals
You just spent minutes, hours or days planning your vision and goals for yourself, do the same for your action plan.
A good action plan provides specific details of how you aim to achieve your goals.
There is no perfect method.
And this step is an iterative process. As we saw with COVID-19, schedules can change drastically. Regardless of the situation, …
TRICK #1
remember that unforeseen circumstances should not completely deter you from your ultimate goal.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that there will be an adjustment period, but try to re-group and move forward as best as possible. Targets can be adjusted if needs be. ADAPT!
Don’t overthink it. It could be as simple as bullet points or complex. Just start! IMPROVISE!
TIP #2
Your action plan should be visible, even if it is a summary or detailed strategy. This way, it can act as a constant reminder. It can also allow you to see if your plan is feasible and how well you are doing over time.
TIP #3
Stick to your action plan as much as possible. According to experts, the average person can see fitness gains (or losses) within 12-16 weeks. Adhering to your plan for at least this period will allow you to see if it is working or not. Often I have seen people change their plan every week. How would you know what is working for you? Newbies, this is highly recommended. When I started, I was like a jack-rabbit. I only saw progress when I was consistent.
#5 Persistency and consistency.
Make up your mind to start and commit to showing up, despite the challenges you may face. OVERCOME!
Ingredient B: Food for thoughts
Let’s say you have already decided to start your fitness journey and have a clear idea of your fitness vision and goals. It’s time to finesse your fitness mindset.
Controlling the controllables
Forget the weather and COVID-19; what can you control now?
Controlling what you see, hear, feel and do can immediately influence how you think.
TIP #4
Ensure that more than 50% of the content you read, watch and hear is positive.
Changing what you digest daily can help shape your mindset. Who are you following (listening to or reading about) on social media? Are their profiles inspiring you? Is the content uplifting? What is the screensaver on your phone, laptop or computer? What is on the walls of your room or on the top of your desk? Do these things align with your vision?
TIP #5
Control how you feel.
As difficult as this may seem, it can be done. You spend the most time with yourself. Start by limiting destructive self-criticism. Not every day will be a holiday. Some days will be better than others. It is about showing up, effort and what you learn along the way.
TIP #6
Stop comparing yourself to others.
Go back to what I said; everybody spends the majority of time with themselves. Let’s be honest. How would you know what an online influencer, celebrity or that girl/boy at the gym thinks, eats, drinks, or does on a day-to-day basis? You can’t, even if they are sharing 100% of themselves! No 2 persons are the same; they may be similar, but not the same. Hence mimicking doesn’t guarantee the same results.
Ingredient C: Accountability
This is the final building block that is needed to reinforce all of the principles you just learned.
Being accountable for your actions is a vital step in ensuring that you are building the right mindset.
You can either get an accountability partner or make sure you hold yourself accountable for your actions and progress. For some, having an external influence is helpful. If this route is sought, ensure that the person has your best interest at heart.
Final tips and tricks
It’s a marathon, not a sprint and everyone’s journey is unique.
Hence, there are many variations of what a good fitness mindset should be. Find one (or several) guiding principles that can work for you.
TRICK #2
find adaptable principles that can enable you to manage expectations, minimize disappointments, embrace challenges and maximize gains.
Based on all of these do’s, don’ts, tips and tricks, here are a few examples of sustainable, adaptable fitness principles.
6 examples of sustainable fitness mindsets
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Takeaways
The journey is often frustrating, but it can be rewarding. And if done right, it is even addictive! It’s all about managing controllables and being accountable.
DO, set a fitness vision for yourself
DON’T compare yourself with others
TIP, feed yourself positivity.
TRICK, find adaptable fitness principles
I would end by driving home the point that, though this edition is focused on fitness, I believe this can translate into any areas of your life.
Personally, I try to use this approach in all facets of mine.
I’d also love to know, Who do you look up to? And what motivates you?
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2 Comments
Denise
I believe the mind is a huge factor in fitness and good health. Maybe for some more than others. Its a daily reset isn’t it. Late last year I went through a major mental and physical upheaval. Of course it directly affected my fitnes routine. Put it right to sleep practically. I’m trying to resurface but it is tough. I’m fighting change of life and its frankly exhausting. I’m not going to give up though. Its all about the mental toughness. I’m a tough gal.
dosdontstipsandtricks
Hi Denise
I totally get it. I think last year was a challenge for most people, certainly me. Like I mentioned, take it as a learning lesson. I am also glad that you mentioned you are tough. Persistence is key; keep working at it, and I believe you shall reach your goal!!!!!