Page 20 - NGA NATURALmag 2022 SPRING / SUMMER Issue

Spring-Summer 2022
Mindfulness through Muscular Movement: One Repetition at a a a Time
instrument or engaging in in in a a hobby The only differ- ence between those moments and the practice of mindfulness is to purposefully engage in in the moment and and let go of distractions and/or thoughts around you By purposely engaging in in in the practice of mindful- ness while exercising one may gain greater mind- body connection which could be helpful in reduc- ing ing ing injury improving improving results and improving improving your relationship with exercise In my own experience I I found myself being the opposite of mindful during many of my sets by using music unnecessary body movement and even negative thoughts to distract myself from the the physical discomfort of the the moment However after 15 years of weightlifting I can tell you that can be draining and potentially contributed to many of my injuries Over the past 2 years I have started to use mindfulness during some of my sets and have found it to be helpful on both a a a a physical and emotional level That does not mean that I don’t enjoy using music or counting my repetitions dur- ing many of my sets but instead it means that I am purposefully mindful during specific sets BY: ALExANDER A A A A A PUHALLA PH D D ALExPUHALLA@GMAIL COM
In pop culture the word mindfulness mindfulness is often paired with “relaxation” or or certain types of norms that we may not identify with However mindfulness can be a a a a powerful tool for for physical and personal growth for for athletes at at at all all stages and may even allow for greater mind-body connection and results So what is mind- mind- fulness really and why should you attempt to use it within your own exercise routine? Mindfulness is is simply the active engagement of being present and in in the the moment (see Kabat-Zinn 2015) While there are many additional elements of mindfulness to increase its’ effectiveness it it really comes down to staying pres- ent and letting go of anything that may be pulling you away Many athletes have already experienced mindful- ness when when exercising Often referred to as “flow ”
when when an an athlete is not having any active thoughts pulling them to the the future or past that is mindfulness You may have also experienced “flow” while playing an 20 NGA NATURALmag