Fifty minutes into my workout, I’m wiped and my body is fatigued but I have three sets of push-ups to get through. If I think to myself that I’m going to struggle, it’s going to be so hard, and I’m so tired right now, then I won’t be able to do it to the best of my ability. When I approach the same set of push-ups with a fierce and motivated approach to achieve it, I can ‘kill it’ and do every single rep. Yes, when I’m weight training, I talk to myself out loud. There’s no shame in my game, I literally say “Come on J, yes you can, yes you can. Do it.”
Many of us start a fitness routine or want to take up exercise as a means to an end, and focus on losing pounds and inches off of our bodies. For most people, shortly thereafter, the fitness goals are a long-lost thought because of the mindset around it – fear and dread. What if instead of pounds and inches, we thought about the benefits of great health and wellness for our life. If we shift the mindset that we have around exercise and have a positive approach like changing our thoughts and language that we speak to ourselves about it, it’s more likely that we can view our exercise habits as enjoyable and are more willing to embrace it with an open mind.
I used to have negative thoughts toward fitness, thinking that “it’s hard”, “I can’t do this”, “I’m not fit enough”, “it burns”, and “I can’t keep up”. I didn’t realize that these negative thought patterns were making it more difficult for me to reach my fitness goals.
Affirmations became a part of my movement routine when I heard one of my instructors say “YES, YOU CAN” when we were down to the last few reps, the hardest to get through, and guess what? I believed it, and I did it. Using affirmations during exercise and movement is a game changer! I feel positive, grateful, happy, strong, beautiful, radiant, motivating, and unstoppable. I’m grateful for the opportunity to exercise, blessed to have a body that can move in so many ways, motivating to the class full of women around me that are inspired and try to challenge themselves more, and rewarded for how I feel and look afterward.
It’s scientifically proven that if we feel rewarded for what we’re doing, we’re more likely to maintain it and stick with the behaviour.1 If you want to up your fitness game, get more results, and make it easier to reach your goals, try adding self-loving affirmations to your workout. Make it personal and feel powerful to you. Prior to starting your daily movement, think about your affirmation and say it in your head. Then during your workout, listen to your thoughts. If you hear negative thoughts brewing, make sure to breathe, and repeat your affirmation.
Here are some affirmations that you can try, or create your own:
Yes, I can!
I am fit. I love how I can move.
I am getting better, fitter, and stronger every day.
I am doing the best that I am capable of doing.
I love myself so I work to improve my health and my life.
I am powerful.
I am strong, fit, and beautiful.
I can do anything if I put my mind to it.
I am proud of how I can move my body.
Happy work-out!
References:
Iowa State University. “More than Just a Cue, Intrinsic Reward Helps Make Exercise a Habit.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 13 Sept. 2016, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160913101129.htm.