When we do Pilates or yoga or tai
chi, we find mindfulness built into the process as we breathe and pay careful
attention to the placement of our bodies.
Sometimes we feel like we have way too many body parts with minds of
their own in the process! Remembering
to breathe helps us along.
Cardio has its own kind of
mindfulness. Most cardio exercises
take on a rhythm that can help to focus our thoughts. (Focusing on the mantra “Is it over yet?” might not have the
appropriate effect, but we can try it out to see.) The repetitive nature of most cardio can help still the
crazy whirl of our thoughts.
In strength training, a focus on
the breath can improve performance as it increases mindfulness. When we do the “hardest” part of the
exercise (getting up from the squat, pressing the barbell away from the chest
on a bench press, etc.), we can exhale to help the movement along. Inhaling during the other portion of
the exercise allows us to reset and gather our forces for the next repetition.
No matter what, we have to keep
breathing.
No comments:
Post a Comment