The Mindful Approach to Fitness: Optimize Your Mental Health
Your Self-talk Becomes a Self-fulfilling Prophecy
When you train—whether it’s the gym, outdoors, or at home—what is your why? What motivates you to continuously show up and work on yourself? Or if you’re wanting to begin your fitness journey, why do you want to start? Knowing what your internal drive is, provides insight on your self-talk. For instance, those of us who have a positive drive to be our healthiest self, mentally and physically, have corresponding encouraging pep talks to get keep us going. “I want to feel and look my best.” I want to be reliable and disciplined.” “So, let me show up for myself even though I don’t feel like it.” “Despite my lack of motivation in the moment, I know I’ll feel better and be proud when I show up for myself.” These thoughts are the outcome of what we believe about ourselves. If we see ourselves in a positive light, and have a positive drive, then our positive self-talk is the outcome.
The reason why self-talk is important is because it directly impacts our mental health. An example of what it may sound like for someone to never start their fitness journey, despite how much they desire it, can sound something like this: “I’m depressed, I’m not motivated, I feel stuck…why can’t I just start?” “I feel self-conscious, what if everyone looks at me, and judges me for how I look and they know that I don’t know what I’m doing?” It becomes a cycle of self-judgement and self-criticism. It either beats complacency into staying exactly where you are, despite how desperate you may be to start, or drives us to reach our physical goals without the mental and emotional fulfillment. Often times, your physique or performance is never enough despite your physical achievements; the nagging insecurities and or anxieties we started with don’t go away. Fortunately, the way we speak to ourselves to motivate our drive to work out can also be trained. Not fruitless self-affirmation techniques, but by the real work you do at the gym, showing up for yourself, and inspecting your internal dialogue and drive. Although it may feel foreign in the beginning, you can change your intrinsic self-belief.
Step 1: Self-Reflection While Training
Remember, your self-belief anchors your self-talk.
Exercise, especially weight training, offers an opportunity for self-reflection. It’s a space to see how far you can push yourself and grow mentally. You learn if you can get back up even after you say you’re giving up, and how long it takes you to give up etc. In that process you can reflect on where you fall short, where you can improve, and if you’ve really shown up for yourself both in training and in life. When the reps get hard, what do you say to yourself? When you’re not feeling your best, what do you say to yourself? What can you say differently to keep going?
It’s not just yoga or running that can calm your nervous system. The mental aspect of lifting weights offers a different challenge to the body and mind. How much weight outside of yourself can you bear to lift and for how long with good form. It is important to not lift more than you can bear. Remember, it’s not about how much can you lift every training session. Even professional athletes train strategically by often lifting lighter weights for more reps to build their overall capacity.
2. Build Your Mind-body Connection
In weightlifting, the mind-body connection is key. By focusing on the right muscles and movements, you become more aware of your body and thoughts. The right focus increases your body awareness during different movements and intensities. How’s your coordination? Are the right muscles firing in sync? Is your posture still tight during harder intensities? As you start to focus on these things, your connection to your body helps you then understand what thoughts run in your mind during these movements and intensities.
3. Build a Better Body-image & Have Self-compassion
As you stay committed and consistent you’ll start to see motivating changes in your body. Hopefully, at this point, you’ll start to have a better relationship with yourself — how you see yourself physically and the way you speak to yourself mentally. Do you feel encouraged with the changes you see? Or are you demoralized? Notice what emotions your feel when inspecting yourself. The key is to practice speaking kindly to yourself. It sounds cliche and simple, but it does work and can feel harder than it sounds. Remember, if it feels awkward to be to talk kindly to yourself, trying anything new for the first time feels strange at first, but with consistency it feels natural and like second-nature.
With these positive changes taking place in your body, let it give you the strength to keep showing up for yourself in everything else you’re going through in life. An improved body image will give you the strength and confidence to tackle other areas of life, making exercise a powerful tool for both physical and emotional growth.
Conclusion
Incorporating regular exercise into your routine is not just about physical change—it's a powerful tool for improving mental health, building resilience, and fostering self-awareness. Whether you’re facing stress, loneliness, or navigating the challenges of PTSD, fitness offers a way to strengthen both your body and mind. If you’re ready to take the next step toward a healthier, happier you, explore our virtual personal training programs, designed to help you find peace through movement.
About the Author:
COACH DEE | CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER ACE—CPT, PPSC, TIWL
Deborah Park, known as Coach Dee, is the owner of Drip Training LLC and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach. With a background in architecture and kinesiology from the University of Virginia, she has extensive experience in personal training and athletic coaching in a clinical (physical therapy) setting. Coach Dee combines her scientific knowledge with years of hands-on experience to create programs that empower clients to regain control over their bodies and minds.
Her journey into personal training was deeply influenced by her personal struggles, including recovering from a life-changing car accident that led to PTSD and pain from scoliosis. This experience gave her a unique understanding of the connection between mental health and physical well-being. Coach Dee is committed to helping clients develop resilience, build strength, and rediscover their confidence—no matter the challenges they face.
