In a list of six tips for a mindful exercise routine, Chopra states that in order to combine mindfulness and exercise a person must listen to their body. The site argues that many gym users disconnect from their body and suffer through workouts in order to improve. Yet, by not listening to how their bodies feel, they are not improving. Instead, they are hindering their progress. As the site puts it, “exercise should not be an out-of-body experience; it should be an in-body-experience.”
Being more mindful during intense training sessions for sports like football is a lot easier said that done. Creating a mindful experience during meditation takes practice and that involves more than just staying still. VeryWell.com believe that there are five key points to being more mindful during a workout.
1. Have a purpose for each workout
2. Remember why you’re exercising
3. Slow down
4. Remind yourself to breathe
5. End on a good note
The last point is crucial to ensuring a successful football training session and leads back to the first point. It is important to recognise the journey to self-improvement. This will help with motivation and make sure you stick to the path of self-improvement.
Alex Morgan is one of the most successful football players in the world. She has won both a World Cup and Olympic gold medal with the US Women’s National team. During the 2015 World Cup, which the US team won, she was considered by journalist Leanne Daddia, who writes for UK football analysts Betfair, to be a key member of the winning team.
Morgan spoke to the Huffington Post about how mindfulness and yoga had helped her career: “Yoga helps me just calm down and think about where I am in my life.” Like many athletes who practice yoga, Morgan believes that the mental aspects are as important as the physical.
What this demonstrates is not only how being mindful can aid your workout but how it can increase your performance on the football pitch. Body Kinetics reported on how mindfulness can improve your fitness and gives an example of a runner who used mindfulness in her half marathon training. The site reports that she now undertakes less training than for previous half marathons. This gives her spare time to spend on other activities without sacrificing her health or fitness. Body Kinetics suggest that to be mindful when running it is best to turn off your iPod and listen to the rhythm of your body.
Hopefully, this article has shown you that mindfulness should be part of every aspect of our lives. By combining mindfulness with sports such as football, you will take your performance to a new level and get that all important edge during a game.
