Exercise has been scientifically proven to impact your psychological wellbeing, doing everything from lowering depression to increasing self-confidence. In fact, it is thought that exercise can be just as effective as antidepressants in treating mild-to-moderate depression. However, the opposite is also true: the mindset you bring into the gym can greatly affect your experience. We have a wide-range of wellness supplements to help keep you in high-spirits throughout your day. Our Mind Matrix was formulated to help support memory and cognition. The unique combination in this blend is crafted to help support oxygen and circulation in the brain, brain cells and neurons. It would seem obvious that emotions and feelings can influence our behavior. Our mood drives our behaviors, which in turn can ripple through into our workout performance.
How can emotions impact your workout?
Research has proven that strong emotions, either positive or negative, is linked to better athletic performance. For example, you may sprint for longer after getting a promotion, or after a unusually stressful meeting or argument with your other half. If you’re sad or emotional coming into a workout, you could expect a release in the form of tears. If you lay down on a ball or stretch out and do a backbend, you know how open you feel because you are really stretching out your lungs and your heart. As the blood travels to all these tight areas and the muscles get more oxygen, you’re able to release more emotion.
How to test what emotions work best for your routine
To harness your current mental state to your advantage, it’s helpful to determine which mindsets motivate you the most. Emotions can be used as messengers for peak performance. If anger gets you going, then it’s good to know that about yourself to enable you to find ways to leverage it to its fullest You can even add a section to your workout log to record how you feel emotionally at the start and end of the session. After a few weeks of tracking, go back to see if there are any patterns. Think: If you’re feeling hot-headed, you might want to get in a HIIT session where you can channel some of that rage into movement. If you’re emotionally closed off and want to work through it, book a yoga class or do some yoga backbends and heart-opening stretches.
How to help yourself if you’re feeling a strong emotion
If you can’t be as flexible with your fitness routine, or need to get your head right before a race, you can try a breathing exercise to center yourself to be ready for any physical pursuit. Controlling your breath is important because it keeps the focus on your body. You can use your breath to warm up, to focus energy, or to calm down. Try breathing in deeply, through your nose and allow your chest to fill up like a balloon. Exhale slowly and contract your belly as you breathe out. Pay attention to each inhale and exhale as you reset your mindset to mentally prepare to tackle the goal in front of you. Repeat for two minutes—then get ready to accomplish whatever you have planned ahead.
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