Practicing Gratitude With Workouts!
Happy Wednesday friends! I hope you have had a wonderful week so far. It’s been a busy one for me since I’ve gotten back to work after a break but it’s been good. Busy means it goes by quickly and that’s what I like! It’s also been the first week with a mixed bag of workouts and it’s been going well. That kind of brings me to what I want to talk about today: practicing gratitude with workouts!
It may sound a bit weird so let me break it down a bit. Usually after a long stretch of not working out or when you first try a new type of workout or training program, you may find yourself having trouble. It’s easy to get a bit unmotivated when things aren’t working out just like you want them to. I know when I started lifting weights, I would get discouraged because I would have trouble with some exercises when others would blow through them. This is where the practicing gratitude part comes in.
Have you ever stopped to think about why you’re discouraged? Are you recovering from a major injury? Were you forced to take a break because of a major life event? Is this something completely new that you are trying? There is probably a reason why you are feeling this way and it’s actually normal to immediately jump into a negative thought line. However, staying there is the problem! Practicing gratitude is capturing those negative thoughts as soon as you’re aware of them and turning them around.
At one point during marathon training, I began to get down because I wasn’t able to complete one of my scheduled 20 mile runs. However before I began down the spiral of discouragement, I reminded myself that a year prior to that long run I was physically unable to walk without pain. Practicing gratitude at that moment filled me with pride as to how far I’ve come. Missing that run was not a big deal because of my training thus far and allowing myself to focus on the positive even improved my feelings at the moment.
Make it a habit to practice gratitude with your workouts. Maybe you didn’t have the workout you wanted. Be grateful that you are able to get outside and do what you love! Maybe you’re having a hard time with a new exercise routine. Be grateful that you have a body that can work hard and adapt to new exercises! Maybe your recovery isn’t looking like what you wanted. Be grateful for the chance you have make a comeback! It may be hard at first but getting into the habit will make practicing gratitude second nature!
How do you practice gratitude in your workouts?
