Are you one of those people that dread waking up early for a run or hitting the gym after work?
Even when you do wake up to go the gym you only put in half the effort. Most of us have heard about the power of having a positive attitude, and the power of self-talk, but do we know how to use it to push ourselves through a tough workout?
The Science Behind Positive Self-Talk
Recent Canadian research has shown that people who underwent a motivational self-talk program improved their cycling time exhaustion by 25% over the course of two weeks compared to a control group that received no self-talk training. Training your brain won’t make your legs hurt less during a hard cycle, you’re just going to accept it and push through.
How to use Motivational Self-Talk
What you must realise is for most people our brain is always going to be engaging in some form of self-talk, whether it be positive, negative or neutral. There are several types of self-talk, for example, instructional self-talk which is most useful for new complex tasks (ie keep the chest up). For pushing yourself through a hard run or circuit motivational self-talk has been shown to have the greatest benefit. After your next workout, reflect on what your head was saying while you were exercising.
“My legs are burning.”
“I’m too tired.”
“I’m never going to get good at this.”
These are all examples of negative self-talk that ultimately lead to a decrease in performance. Try to spin these phrases into something positive. Sports psychologists suggest using second or third person to repeat the statements in your head (meaning you will say “you can do it” versus “I can do it”). Another good point is to keep the phrases about what you need to do as opposed to what you shouldn’t be doing. Instead of saying “don’t slow down” say “keep this pace.” The last piece of advice is to identify your goals and
Practice Motivational Self-Talk in Advance
Most people show up at the gym to train their body, but don’t forget to train your brain as well. Working with a coach is a great way to build confidence and improve your methods of self-talk. Why? Because we already believe in you!
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Anais Masbou
Professional Training Coach
Innovative Fitness Kitsilano
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