by Krista Henderson

Mental training just isn't for professional athletes anymore.  There are many training techniques that can help you enhance your fitness workouts.  Below are 2 techniques that I have used over the last few years to ensure that each workout is a quality workout because doing workouts that don't reflect the right intensity and duration are of no value to you. 

1. Visualization – mental imagery is a very powerful tool and is beneficial because it increases your motivation by allowing you to see and feel yourself giving your best effort and reaching your fitness goals.  It builds confidence by enabling you to imagine yourself performing well and succeeding. 

People use imagery in one of two ways: a) you see a situation through your eyes or b) see yourself from outside your body, like watching a movie. No one method is better than the other.

When doing a workout e.g. walking on the treadmill, use various images to relate to the type of walk you are having, to push yourself, work hard and enjoy the benefits of being there:

Choose your Location – if the weather isn't cooperating and you need to do an inside workout (i.e. walk on the treadmill), choose a place that you like to visit, or would like to visit and focus on that location in your mind.  One of my favourite places and fitness goals is to do the Rome marathon.  When doing your workout, visualize yourself, what are your surroundings, what's the weather like, is it sunny, are you walking alone, in a group, in a race?

Physical Feeling Images – associate feelings in your body with your visual walk. If your legs are burning, has the terrain changed, are you power walking up a hill or the steep stairs leading to a beautiful museum?

Using mental imagery is a technique that takes time to build, so be patient and kind to yourself, and keep practicing.

2. Positive Self-Talk – this is a simple strategy.  Replace any negative self-talk with positive statements.  The challenge involves overcoming ingrained negative self-talk habits. 

First look at situations in which you tend to have negative self-talk or doubt, for example walking up a long slow rising hill. Your may find your negative inner voice saying, "I can't do this, this is too hard, I won't make it, I need to stop."

Determining why you become negative in these situations is key, and some of the common situations include: fatigue, frustration, pain etc.   Knowing what yours is will help you change your outlook from a negative to a positive one.

Choose words/phrases that will empower you, make you feel strong and driven:

"I love this burning feeling in my legs"

"If I keep working hard, good things will happen"

"This really hurts but I'm putting money in the bank for my fitness"

"I am strong and powerful"

Visual reminders of your positive words help too. Before a workout, write them on your hand or carry a small item in your pocket, so that when you touch it, it reminds you of why you are doing what you are doing.

Positive self-talk increases your motivation to work hard because you believe that your efforts will be rewarded. You become relaxed, focused and confident as you believe you can handle all situations during workouts.

Know your self-talk by using the chart below to list situations when you tend to use negative self-talk, the cause, common negative thoughts and positive alternatives.

"It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself."
-Muhammad Ali

Happy training,

Krista