Workouts are tough but rewarding. The feeling of exhaustion after a few hours of running, the feeling of muscles pulsing after breaking your weightlifting records, as well as the muscle aches that we wake up with the following day are all to be cherished.

However, some people don’t perceive this in the same way. Some are discouraged by the fatigue and the tiring regime; others sacrifice progress for a lighter workout, both of which are the types of mindsets that you shouldn’t be plagued with when you’re working out.

Today we’ll give you five tips to improve your mental state during training and exercise, as well as single out the worst train of thought you don’t want to be aboard while you’re doing so.

Keep trying and exercise consistency

The mindset of a strong, determined person negates the notion of giving up. Training your body and mind can and will hurt, and you may find it unbearable more than once. However, calling it quits should not be an option in your mind.

By being consistent with your training, you’ll start to notice that everything becomes gradually easier. It may be just one more squat or just ten seconds of planking, you may evade hits and kicks with a bit more fluidity every day. Progress takes time, and you should focus on doing whatever you can to use it as efficiently as possible whenever you’re training.

Meditate before hitting the gym

Exercising your mind will help you exercise your body, and there’s no better way of doing it than through meditation. Don’t be afraid if you don’t know anything about how to meditate and how it works, as there are generally no rules that you need to follow; keep it instinctive.

Just sitting in a comfortable spot surrounded by silence will help you calm your mind and reduce your stress levels considerably. Pent-up muscles, especially if they’ve been under heavy stress from previous exercise sessions will hurt you more, and you won’t be able to perform as well as you could.

In a nutshell, meditation can help you achieve a stronger mind that can endure more physical punishment while at the same time reducing the effects of physical stress exercise dishes out on your body.

If you aren’t too keen on this concept or simply can’t find a silent spot for a few minutes, a good alternative is to take a few walks around the block.

Remind yourself of your exercise goals frequently

No matter what kind of physical activity you are committed to, it’s easy to get stuck in a routine and completely forget about the reason why you’ve started doing it in the first place.

Some people pick up on karate for self-protection; some start off with football simply because all of their friends did; some exercise to stay in shape. Usually, your initial motivation is the strongest factor that needs to be constantly refueled rather than searching for alternative sources.

It’s great if you’ve gotten to love the sport or activity after a while, and that is an excellent motivator in itself, but simply loving the idea of training as a concept may not be enough for you to actually continue to practice.

For example, people who’ve started practicing mixed martial arts or kickbox can easily become enamored with the flashy grapples, kicks, and punches; not being able to execute these moves immediately can be a bit discouraging, and so a lot of people simply stay at home and watch UFC instead.

Remind yourself of your exercise goals every time you start having second thoughts. If you wanted to get stronger, if you wanted to get fit, or if you wanted to be able to protect the ones you hold dear and yourself, there’s no other way than to hit the mat and do the work that needs to be done.

Will it before you do it

Regardless of whether it’s a high kick, a flying tackle, or another set of push-ups that you aren’t too sure that you can execute, you need to will it before you do it.

“Believe in yourself” is certainly a cliché, but it’s a necessity for any kind of productive training or workout. Believe that you are capable of doing whatever you set your mind on, and don’t settle for anything less.

As soon as doubts start crawling in your mind, toss them away with any hint of negativity they’ve left in their wake. If you allow negative thoughts to stay long enough, they’ll eventually become viable options, and ultimately, a reality.

Focus on the outcome, visualize it, see it happen before your eyes, and you will be able to do it eventually. You may fail once, twice, or a thousand times, but that’s exactly how progress works.

Embrace the fatigue and pain

People who’ve barely exercised and have just entered any gym or dojo are probably afraid of getting hurt. After an hour of running, jumping, or doing push-ups, your body may be aching and trembling to your bones. Embrace every ounce of it.

The fatigue and pain you are experiencing are your medals of hard work; they’re the confirmation that you’ve done it right, and that you should continue doing it. As they say, the pain goes away, but success stays forever.

Don’t encourage bad patterns of thought and lazy habits

The biggest pitfall you should avoid is tricking yourself into not exercising or giving up. Making excuses for that last set of sit-ups or avoiding sparring matches will hinder your progress more than anything.

Replace “I have done enough” with “I need to do more.” There are no shortcuts, and you need to pay your dues in sweat before you can achieve anything. No amount of pep talk can get you through the training session; you need to be your own best friend when it comes to exercise and push your limits beyond to the best of your ability.

We hope that this brief rundown was useful to you and that you have learned something new today on the proper training mindset. Make sure you are staying safe in these times we are all going through and have a good one, guys!