7 Ways to Enhance Your Focus During Exercise

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We know that keeping oneself healthy isn’t only a nice-to-have but a must-have, especially during times of stress. While it used to be easy (or at least easier) to go to a gym to break a sweat, this is no longer the case for most people as many gyms have closed, some permanently.

This raises the question: how can you keep the same focus exercising at home as you would at the gym?

We ask this question because most people are generally disinterested in physical activities despite the proven benefits. The truth is that exercise can be exciting, even if it is generally not the most exciting thing on most people’s to-do list. Minutes can, sometimes, feel like hours when you are running on the treadmill burning those calories. This is especially so when you repeat the same exercise routine for a long time without switching things up. It can really put you into a snooze-zone while working out.

Here are seven tips that will help you get back on track.

1. Put Aside Your Phone

cellphone
Exercising is a good excuse to spend some time away from your gadgets.

Not many of us are not above sending a text message or scrolling through social media for a quick update during our workouts. This is bad because it increases the amount of time you spend in addition to negatively impacting your workout quality.

The solution: enable airplane mode on your smartphone or leave your phone inside your bag. This inconvenience will make you less eager to check or get distracted when a notification appears.

Bonus tip #1: download an app like the pomodoro timer, and set the desired duration. Commit yourself to the set duration and only look at your phone during break time.

2. Plan Your Workouts in Advance

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

“If you don’t know where you are going it doesn’t matter which road you take.”

– Carroll Lewis, Alice in Wonderland.

One reason that you are struggling to make progress during your workouts is a disorganized exercise routine. Ensure that you have an idea of what you would like to focus on, including the weights and sets you intend to accomplish. This could be as simple as setting different days to focus on different body parts or increasing weights as you progress. Knowing what you want to achieve will save you time in figuring out what to do next.

Your routine should ensure that you are expanding the weight or reps you’re accomplishing for each activity consistently (possibly on a month-to-month basis if you’re an experienced lifter).

3. Listen to Music

Music can improve your focus.

Listening to music or curating your own playlist can boost your mood and energy before starting and also during your workout. This can help you concentrate by getting you into the ‘zone’. Research has shown that listening to the right type of music can help with improving the quality of your workouts. This can include anything from upping your workout intensity to running another mile on the treadmill.

We recommend that you use wireless headphones if you prefer to listen to music on your phone. This is because wired headphones can get tangled easily which can potentially lead to injuries.

4. Working Out With a Friend/Training Partner

Working out is easier with a partner.

There are days when working out is the last thing on your mind no matter how motivated you feel. Even switching up you routine to avoid the boredom doesn’t help. One viable solution is to recruit a friend or training buddy who can help keep you motivated to stay on track. He/she too can be the one who pushes you to break a sweat rather than staying in bed.

Don’t have anyone who can play this role? Try searching around your neighborhood or look for some groups online. Alternatively, try joining the various live online classes that have been sprouting up recently. Many of them have free trials that you can sign up for with little to no financial commitment during the trial period.

5. Consume Supplements

Take in supplements to assist in energy

If you choose to workout at night because of your packed daytime schedule, try consuming a pre-workout supplement. This will help alleviate some of the fatigue that you tend to feel during the later part of the day. Keep in mind that you can make your own pre-workout supplements instead of buying pre-made ones to save some money.

Still, the most important supplement that you can consume is water. This is because proper hydration before, during, and after working out has been shown to be critical for achieving optimal performance.

6. Be Consistent

You need to remain committed to your goals if you want to get anywhere.

To create consistency you have to repeatedly perform an activity until it becomes a habit. This applies to achieving your goals in all aspects of life, including exercise. It is, therefore, important that you put in work while keeping the excuses to a minimum. Do your best to minimize – or even better, eliminate – your excuses and you will reap the rewards.

Bonus tip #2: Take before and after photos so you can see the changes that you have made and how far you have gone so far. Seeing visible progress or changes after working out consistently will make you feel better after all the hard work you have put in. 

7. Set Goals

Goals are fundamental in giving meaning to our lives.

Goals here refer to the overall arching vision that you have for yourself. They are the outcomes that you hope to achieve over a long term time frame, sometimes decades. These goals could be anything ranging from increasing weights slowly, or doing an extra rep more than you did yesterday.

If you are one of those who give up because your progress has stall after some time, we ask that you keep at it. Novice lifters out tend to see drastic changes in their body at the beginning, but it is normal for the body to adapt after some time.

Always keep your fitness goals at the back of your mind and get ready to reap the rewards!

Let the Gains Begin!

Your most wonderful journey begins with a single step.

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to enhancing your focus during workouts. Give the above recommendations a try to find the combination that will work best for you.

Know that being healthy benefits not only yourself but also your family, friends, and your community directly and indirectly.