Hope this is the right place to put this. I was just wondering what other people are thinking about when they are excersizing.
I have found myself thinking about my butt. When the laps are getting almost too much for me to complete when i'm jogging, for additional strength, I start thinking about how my butt is feeling at that moment. Does it hurt? Do i feel the muscles crying out a little?? Is it working out my butt muscles enough that it is going to really help tone it up for that bathing suit I want to put on for Memorial Day at the lake??
Also, i start thinking about my posture. Am I standing up straight while i'm jogging?? Is it working out my abs? Am I going to be ready for bathing suit season if i don't keep pushing myself a little more???
I really think about the whole bathing suit issue the whole time i am jogging/walking. That's the one time i can truely say i am staying focused.
How about ya'll?? What are you thinking about???
Last edited by lumifan4ever; 05-14-2008 at 04:31 PM.
Depends on the exercise. Sometimes I think or brainstorm about work or family stuff. Sometimes I visualize that I am on a beach somewhere. Sometimes I sing a song or recite a poem---especially while trying to survive HIIT. Sometimes I focus on the body part being worked, but that is more for weights than cardio. When I do cardio, my brain often takes a short vacation.
Since I run outside, I'm usually picking out a target (or a rabbit as runners often call them) and trying to catch up or beat them. What's so funny is that most of my rabbits are little, old, retired folks out slow walking. But I'll see them from more than a mile distant and my goal will be to run past them before they turn a corner or disappear back into their condo or something. Lame, yet somehow totally satisfying. Sure makes the runs go by fast.
When I'm cycling I'm almost always with my husband and my goal is to beat his pants off. If I can make him sound out of breath then I know I'm winning.
Oh, and there are the occasional fantasies about Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe, of course.
When I'm lifting weights, I'm focused 100% on doing the set, nothing else. The only things in my mind are the number I'm on and am I using my best form? In fact, 9 times out of 10 my eyes are closed for most of the set because I'm concentrating so hard. I know I'm the goofiest looking weight lifter in the gym, but I just can't keep my eyes open (I try!) We have an obnoxious gym member whose idea of a workout is chatting with the women, and he's been stupid enough to interrupt me in the middle of a set. I can't tell you how much that enrages usually mild-mannered me!
When I'm doing cardio, I'm always listening to music. Sometimes my mind wanders with the music, sometimes I plan my day, sometimes I think about posting here, sometimes I think about weight loss. Sometimes I'm just trying to survive the experience!
Oh Meg, it is SO comforting to know that even those that have made it to goal still sometimes just think of "surviving this experience"...oddly, that makes me feel so much better now. ha ha
I have no problem with weight training, my 30 minutes flies by. But cardio...i feel like a 5-year-old kid..."are we there yet?" ha ha ha hah ah
I was at the gym last night, but I have no idea what I was thinking about when doing the weights!
When I am on the treadmill at home, I usually think about my work. I have a very technical job and I often start thinking about some issue in the middle of the evening (and sometimes I find a solution). So I usually think either of the problems that I was working on that day (if running in the pm) or what issues I will be working on and what's highest priority (if running before going to work).
Hi,
I'm new here... The funny thing is, I was just thinking about this same question this morning. What can I THINK about to make this exercise go by faster. I was swimming laps, so I just ended up trying to breath... lol It was hard to concentrate on anything while swimming. I do like to listen to audio books while on the elliptical...
During cardio, I think about all the things that frustrate me and I'll do bursts of high intensity when I feel angry inside. To me, it's better than therapy because I end up feeling so much better afterwards. Sometimes, I pretend that I'm dancing at a night club (in my younger days, LOL!) and listening to my music makes it seem more real, so I really get into the beat. However, on some occasions, if I have worked out too many days in a row or am too sleep deprived (which is a lot), I do feel like a cranky child who wants to know when she can stop! For strength training, I'll usually think about what I have to do for the rest of the day between sets, but during the lift, I only think of the number I'm on, so it's very meditative for me.
Whenever I'm on the treadmill I think a lot about how fast I'm going, what speed I'm going next, when I'll stop, etc., because I don't have a set routine. I have a minimum amount of miles I want to run within my hour workout, but not a set way to complete them.
Otherwise, I sing along to my iPod, or worry about homework.
I got 7 mins into running and realised I had forgot to cancel my driving lesson for friday.
But generally I hate how much my thoughts wander when doing cardio, leaves me a confused and muddled
Lately when I've been on the treadmill in the mornings, I've found myself thinking that I can't believe I'm actually doing it and finishing my 30 minute workout! I'm kind of proud of myself for doing it, and I try to focus on how great it feels to complete the workout.
Many times I just let my mind wander. I think about random little bits of things, like what happened at work, what errands I need to run, or I just zone out and don't think about anything at all.
When I run on the treadmill, I usually listen to my iPod while watching a movie on TV with the volume down. I watch movies I already know pretty well, so I find myself thinking random thoughts about what I'm watching. ("Hmmm. Sigourney Weaver looks so young here. But she looks pretty much the same now. That role was originally written for a man. I wonder if those are real animal parts they used for the alien crawly-thing autopsy?" )
I also sometimes think "How much longer!! AHHHH" and tell myself "Keep going!", "You can do it!" and other things to push myself. Like Meg, sometimes I am just trying to get through it, and that's all I can think about!
Sometimes I think about celebrities, like "Gwen Stefani wouldn't quit now," or "Jessica Alba wouldn't be whining about doing this."
When I'm running intervals on the TM and my speed is really up there, I usually focus on sucking in my gut, really stretching my legs out, and just putting one foot in front of the other. Otherwise I'm going to fly off that thing. I'll also sometimes focus on the beat for whatever song is playing on my iPod to help me push myself a little further.
Also when I run intervals, lots of times I'm watching the timer and thinking "what's wrong with you, why aren't you moving faster, hey, is this thing broken!"
During the recovery periods, warm-up, and cool-down, I have random thoughts about work, personal stuff, etc. Or sometimes I just look around the gym and check out what everyone else is doing and what they are wearing. Once in a while I pick up an idea for a new exercise.
When I swim, I'm usually thinking about the next set (it's a looonng swim) and also trying to remember to focus on what lap I'm on. I'm forever losing count, especially when they have the pool set up for the short course and I have to count to eight (I do 200-yard sets). I also tend to count my strokes in my head (which is probably partly why I lose track of what lap I'm on). When I'm swimming backstroke, I'm pretty focused on not going all over the lane and also watching for the flags so I don't hit my head (did that last week--ouch!)
For strength training, I'm usually pretty focusing on what I'm doing, regulating my breathing, not grunting, and not making horrible facial expressions (I read somewhere that all the grunting and strained facial expressions are a waste energy that can otherwise be put into your workout). I also frequently close my eyes when I strength train.
What are you thinking about during exercise???
We have an obnoxious gym member whose idea of a workout is chatting with the women, and he's been stupid enough to interrupt me in the middle of a set. I can't tell you how much that enrages usually mild-mannered me! 
