How to Listen to Your Body and What It Really Means: With 4 Mindful Techniques

“Listen to Your Body”… What Does It Really Mean?

We’ve all heard our personal trainer, fitness friend, yoga or Pilates teacher say, “Just make sure you listen to your body in today’s workout!”… Heck! This is a phrase I say in almost every Pilates studio session or online Pilates class I teach. But what does it even mean? This phrase has become a bit of a blanket statement. It can often be used as a filler statement for a Pilates or yoga teacher during a mindful moment of silence.

Let’s talk about HOW you can actually “listen to your body”. For some, this may be naturally practiced over time. For others, it may need to be learned. And frankly, sometimes, listening to our bodies might not be the best advice. For me personally, I know that when I think I am really listening to my body, it sometimes is an excuse to cut myself short or the opposite. I think I am listening to my body, but I am actually pushing my body too hard, too fast, and ultimately doing more harm than good.

So, how do you know when you are actually listening to your body and being mindful? Or are you just responding to the thoughts in your head? What does “listen to your body” really mean?

When the Mind Takes Over and Talks Back

Mental checks are just as important as physical checks. The mental thoughts in our mind can have so much more power over ourselves before, during and after our workouts. This is probably a topic for a completely separate blog post, though!

Truth be told, I self-talk A LOT! My mind is constantly getting in the way. It sometimes says,

“Kayla, you can take today off. More rest today will make for a better workout tomorrow.”

“It’s ok to stop at 5 reps, that was good enough.”

“You don’t need more resistance, you’re strong where you’re at.”

Sometimes, my brain goes to an extreme with really negative self-talk. It becomes that typical, hardcore coach on the sidelines screaming, “You got this! Keep going! You ate chocolate today, keep pushing!”

So, this is where “listening to your body” gets tricky. I can easily feel the physical discomfort in my body if something hurts. But the mind can sometimes interfere and that is where you question – should I listen?

Physical Discomfort: Telling the Difference Between Muscle Soreness and Pain

Physical discomfort can show up in many forms, and the two most common are muscle soreness and pain. It is important to understand the differences between the two and to pay attention so we can… you guessed it… listen to our bodies! However, if you’re starting a new workout routine or workout program it can be tough to tell the difference because change is always uncomfortable and challenging to the body. We need to be mindful to what our body needs, and then adapt when we are noticing anything “off” during a workout.

Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness and fatigue is just a part of working out and physical activity. It is a sign that you are building muscle and getting stronger. Muscle soreness should not be an excuse to skip a workout, as consistency is key. But you shouldn’t feel muscle soreness and fatigue all of the time. Your body needs time to recover and gain strength – Which is what we want!

Pain

Pain is a red flag and something you need to LISTEN to. If you’re noticing anything sharp, shooting, or your proper form is being compromised, it is a sign to take a step back during your workout. You may need to address your range of motion and mobility and try again, but if it persists and you keep pushing your body you may end up with an injury. And an injury is definitely not worth it. This is what it means to listen to your body. To listen to your body is to know your levels of discomfort and pain. If something hurts or feels off don’t question it and instead back off.

How to “Listen to Your Body” With 4 Mindful Techniques

Like I mentioned earlier, listening to your body comes with practice. It takes time to become “in tune” with your body. Over time, I have learned what techniques work for my body and which techniques do not. Here are my 4 ways I practice mindful listening to my body. When I practice these 4 ways of listening to my body, they improve my mindful state and in the long run they have really helped me get to know myself.

1. Begin With Breath Work

As you begin every workout, start with breathing. Breathing really sets your mind right and puts you in a good mental space. When I practice my breathing, I actually find myself taking deep breaths throughout the day even when I am not working out. How do I practice breathing you ask? Breathing just takes a moment to pause yourself, check in, close your eyes, and place your hands on your belly or ribs to feel the breath. Sometimes, I take 1-3 breaths before getting started with my workouts and other times it is a 5-minute practice. But here is what I notice:

During workouts, I am much more centered. I am able to focus and stay calm when things get challenging. I am able to breath deeper and work through discomfort when things get tough. I also notice that the deep breathing engages my core and protects my back. Breathing also forces me to slow things down which bring me to my next tip!

2. Slow Down Your Workouts

Slowing down your workouts is SO incredibly hard, and, yes, even I need reminders from my own Pilates teachers to, “SLOWWWW DOWN!”

My mind is always thinking, “Go, go, go!” Sometimes, my busy Pilates client and Wife/Mama schedule only allows me to be able to work out for 10-15 minutes a day. Therefore, I feel I need to move quicker to get in a better workout, when it can actually result in the complete opposite, a not-so-great workout. Slow, controlled movement is often much more challenging and more effective and also safer for movement. So just remember, check in and slow down. It might be exactly what you need!

3. Perform Body Scans Throughout Your Day

I typically scan by body 3-5 times a day. This begins in the morning before I even get out of bed. All you have to do is pause and take a mindful moment to check in and see how each body part is feeling. When I started doing this in the morning and at night here’s what I noticed:

Morning Body Scan Routine

In the morning after I have done my body scan, I find myself rushing less throughout the day. When you take 5-10 minutes for yourself before even getting out of bed, it sets you up for a much more calming and less chaotic day. I also find myself stretching in the morning after getting out of bed if my body scan brings up any discomfort areas. This allows for some mindful, relaxing breath work.

Evening Body Scan Routine

In the evening after a long day, I notice how much tension I have holding in my body. Making it a habit to body scan in the evening has helped me to release stress, and again, stretch out the areas of my body that are holding tension such as the hips, low back, neck and shoulders. When I scan, stretch and breathe deeply in the evenings, I have noticed I can relax, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer.

4. Make Listening to Your Body an Active Daily Practice

Going about your day “just going through the motions” isn’t going to do you any favors when it comes to listening to your body. We are all wired differently, and the techniques that what work for me may not work for you, and vise versa. Aside from breath work, body scans, and slowing down, other listening to your body techniques that might peak your interest in the mindfulness category may be:

Journaling
Reading
Meditating
Positive Affirmations
Therapy

No matter what “listening to your body techniques” work best for you, the most important thing is that we all allow ourselves to come as we are to achieve our best results.

Not Sure Where to Start in Listening to Your Body?

Here is a great place to start! I use the app I Am – Positive Affirmations to get self-care reminders of positive daily affirmations on my phone. Daily affirmations help rewire our brains, build self-esteem and change negative thought patterns into empowerment. These positive daily affirmations transform my day right away in the morning and I hope they can transform your day, too!

Your Friend & Pilates Expert,

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Kayla Brugger
Founder of PILATESBODY by Kayla
Founder of PILATESBODY On-Demand

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