How a Mirror Can Change Your Fitness Game
By Genevieve Cunningham
Have you ever walked into a gym and immediately noticed the crazy number of mirrors everywhere? If you’re a dancer or a weight lifter, you might be used to this setup. But if you’re new to the fitness world, the mirrors might be a little intimidating. Believe it or not, they’re not there to make you feel silly! Instead of allowing the presence of these mirrors get the best of you, take a look at these ways that a mirror can totally change the way you work out.
It Makes You Pay Attention
We always work out harder when we think someone is watching us. And who better to watch you than yourself? There’s something about seeing yourself run, lift, or perform a move that makes you want to try harder. It’s hard to give up or slack off when you can see yourself doing it. After all, we’re generally our own worst critics. You’ll suddenly pay attention to every little detail. Did I just slow down for that last minute? Did I skip the last set of squats? Your workout will get sharper because you now have an ever present coach -- yourself.
You’ll Notice Form
In the workout world, quality always beats quantity. It doesn’t matter that you did 100 squats if 99 of them were done incorrectly. A mirror forces you to pay attention to your form. Go ahead … watch yourself. You might notice that you aren’t going down as far as you though in that squat. You may notice that you severely slump your shoulders or that you’re not engaging your core. The mirror can help you improve the quality of your workout, which will very quickly improve the results as well.
It Will Be Frustrating … and Then Motivating
At first, the mirror is probably going to make you really mad. You didn’t come to the gym to watch yourself, right? It’s just irritating and frustrating and unnecessary. But after a while, once the initial shock has worn off, you may find a new motivation building. It might turn from “Ugh, I don’t want to see myself do that “ to “Wow, I look great doing that!” Need motivation? Use the mirror to motivate yourself.
Mirrors are strange objects. Sometimes we love them and sometimes we hate them, but we can’t deny that they definitely bring a helping hand to our lives. Use the mirrors in your gym to make you better, and your body will change faster than ever before.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Arlington, Tex.