By Paul Salmon, PhD
I've made the point many times that mindfulness — moment-by-moment, non-judgmental awareness — can be applied anywhere, and that you don't have to be a Buddhist monk in a remote monastery to practice this way of being. Everyday situations, from eating a meal to driving your car, offer the opportunity to bring focused attention to the experience.
There are many reasons why people cultivate this sort of practice. Being focused in the present can make even ordinary experiences come alive, akin to the difference between being half-asleep and fully awake. Pleasant events can be savored, and those that are challenging or seemingly stressful benefit from careful attention that frequently leads to adaptive, reflective responses rather than reflexive reactions. Present-moment awareness helps anchor the mind in what's going on RIGHT NOW, and serves as a antidote to the sort of mindless daydreaming —replaying events of the past, ruminating about the future — that can otherwise occupy so many of our waking hours.
One practice application of mindfulness has to do with the fitness environments in which we work out. As a courtesy to members, most fitness centers have a few basic operating principles intended to help people co-exist harmoniously and share use of the equipment. But in some settings, it seems as though a ‘mindfulness consultation' would be in order to create an atmosphere that is conducive to making workouts a pleasant experience. One very practical reason for doing this is that stress encompasses environmental factors, so if you are in an environment that is intrinsically unpleasant and feel that you can do nothing to modify the circumstances, your stress level is likely to rise, ironically partially counteracting the benefits of working out, which for most includes reducing stress.
People who avoid such settings typically say that it's the cumulative impact of little things that add up to an aversive experience, rather than any one major problem. I'm especially sensitive to noise level, so this is where much of my attention is focused. Here are three specific environmental factors that have significant impact on the workout experience.
The goal of all this is not to create some sort of Zen meditation-based fitness environment, but more to suggest sensible environmental adjustments that minimize ambient stress and help motivate repeated, day-to-day use.
