Often times when people think of getting fit, they think about dropping body fat, weight loss and getting physically stronger. Unfortunately, many of us don’t take the time to strengthen our minds (which in my opinion along with our heart is the most important muscle in the body).
As a fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle coach I believe it is important to strengthen all the muscles in our body. Now I know you may be thinking, I want to read more and work on my mental strength, but I don’t have the time. The following tips are ways you can find the time to strengthen your mind.
- Choose to find the time to read and DO IT! Block out at least 10 minutes a day and read. Read anything! I suggest you do it in the morning, so you know you get it done. I also recommend reading something that will educate you on how to be a better parent, spouse, sibling or child, learn more about fitness, nutrition or just how to be the best version of you.
- Listen while you drive. Listening to podcasts, interviews or books online or any way you can listen. This has been a game changer for me personally. Listening while driving has helped me gain a ton of insight into personal development, sales, nutrition and training ideas.
Here are a few of my favorite books and/or Podcasts.
- Good to Great. The Stockdale Paradox in it is one of my favorite stories.
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This book has a ton of great information on how you can be more effective in all aspects of life.
- Sell or be Sold. Don’t let the title fool you. This is not just for those people in sales, but for all of us. All of us are selling daily. Whether you’re trying to sell someone on why they should date or even marry us to selling someone on why they should hire us and so on. Sales are always happening.
- Some of my favorite people to listen to are: Lewis Howes “The School of Greatness Podcast”, Tony Robbins and Darren Hardy to name a few. I find their interviews and insights to be useful in all areas of my life.
I hope you find the above information useful and find the best way for you to work your mind muscles! If my words of encouragement aren’t enough, here are some statistics from the National Endowment for the Arts Report #47 that may help you to pick up a book to support your overall health:
- 38% of employers find high school graduates “deficient” in reading comprehension, while 63% rate this basic skill “very important.” • “Written communications” tops the list of applied skills found lacking in high school and college graduates alike. • One in five U.S. workers read at a lower skill level than their job requires. vii • Remedial writing courses are estimated to cost more than $3.1 billion for large corporate employers and $221 million for state employers.
- More than 60% of employed Proficient readers have jobs in management, or in the business, financial, professional, and related sectors. • Only 18% of Basic readers are employed in those fields. • Proficient readers are 2.5 times as likely as Basic readers to be earning $850 or more a week.
Please share with us on either Arizona Foothills or Scott’s Training Systems Facebook Page your favorite books, podcast and/or what you are doing to get stronger!
Scott Keppel is the owner of Scott’s Training Systems, a world-class coaching facility in Chandler, Arizona. He is a nationally certified trainer through NASM and ISSA. His mission is to empower women of all ages and fitness levels. For more information head to scottstrainingsystems.com or check him out on Instagram at @stsnation.
