Strength is often associated with physical ability, but we underestimate the power strength has on our minds. It turns out that there is a direct correlation between mental strength and physical fitness.
You’ve likely heard the term “mind-body connection” in regards to mental health. How we feel on the inside can positively or negatively impact the way our bodies function. But mental health and mental strength are not the same. There’s another layer to the mind-body connection. While mental health addresses a mental state, mental strength deals with how we cope with our emotions. A better breakdown is that mental health is a noun and mental strength is a verb. So, while mental health is important, developing mental strength can improve cognitive function and emotional stability. What’s more, it can make us physically stronger.
Sports Psychology Today explains that, “mental training is the segment of sports psychology that concentrates specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are keeping them from performing up to their peak potential.” And studies have shown that individuals who combine mental training with physical training see a significant increase in overall strength and performance. That’s because when we increase emotional resilience and awareness we are better prepared to handle adversity—the adversity we feel within and the physical challenges ahead of us.
For years I’ve used the social media hashtag #StrongNotSkinny, as a tool to bring awareness that strength should be celebrated over body type. However, it wasn’t until I started to run that I was able to truly tap into mental strength. It was the conscious effort to show up, pushing through the discomfort and stigma I long held about running, that transformed how I ran. Mental training taught me that I didn’t dislike running, I disliked the adjustment. And, most importantly, it wasn’t that I couldn’t run but rather I had to work through the mental barriers that stopped me from trying. That’s when an idea hit. If more people understood the power of mental strength would they, too, be able to accomplish more of their fitness goals? That’s how Empowered Movement was formed.
Empowered Movement (held on July 19 at The Baker House in East Hampton) is an event that aims to give guests a new authority over their bodies and strength over their lives. The event begins with a panel of wellness industry experts— SLT’s founder Amanda Freeman, DanceBody’s co-founder and COO Courtnay Mariani, Paddle Diva’s founder and CEO Gina Bradley, and CoreBarreFit’s co-founder Fred DeVito— who will discuss how certain physical motions can improve mental strength. Just like power posing, there are movements we can tap into during our workouts that will deliver the confidence we need to push through, or practice at home to simply show up. To apply this theory, immediately following the panel will be a Hip Hop Hits class from DanceBody, intended to let go of inhibitions and discover true strength.
The better we can harness the power of mental strength the more empowered our lives will feel, and the stronger we become.
I look forward to seeing you at the event. You can purchase tickets here.
