The focus of fitness is so often aesthetic, which makes it easy to focus solely on the external aspects of workouts: losing weight, gaining muscle definition, or moving with more strength, speed, and power.
While these are fantastic fitness goals, a crucial element of fitness success is often overlooked: the quality of your mind-muscle connection and kinesthetic awareness. Read on to discover what this is and how it can increase your performance and results, and decrease your risk of injury.
MIND-MUSCLE CONNECTION
Mind-muscle connection is your ability to consciously engage and contract specific muscles during exercise. It involves directing your attention inward, focusing on the muscles being worked, and mentally visualizing the movement. This seemingly subtle shift in approach can have profound effects on the effectiveness of your workouts and the results you achieve, as “thought can be a powerful stimulator. Just thinking about moving a specific muscle can strengthen it, even if you don’t actually move it” (Runner’s World, 2023).
It’s tempting to go through the motions of an exercise without paying attention to how it feels, but any degree of mental disengagement will affect your progress. When you consciously focus on the muscle you’re targeting, you’re better able to recruit and activate the relevant muscle fibres. This ensures that the intended muscle is doing the majority of the work during each repetition, leading to more effective muscle stimulation and growth.
KINESTHETIC AWARENESS
Kinesthetic awareness (also known as proprioception) is your ability to sense the position, movement, and orientation of your body in space without relying on visual cues. It involves collaboration between sensory receptors in your muscles, joints, and tendons and your central nervous system.
Proper proprioception allows you to intuitively adjust your movements, maintain balance, and coordinate complex motor tasks with precision and efficiency. Whether it’s executing a perfect golf swing, mastering a yoga pose, or navigating through a crowded room, this heightened awareness plays a critical role in enhancing physical competence.