MIND MOTIVATION FOR A BETTER LIFE

Getting your body in incredible shape doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’ve been following along with CODE M’s four-part Home Workout Without Weights series, you know just how true this is.

Imagine that the key to unlocking the potential for the best collective health of men lies directly behind their eyes and between their ears. If men are to get ahead of the game, first, they must have their heads in the game both of them the brain and the mind. They are separated that way because of the distinct differences between them.

The brain refers to the physical matter inside the skull and controls the body’s hormones. Hormones affect the nervous system’s role in behavior and how a person experiences life.

The mind is the voice inside the head. The mind is unseen and not tangible, yet many are much more familiar with it than

Written by GARRETT WALLER

the components of the brain.

This familiarity is because every man talks to himself much more than he talks to anybody else. He does that through his inner voice. The brain and the mind’s internal voice control his motivation, mindset, mood, and muscles.

Motivation is what drives a person’s behavior. Mindset is a person’s general attitude and disposition. The mood is whether they feel like they’re in good or bad spirits. Hormonal balance determines whether a person will build or lose muscle, burn or store fat, feel stressed or hungry, and have excellent or poor energy levels. These four areas determine the quality of life for all men across the globe.

For this reason, it’s time to elevate the consciousness of men by highlighting the connection between mental exercise and physical exercise and providing a workout routine that improves brain function and cultivates positivity in the mind that spills into a person’s entire life.

Say this: “March is for me.” The “me” stands for you and for mental exercise. Now go back, repeat it, and believe, “March is for ME!” Congratulations if you have done so because you have just completed your first mental exercise!

“March is for me” is an affirmation, a mantra that can be repeated to oneself intending that it will become true. Saying this and believing it is like flexing mental muscles. It can change one’s brain chemistry to push harder towards their goals, allow one to find ways to prioritize self-care, feel a more positive outlook on life, and tune hormones to optimize health and energy levels.

That’s the power of the mind and the inner voice. Pair this with the desire to become stronger, lose inches around the waist and stomach, reclaim willpower, and then marvel at the power of the mind to change the body.

A different approach to mental exercise is rooted not just in words and beliefs but also in actions. Building momentum to boost motivation can be as simple as being intentional about taking smaller steps toward a goal. For instance, if the goal is to work out more, be meticulous about keeping a gym bag prepared with a water bottle, sweat towel, gloves, and head- phones.

Making measurable progress toward a positive outcome changes brain chemistry to produce a feel-good dopamine hormone, which rewards small steps toward bigger goals.

Another mindset-boosting action could be to create a space in a room or a closet specifically for exercise clothes and take pride in keeping it stocked with the next day’s gym fit. Successfully preparing the bag creates some of the same benefits as completing a workout!

There is hardly a better mental exercise than physical exercise. There’s plenty of science to back up how impactful regular exercise is on a man’s mental health. Many studies show that weight training reduces depression, anxiety, stress, and negative moods. It gives a person a chemical boost of feel-good hormones immediately after a workout and helps stabilize overall moods. These benefits enable navigating life’s ups and downs much more smoothly.

But, exercise certainly is not the first line of defense against a severe mental health issue. However, virtually any person will almost certainly have improved mental health status when they add exercise as a core part of their lifestyle, regardless of their current fitness level or mental health status. Exercise and mental wellness go hand-in-hand, and each increases the other.

Shockingly, many individuals who previously believed they re- quired medications to regulate their mental health issues have found they can ultimately combat their symptoms through lifestyle changes. Not everyone is in this predicament, but exercise at least deserves a fair shot at stabilizing one’s physical and mental well-being, either in tandem with other treatments or on its own. After all, exercise is an entirely free, accessible, and effective way to increase well-being.

Mental maintenance is every bit as important as physical wellness. Still, unfortunately, it’s often dismissed until after a wakeup call from a debilitating issue before starting to take it seriously. The body-brain connection indicates that how someone shows up for the outer self will also manifest internally. Simply committing to showing up 4-5 days a week with a regular bodyweight routine, to hone a sharper mind, and a strengthened and toned physique will develop the mental resilience needed to navigate through anything life throws at us.

"4 Me" – Four moves, four minutes, for ME!

Alternate completion of the Upper Body and Lower Body workouts each day with one or two days of rest per week. Do each move for 45 seconds with 15 seconds of rest/transition? Repeat moves 1-4 for two rounds, then rest for 1-2 minutes; that’s one set. Complete 2-4 sets.

To modify the pushups or shoulder taps, do them with your hands on an elevated surface, such as a couch or countertop, or against a wall. A modification for the high knee run is to march in place instead of running. Do squats instead of squat jumps decrease the impact on skeletal joints? To help stabilize balance on the split squat or reverse lunge, stand between a doorway or next to a sofa or wall.

Upper

High knee run

Staggered pushup

Bicycle crunch

Shoulder tap

Lower

Repeaters Squat jump

Single-leg glute bridge

Bicycle crunch

Shoulder tap 2

Follow Garrett Waller on Instagram @GarrettWaller_LLC, as he will post helpful video demonstrations and modifications with instructions to help you on your journey. ●