Observing Physical Responses to Exercise

Walking Wooded Path in Schwarzwald

Maintaining mindfulness while working out is something that occurs in small bits during my exercise session. I'd say that no more than 5 percent of my time is spent truly observing how my body is reacting to the stresses I'm applying during the workout. Today, for example, I performed 10 sessions of 15 kettlebell swings, followed by 3 Turkish Get Ups on each side. Most of the time I'm just counting the reps and the sessions to keep track.

But during the counting today I observed that the first two sessions flew by and the rest session between swing sessions was only to a count of 4 or so - very short. By the 4th session I noticed that I could feel my pulse rate increase in my neck but I wasn't winded. By the 7th session, I was beginning to feel winded and the pulse was very noticeable and my brow reflected a sheen of sweat and the rest period between swings had lengthened to a slow eight count. On the final session the sheen actively dripped into my eyes, my breath labored and my heart pounded.

I immediately picked up the 20 lb barbell for the TGUs and moved to the bedroom rug where I took a few long (labored) breaths before diving into the TGUs. I found my strength reduced from the swings to the point that it took two hands to get the barbell started into the shoulder press from which I start the TGUs. (Most videos of people I watched started TGUs from the floor, stand, then return to the floor. I start standing with a shoulder press, descend to the floor, the get back up to my feet for one repetition on one side.) I was able to perform 3 TGUs today but I observed that swing fatigue and the 20 lb barbell resulted in increasingly sloppy execution on each one. I was really happy that I completed the last one and it was over.