What Does It Mean to “Listen To Your Body”?
Coaches (myself included) say “listen to your body” a lot. Feeling tired? Debating whether your weird sore spot is OK or not? Trying to figure out the right intensity level? Listen to your body! Cool. . .but what if you don’t know how?
Listening to your body is, basically, paying attention to how the things you do make you feel. Sounds easy– it’s not. But it is important.
Why you should listen to your body
Doctors and coaches and trainers can give you advice based on evidence (what science shows works for the majority of people), experience (what we’ve seen work, anecdotally), and data (what we can observe about you).
But we’ll never have perfect information, and we cannot predict exactly what’s happening with your mind and body at any moment. No one is 100% average.
You, though, can get much closer to perfect information, if you learn to tune in to your body. We can guess where the edge between positive stress and injury might be– you can pinpoint it. We can guess that you might need extra recovery– you can know exactly what you need. If you pay attention.
How we lost touch
Many of us have become disconnected from our bodies– even (maybe especially) athletes.
We’ve learned to silence signals with substances (yes, ibuprofen counts). We’ve learned to suck it up and go to work even when we’re desperately in need of a break. We’ve learned to use our thinking brains to override sensations and feelings. We even think it’s rude or embarrassing to talk about bodily needs and functions.
These are realities of modern life (especially in the U.S.)– and we live with them every day. Hard work. Achievement. Productivity. No wonder we need help undoing those patterns. We need to make room for the body’s messages and make space to actually listen.
How to listen to your body
You won’t instantly hear every signal, especially if you’ve been going on autopilot for a long time. It takes time to re-learn how to listen.
But you can do it. Here are simple practices that, repeated frequently, can start to help you re-cultivate body awareness.
Try adding one or more of these into your routine regularly. You don’t have to do them all, and you don’t have to completely upend your life. You have time to read articles on the internet, so you have time to focus on your body (gotcha!).
There are options from 60 seconds to an hour or more– so pick what you have the time and energy for, and see where it takes you over the next few weeks, months, and years.
0-60 seconds: Re-evaluate your use of body-tracking technology. If you’re a habitual user of tracking technology (sleep, steps, heart rate. . .), try taking a two-week hiatus and rely on your perception alone to guide you. See what you notice.
0-5 minutes: On the flip side, what if you have no clue how your perception relates to your actual physical effort? Or how long you’re spending on sleep? You might find that a tracker (like a watch, ring, or strap) can help you establish that connection– if you pay attention to the way you feel and how that correlates to the data your device gives you.
1-3 minutes: Do a body scan. Sit still with your eyes closed and notice every part of your body. What sensations are you experiencing at this moment? Here’s a more detailed explanation, if you want to give it a try.
5 minutes: Keep a holistic log (or add it to your existing training log). How you feel subjectively on waking, during workouts, or other times that seem important to you? Track these perceptions along with things like sleep, exercise, caffeine/alcohol, major life events. . . sometimes it’s easier to see patterns on paper, and often just taking the few moments to reflect boosts awareness. (Download a template here, or adapt whatever you’re already using).
5 minutes: Do a full-body shakeout (moving your body with attention)-- Starting at your head, move each joint of your body slowly through its range of motion. Move your neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, wrists, spine, hips, knees, ankles, feet. What feels good, what feels tight, what else do you notice? This can help you identify any trouble spots before they turn into injuries, prepare for exercise, or recover from sitting (or sleeping).
10-60 minutes: Take a run, walk, or ride without headphones if you usually use them. Pay attention to what you hear (footfalls, breathing, other people, wildlife. . . ). Then engage your other senses, one at a time, and see what you notice.
20 minutes: Practice mindful eating. Paying deliberate attention to your sensations while eating is an accessible way to increase bodily awareness (everyone has to eat!). Read more about it here.
30-60 minutes: Practice yoga. Yoga (and other mind-body practices) link movement with breath and awareness. Over time you will start to cultivate greater awareness of your body both internally and in space. Going to a class with a knowledgeable teacher is wonderful, but if you’d prefer to start at home, you can find excellent free videos like these.
60 minutes: Get a massage. Touch can be a powerful tool to help you tune in to the sensations of the body. Plus, it feels good.
Does something on this list sound doable to you? Do they all sound a little woo-woo? What are you willing to try for the sake of your long-term health as a human and an athlete? Get curious!
