When our boys were younger, instead of yelling STOP! when they were doing something that could be dangerous, I yelled PAUSE!
I’m not really sure when it started but the word stop seemed to flow every-so-gently in one ear and out the other (anyone relate?!) 🙂 but the word pause actually caused them to cease their movement or action.
It forced them to take a moment, assess their surroundings (danger: a car is coming!), be present to what was really going on around them, and act accordingly.
“Practicing the pause” has so many implications when it comes to LIFE, particularly a life of good health and fitness.
Pausing while in the weight room allows you to do a mental check to see if your body position and lifting mechanics are optimal. As such, pausing is a great learning tool to master technique.
We’ll often prescribe an exercise tempo in our member’s program where there is a slight 2-second or more pause at the bottom, top, or middle of the lift. Used strategically like this, a pause forces you to use more muscle activity and strengthens any weak links in your movement so you’re kept safe and strong.
Our nutrition program emphases the importance of pausing during eating. Eating slooooowly is not only better for digestion, it allows you to REALLY taste all the flavors and increases enjoyment and satiation.
Practicing the pause grows discipline, too. A member shared how “practicing the pause” when she walked by the jar of chocolates at work helped her afternoon cravings decrease. This allowed her to enjoy one every so often instead of mindlessly overconsuming and being consumed by it.
And, probably most importantly, “practicing the pause” online or in-person can make our conversations more empathetic, our homes more peaceful, and our selves better cared for.
This week, how might you practice the pause in the gym?
In what you choose to eat tomorrow?
How about during this whole holiday season?
Cheers to looking up, to being present, to taking a moment.
Happy Practicing,
Jess + Team Valeo