The fitness industry, including public gyms and a variety of home fitness aids, is growing rapidly as Americans are paying more attention to their health.  There are also trends that we can see in American gyms and fitness venues that show what people are focusing on when they tackle their health for better life results.

One such issue is what lots of people call Mind/Body.  The term Mind/Body is commonly defined as activities that promote physical health while including a mental or extra-physical wellness element.  Some common types include yoga, pilates, and tai chi.  But common, self-created stretching exercises can provide Mind/Body training just as well for many of us.  

Why are we pursuing these Mind/Body connections?  Well, the research supports the idea that holistic wellness training gets results.  But the idea of Mind/Body training at the gym also comes out of necessity.  For busy commuters and the overworked masses, time spent on any kind of personal development is strictly rationed.  These individuals seek to pursue physical and emotional wellness at the same time, hence the Mind/Body connection.

But some of us would ask for more concrete examples of this Mind/Body combination.  For those questions, some simple breakdowns of the Mind/Body process are useful.

A very basic example is breathing.  All of us need to breathe all of the time, but the way that we do it has an immediate effect on both our bodies and our minds.  Most of us have hd stressful moments where we held our breath, symbolizing stress and tension.  Deep breathing is the opposite: a controlled, free and loose breathing that promotes circulation and lung health while centering and calming the mind.

Another example of the Mind/Body connection goes a little deeper.  This is something that a lot of experts call Progressive Muscle Relaxation, and despite its technical name,  it is immediately familiar to many of us.  

Progressive muscle relaxation or PMR is just this: a user identifies tension in the body, tension that comes from stress, poor posture or learned behaviors.  Then, the user actively disperses this tension.  

We've often seen this done in its natural context, with a calming environment set by soothing music and lighting.  These are good tools to pursue the PMR process, but the result is ultimately within the control of the individual who is pinpointing where their tension lies.  Massage therapy can give additional assistance to those who can't seem to locate their tensions.  Fitness tools like isometric exercise balls can also be handy for promoting different types of motion that can help users see where they are most tense or stiff in their body's flexibility.

Basically, Mind/Body work pursues balancing the body's motions with mental comfort and stability.  Whether it's the calming arts of yoga or pilates, or a self-made program of concentrated stretching, Mind/Body work will "teach" both the mind and the body to focus on the common needs of both, as the individual trains for strength and stability through repetitive motion in an emotionally healing way.  This is different for each person, so be sure to listen to your body when designing the Mind/Body session you may use for years to come!