We want to go fast from almost the moment we’re born. Once we’re through our newborn phase, we are on the move, fast. We roll to our bellies, learn how to crawl, cruise on furniture, stand up, balance, and then learn how to walk.
Walking becomes running, running becomes sprinting, and then the fun begins for all concerned.
If kids are in a hurry to grow up, we adults rush to work and back, hurry to get the kids off to school and home to bed, buckle down to meet deadlines, and want to advance our careers fast. Many adults, including me, spend much of our time in a low state of hurry. We hurry from one thing to another until we collapse in bed, then wake up to do it all over again.
Hours, days, weeks, months, and years begin to look and feel the same. We never take a moment to just ‘be’ because our minds are racing to get to the next thing on our list. Let’s see if I can get you to slow down before racing off to the next thing.
Slow Before Fast
Let’s tackle exercise before I get all Dr. Phil on your eyes and ears.
Many exercises are performed fast. For example, med ball throws, plyometric exercises, sprinting, and many kettlebell exercises. Each of these exercises requires you to apply force fast.
But before that, going slow is required. Let’s take sprinting and kettlebell swings, for example. Sprinting requires powerful muscle contractions that push against the ground quickly, propelling you forward. You could roll out of bed and go straight into Usain Bolt mode, but the most likely result is a muscle strain.
Warming up with some mobility, sprinting mechanics drills, and some light running will get you ready to run like lightning. Going slow will help you go fast.
Kettlebell swings are a ballistic hip hinge exercise. If you cannot perform a slow grinding strength hip hinge movement, like a deadlift, then you have no business performing it fast. Why? The movement is not ‘ingrained,’ and you have no idea how it feels on the hips and hamstrings.
If you’re trying to add muscle, it pays to feel the muscles working. It’s called a mind-muscle connection, and forming one will help you get gains. If you’ve caught my drift, you’ll know that performing the movement slowly and in a controlled manner will help you do both.
Going Slow Before Life Comes At You Fast
At times, life dictates your pace because of the environment and circumstances. If you have a deadline, you need to meet it. When your kids need to get to school on time, you need to light a fire under their butts.
It’s mainly out of your control.
But if you spend your days in a constant low state of hurry, the stress builds, and you feel pulled in many directions. However, I hear your inner voice say there’s no time to go slow before going fast.
I’ve got______ this to do.
Let me offer two pieces of advice to help you slow down… just a little.
To help you shut your mind off to get a good night’s sleep, try this. Take ten deep breaths without a thought. If a thought pops up, go back and start again. Once you have ten uninterrupted breaths, think of three things you are grateful for. In all likelihood, you will not get to the three grateful things because you will be out.
Not only has this worked for me, but it has also worked for others.
Second, get up early and engage in a mind-body practice. For me, it’s meditation. I slow down and let myself in before I let the world in. Getting into a relaxed state strengthens your ability to stay calm when the world comes at you fast. Think of it as muscle relaxation before the contraction. Relaxing the muscle allows you to contract harder, leading to enhanced gains.
Unplugging before plugging in lets you go harder and longer.
Wrapping Up
In a world that screams at us to be productive, it’s easy to lose yourself in it and slow down just to be. But going slow before you go fast lets you go faster, longer. To help, I have a complimentary stress and relaxation E-Book that I’ll send right to your inbox. Fill out the subscribe form at the top right of this post. or click here.
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