How to Stick to Your Fitness Routine Through Hypnotherapy

According to Mayo Clinic, hypnosis is a “trance-like state in which you experience heightened focus and concentration.” Usually done with the help of a therapist, whether remotely or in person, hypnosis works to relax the body and mind while also causing you to be more willing to accept suggestions.

Hypnotherapy can be great for fixing unwanted behaviors or helping you cope with anxieties. While you become more open to suggestions, you will stay in control of your behaviors.

Not only can a hypnosis treatment change behaviors to adopt a better routine, but it can also help you reach peak performance. Success can only be achieved when you stick to your goals. The biggest obstacle is often the lack of focus.

Imagine overcoming procrastination and, instead of feeling “oh, I’ll just do it tomorrow,” you take small steps while keeping your focus on your end goal. Imagine that all of the bad excuses you were previously relying on to avoid exercising take a back seat and instead you stay focused on the benefits of your fitness routine. Your body starts to crave physical activity and you can enter the zone whenever you start your practice. You stay motivated. 

Staying focused is possible with hypnotherapy.

The second biggest obstacle is fear. Fear comes in many shapes and sizes. Many feel intimidated going to the gym. They might be afraid of being judged because of their physical appearance. Some will even postpone getting started on their wellness journey because of the fear of failure. 

These fears often arise from a negative and incoherent frame of mind: failure can suddenly disappear when you frame the same event in an empowering way. You might not be able to lift the big weights during the first week, but you can certainly lift heavier weights at the end of each week. Similarly, fears of social gatherings can evaporate when we remember that we are good enough, regardless of other people’s judgments. 

With hypnotherapy, you can reframe your perspectives and change your own experience. Then taking care of yourself through a self-care routine becomes second nature. By empowering you to release stress, shed anxiety and remove fears, hypnosis can help you become a better version of yourself.

Researchers at Stanford University have discovered the reason why you are more open to suggestions like these during hypnosis; in 2016, David Spiegel released research highlighting three main areas of the brain that are affected by hypnosis.

One area is in charge of detecting what is important to you and what you should focus on. This can be behavioral or physical detections determining any type of anxiety, pain, stress or other feelings. This area becomes less active during hypnosis.

The second area involves increased activity between two different areas that lead to enhanced “brain-body connection.” That increased linkage helps the brain process the going ons in your body and control them.

Lastly, there’s a decrease in connections between two separate parts of the brain. This explains the disconnect between someone’s actions and the awareness of their actions. It is the equivalent of not thinking about your actions and just doing them. 

This natural-focused state of awareness can help in many ways. Because most of our behaviors and automatic reactions are governed by our subconscious mind, it makes sense to work at the root cause of the problem with hypnotherapy. Once you adopt a healthier behavior and you stay laser-focused, you can develop a routine that becomes easier to continue over time. 

Hypnosis is a very useful tool for developing new lifestyles and sticking to your fitness and dieting routines. Through these treatments, you are more likely to develop better habits and come even closer to your health goals.

About the Author

Christine Deschemin is a certified hypnotherapist based in Hong Kong and launched the UpNow self-hypnosis app. She is passionate about helping other people enhance their lives. With a strong interest in peak performance, she has helped athletes, executives, entrepreneurs and individuals overcome behavioral and emotional challenges to reach success. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School in addition to two master’s degrees from two of the top engineering schools in France. She is certified by the National Guild of Hypnotists, Inc. in the U.S. and has received a diploma as a hypnotherapist in France.