As part of my regular exercise routine I keep a written record of my workouts. I use these to record the progress I am making, where work still needs doing as well as how much I enjoyed the workout. I was looking through some entries recently and noticed how often I would write ‘a fun workout’, or ‘enjoyable’.  Such observations took me by surprise – were they all enjoyable? Was I really having fun? So I decided to observe how I was feeling actually during my next few workouts (rather than reflecting on them afterwards). Lo and behold, they did not feel like fun at all. They just felt like hard work. Huffing and puffing, working up a sweat, the pain of one more set of ab crunches… This was the reality.

So what was going on? The experience was hard work, yet there I was writing ‘enjoyable’ after each workout. Then I realised, through my workouts I was having regular flow experiences and in fact after each I did feel great. I felt pleased at the work I’d done and had a ‘feel good’ feeling you get after you’ve been concentrating on a task for a long while which you then complete. And if I’d worked hard enough, I would have had a rush of endorphins to add to this happy mood.

What is a flow experience?

A flow experience refers to one of those moments when you are absolutely absorbed in an activity. The concept was coined by Csikszentmihalyi.  As such, everything else is forgotten. You have total concentration and nothing else matters. You are no longer aware of what is going on around you. The rest of the world is forgotten. Flow experiences are a great way to increase your everyday happiness.

Why exercise is a great way to experience flow

You can have a flow experience with any activity that is mindful and requires you to actively participate in it. When you are experiencing flow during an activity you have total control and are concentrating fully. In that moment you are engaged in life, rather than just being a passive observer. If you are working hard enough your skills are being used at their very best.

This is precisely what exercise offers you. To get the best from your workout, you should concentrate fully and active participation is a given. Exercise is something you really can control as you decide what type of exercise to do, for how long, which days, what time and so on. You are doing something positive for yourself, rather than merely sat in front of the TV watching other people live their lives and reach their goals. Exercise is a great opportunity to learn new skills, discover your mental and physical strength and to push yourself.

When you have had a flow experience, you will get that feel-good buzz afterwards of having engaged in something engrossing. Yet the actual experience may not feel so tranquil. Pounding the treadmill is hard work but the outcome is satisfying. What are you more likely to regret: half an hour of exercise, or half an hour sat eating a box of donuts?

How to get a flow experience from your daily workout 

If you want to experience flow through exercise, there are three things you need to consider.

1) Goals
It is important to have a clear set of goals. These will give direction to what you are doing. Try to break large goals down into achievable chunks. What is your goal for your exercise program? Remember the three important aspects of fitness:  cardiovascular, strength and flexibility. How might you work on each of these and what are you hoping to achieve? Recognise that exercise is not for the short term so your goals will change as your fitness develops. So for example, to touch your toes may be a flexibility goal. Once achieved, you will want to maintain this and perhaps set up a new goal that increases flexibility further. If your goal is to lose weight through exercise, remember that once your ideal weight is reached you will need new exercise goals to maintain your achievement.

2) The perceived challenge
Aim for a good balance between your perceived skills and perceived challenges. The important point here is ‘perceived’ rather than ‘actual’. It is a mind-state. If you believe your skills far surpass the challenge, you will become bored as it will be too easy for you. Whereas, if you perceive the challenge as being too hard for you, you will become frustrated.

Exercise, to be beneficial should be a challenge. What is the point in doing something that barely challenges you? Not only will you get bored but your time will be wasted, as you have done nothing to increase your fitness. Expect to work hard at any exercise. However, don’t let it be beyond your capability. If you are trying something new, don’t expect to be an expert straightaway. You may struggle to keep up, get fed up and give up. Remember, you want a balance between your skills and the challenge.

As time goes on, your fitness will develop and you get accustomed to the skills you have attained. To keep experiencing flow, you will need to increase the challenge – one that you believe you can meet. A new challenge will not only up your interest but enhance your expertise and of course your fitness.

3) Feedback
Finally, it is essential to have feedback. This will enable you to modify your actions if necessary, to keep you in the flow.  The feedback can be negative as well as positive and can enable you to move on and progress. Feedback can come from yourself or another person. So take the time to record your workout activities in a journal so you can get a good idea of how you are doing. It is a good way of noting if what you are doing remains interesting to you and has not become too easy. If necessary update your goals. You may also benefit from a personal trainer who can offer you professional feedback on your progress.

If you watched the Olympics recently, you will know that there is something for everyone. So don’t be afraid to give it a go.