It’s May people! Less than a month away from the beginning of summer. Are you there yet? Have you reached your goals? Have you changed some of your bad habits?

Well, whether you have or not, here’s another one for you to consider.

What do you think (or talk) about when you exercise? Are your thoughts or words positive or negative?

We all know that life throws us curve balls; sometimes at a rate higher than major league pitchers. However, it’s how we handle those off-speed beauties that determine if we get a base hit or freeze, and go down looking.

Your time for exercise is one of the few opportunities you get in a day to actually attack the health effects of those negative thoughts. Remember, this time is for you and your health. Take advantage of it.

If you’re in a bad mood when you’re driving to the gym, turn off your cell phone and put on some of your favorite music. Turn up the volume and try to relax. When you arrive, while you’re changing your clothes or warming up, think positive thoughts. Think about anything that makes you happy. Don’t let the worries of the world sit on your shoulders. You’ll be lifting weights soon enough.

If you’re still in a foul mood and you don’t think you’ve done well with your eating for the week, don’t get on the scale. Leave it for another day. Nothing will make matters worse than seeing that needle go the wrong way!

If you’re working with a trainer and you like to engage in a little conversation, keep the subject matter light and lift heavy. Now’s the time for you to work on yourself, not the problems of everyone else.

When you’re done with your session, if you do cardio, go back to your music. Watching the news may bring back that negativity. If you shower, take a few extra minutes (or seconds for you green people) and let the warm water run over your head and down your back (Lance won’t mind). On the way back to your office or home, don’t rush, and, if you can, keep a positive mental environment in your car by leaving your phone and talk radio off during the commute.

This all may seem pretty obvious to most of you, but I think it’s overall effects might be a surprise. Being in a positive frame of mind can, among other things, include:

Increased life span
Lower rates of depression
Lower levels of distress
Greater resistance to the common cold
Better psychological and physical well-being
Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress