We all know the importance of listening to our bodies, but in our day-to-day lives, how many of us actually practise it?

In the toxic sphere of productivity culture, we’re all too familiar with being told to train until we drop, to work harder and push longer.

But what if we told you that slowing down, taking stock of how your body feels and taking time to unwind could be the secret to hitting your fitness goals and feeling better in yourself?

In fact, really tuning into your needs and adjusting your training schedule accordingly could help you boost your performance and foster a stronger relationship with your body. If you’re skeptical, fear not. We’ve got the expertise to back it up.

We spoke to four wellness experts to find out exactly how you can start listening to your body and improve your performance…

Self-care has become somewhat of a buzzword in 2022, but taking the time to show ourselves some TLC might actually help us boost performance and stay in tune with what our bodies need.

Former Olympian-turned life coach, mentor and trainer, Michelle Griffith-Robinson, notes that listening to her body by prioritising self-care has helped her get the most out of her training sessions.

“Listening to my body has become even more important now that I am in midlife. Self-care and self-awareness is crucial for everyone,” says Griffith Robinson.

A huge part of figuring out whether we need to take a step back and allow ourselves some me time is monitoring our sleep. Allowing her to track her sleeping patterns, Griffith-Robinson’s Fitbit Sense 2 has given her a helping hand in setting her training schedule.

“My Fitbit enables me to track my sleep and I use this as an indicator of how I am feeling. If I am feeling particularly tired on a certain day, I will alter my training activity, maybe for a flexibility session or a light movement session.”

Listening to your body might mean switching out a heavy lifting session or long run for a gentler mode of exercise like swimming, walking or restorative yoga. With Fitbit Premium (there’s a 6 month membership available with Fitbit Sense 2*) you get access to a Daily Readiness Score** which is an ideal way of deciding if slowing down is your best bet.

If a former Olympic athlete is advising us to make room for self-care, we’re more than happy to oblige.

It’s a sad fact that period talk has been shrouded in cultural shame and largely taboo until recently.

But not keeping an eye on your cycle could be where you’re falling short when it comes to listening to your body. For women who menstruate, it’s a key indicator of how they feel throughout the month and has a significant effect on exercise performance.

Kira Mahal, female fitness expert and CEO of MotivatePT, emphasises the importance of cycle tracking in reducing stress and optimising our training schedules.

“We are especially focused on understanding women’s cycles and the time of the month. During this time, it’s more important than ever to listen to your body. It doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising, as exercise can often help ease cramping and the other side effects, but we can modify exercising to keep it comfortable and low impact.” says Mahal

Think that smashing a full-body HIIT or pounding the pavement is the best way to whip your body into shape and crush your PBs? Think again.

This kind of intense movement is unlikely to benefit you in your menstrual phase as you may be feeling fatigued and uncomfortable. Handily, the Fitbit app allows you to track your cycle throughout the month, making it easier to adjust your routine depending on what phase you’re in.

“In short, the better you get at listening to your body and understanding your symptoms the more effective your training schedule and it will instantly become more sustainable as a result,” says Mahal. 

“It is not about pounding your body with high intensity training at all times. Exercise should be something that does not stop and start, but instead moves with you. Tracking your body, how you are feeling and your cycles, can be done by writing in your journal or calendar, or even better using technology.” 

Moving your body to decide how you should… move your body might sound counterintuitive, but online fitness coach Dottie Fildes identifies it as a great way to tune into your body.

“Using a full-body mobility sequence is a sure way to self-assess how your body is feeling in regards to performance,” says Fildes.

“Something as simple as a walkout, up-dog, down-dog and child’s pose can give a good insight to how your body is feeling and a good forecast into how intense a workout you should do.”

If you’re feeling particularly sore or off-kilter during your full-body mobility check, perhaps you should swap out your lifting session for something a little lighter, like bodyweight pilates or an outdoor jog. 

Fildes adds that having a technological wellness companion is the perfect way to tell whether you’ve got the juice to take things up a notch or whether it’s time to unwind.

“Nowadays, there are incredible pieces of technology to indicate your recovery and read into biochemical feedback. The Fitbit Sense 2 is a great smartwatch that allows you to track key health metrics and gives you guidance on how to help your fitness and wellbeing.” 

Most of us can relate to that horrible feeling of being squished in a rammed Tube carriage as the train screeches to a halt in the middle of a tunnel. Or the dreaded feeling of heading home to a mountainous to-do list that could make Olivia Pope throw in the towel.  

Rising cortisol levels are never good, so it’s no surprise that the stress we accumulate throughout the week can have a negative effect on our performance.

Emma Obayuvana, fitness movement coach and presenter, emphasises the importance of keeping our stress levels under control.

“I try to be aware of how my body reacts to stress,” says Obayuvana.

“If I have a strong reaction to outside stressors or see that the smallest things start to bring my stress levels up, I know it’s time to slow down and take some time to myself to do activities that I find nourishing like yoga, spending more time outdoors or catching up with friends.”

Sometimes, just recognising when we’re feeling stressed isn’t enough to spur us to make a change. That’s why Obayuvana suggests monitoring our reactions to exercise regularly for a more detailed assessment of our stressors so we can make the right changes to our routines.

“I also keep track of how my body reacts to exercise, noticing when something does not quite feel right or seems too easy, or anything else, and this means I can make changes. These changes will be beneficial to my performance and strength/fitness levels. For instance, noticing higher fatigue and depleting strength, means I might need extra rest and recovery and it’s time to dial back. Quite the contrary, in fact. If energy levels are fine but performance is flat, perhaps it’s time to step it up.”

Knowing which forms of exercise sap your energy and require extra rest is crucial so you can go ahead and enjoy elevated performance after proper recovery time.

If there’s anything you take away from the expert advice you’ve mulled over, it should be a renewed appreciation for the art of unwinding and getting in tune with your body. With that in mind, the Fitbit Sense 2 can help you identify patterns of stress with all-day-body-response tracking and smart notifications to remind you to reflect on your emotions throughout the day.

When you’re ready to take the leap and start listening to your body to boost your performance, perhaps just start off with one change like starting to track your cycle or practising full-body mobility sessions.

Want to get in tune with your body and learn how to unwind?

With features to help manage stress, track your sleep and live healthier, the Fitbit Sense 2 will help you prioritise your wellbeing, unwind and feel your power. 

Some features may require a Fitbit Premium subscription. Fitbit devices are not a replacement for medical advice and not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. 

*New and returning Premium users only. Must activate membership within 60 days of device activation (requires valid payment). This membership cannot be gifted. Cancel before end of membership to avoid recurring fees. Content and features may change. T&C apply.

** Daily Readiness Score requires a Fitbit Premium membership. Premium content recommendations are not available in all locales and may be in English only.