What Is Mindset, and How Does It Impact Your Fitness Goals?

In our health and wellness journeys, we often place a lot of emphasis on our fitness goals and our nutrition. However, of equal importance is the oft-overlooked aspect of our mindset, which can significantly impact our motivation, perseverance, and our success in achieving our fitness goals.

To shed light on this topic, we talked to mental health experts to better understand what a mindset is, what the different types of mindsets are, and why they matter.

What Is Mindset?

Before we get into the different kinds of mindsets, let’s start with defining what a mindset actually is. Simply put, your mindset is “the way you think about yourself and the world around you,” explains Gayle Weill, a licensed clinical social worker based in New York. 

“Your mindset is a collection of beliefs, assumptions, and attitudes that shape how you approach challenges, interpret experiences, and ultimately, how you interact with life,” she continues. “It's like a mental framework that colors everything you do.”

Put another way, your mindset is a filter through which you view the world. Whereas someone with a more positive mindset might view setbacks as temporary hurdles, someone with a more negative mindset could view the same obstacles as a permanent failure.

What Are the Different Types of Mindsets?

There are many types of mindsets. Below, Weill describes a few key ones:

Growth Mindset

This is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. In fitness, a person with a growth mindset sees challenges as opportunities to improve and doesn’t get discouraged by setbacks. For example, they might view a difficult workout as a chance to build strength and endurance.

Fixed Mindset

In contrast, a fixed mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence are static traits that cannot be changed. In the context of wellness, someone with a fixed mindset might believe they are not naturally athletic and therefore avoid physical activity, thinking it won’t make a difference.

Performance Mindset

A performance mindset focuses on achieving specific fitness goals, such as running a marathon or lifting a certain weight. People with this mindset are often driven by measurable outcomes and may use progress tracking to stay motivated.

Those aren’t the only types of mindsets, of course. Licensed professional counselor Jocelyn Pulver shares a few more:

How to Tell Which Mindset You Have

If you’re curious about your specific mindset you have, Weill suggests asking yourself the following questions:

By reflecting on these questions and how you typically respond in situations, you can gain valuable insight into your current mindset. You can also take time to write down your thoughts and feelings about challenges you face and notice any underlying beliefs and mindsets that pop up. And for a more formal assessment, you could try Mindset Assessments, created by psychologist Carol Dweck, PhD, to determine whether you have a fixed or growth mindset.

“Remember, there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers when exploring your mindset,” Weill says. “The key is to be honest with yourself and identify areas where you might want to cultivate a more growth-oriented approach.”

How Are Mindsets Formed (and Changed)?

Various experiences and influences go into determining how our mindsets are formed, according to Weill. Some of those factors include: 

The good news? If you’re not satisfied with your current mindset, it’s possible to change it. “The process of changing a mindset is like cultivating a garden. It takes time, effort, and consistent attention,” says Weill. To do that, she recommends the following four-step process:

“A lot of times, people think that you have to change your mindset and your beliefs before you change your behavior,” social psychologist Mary Murphy, PhD, professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University Bloomington and author of Cultures of Growth, previously told The Output. “But we know from psychology and cognitive dissonance theory that you don't have to change your beliefs before you change your behavior. And in fact, when it comes to health, wellness, and fitness, oftentimes it's about changing our behavior first, and our beliefs will follow.” 

Changing your mindset also involves the ability to tolerate discomfort, according to Bonnie Scott, therapist and founder of Mindful Kindness Counseling. But remember: That doesn’t mean you should be suffering. Whereas discomfort can help us grow and shift to adjust our mindset, distress kicks off our nervous system’s response to threat.

“Distress isn't worth pushing through because that's detrimental,” Scott says. “But discomfort won't hurt us and that's where we can lean into a growth mindset. Discomfort asks us to rise to a challenge.”

To help push through the discomfort, Scott recommends grounding techniques, such as deep breathing, taking a short walk, stretching, or listening to a guided meditation, such as on the Peloton App.

You could also try the popular 5-4-3-2-1 method wherein, working backward from five, you use your five senses to help quell anxious or racing thoughts. It involves identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.

“As you learn to ground and relax, you can tolerate higher levels of discomfort,” Scott says.

How Does Your Mindset Impact Your Fitness and Wellness Goals?

“Understanding your mindset is crucial for reaching your fitness and wellness goals because it impacts your entire approach,” says Weill. “A positive and growth-oriented mindset can be a powerful tool for motivation, resilience, and ultimately, success.” Below, she explains how:

If you have a growth mindset toward setting and achieving fitness goals, you’ll likely set S.M.A.R.T. goals, which means they’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. 

Realizing you have a fixed mindset, on the other hand, can help you identify negative self-talk, unrealistic expectations, and a tendency to give up easily, which can empower you to shift toward more positive, flexible, and adaptive strategies, according to Weill.

“This awareness allows for consistent effort, intrinsic motivation, and long-term commitment to your fitness journey, enhancing both physical and mental well-being,” she says. “By understanding your mindset and working towards a more growth-oriented approach, you'll be better equipped to set and achieve your fitness goals healthily and sustainably.” 

The Takeaway

Your mindset plays a big role in how you approach your fitness and wellness goals. It influences everything from your motivation to how you overcome obstacles. Shifting your mindset from a fixed one to one of growth can help you set and achieve realistic goals, stay motivated and persistent throughout your wellness journey, and empower you to celebrate your progress along the way.

If you want to improve your mindset and achieve better fitness and wellness outcomes, Weill suggests focusing on self-compassion, visualizing success, finding a support system, and celebrating victories that aren’t related to the scale. But if you’re still struggling to shift your mindset, then it may be time to seek professional help through a therapist or counselor who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy.

“The most important thing to understand about the role of mindset in fitness and wellness is that it's not about having some magical, predetermined way of thinking,” she says. “It's about cultivating a growth-oriented approach that allows you to see challenges as opportunities, setbacks as learning experiences, and effort as the key to progress.”

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.