Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Prime Day Deals Switch 2 Restock Galaxy Z Fold 7 Wordle Today Best Mattress Best laptops Recommended reading I tried 60 minutes of silent walking every day for one week — here’s how it helped boost my mental stamina This 4-move calisthenics workout builds mental stamina and boosts your metabolism — and I'm hooked I'm a personal trainer — these are my 3 'non-negotiables' for building mental stamina I tried walking backwards every day for 30 days — here's what happened to my body Noise canceling headphones almost killed me, twice I thought power walking was weird — here's what happened when I tried it 30 minutes a day for one week ‘Color walking’ is trending — here’s everything you need to know I ditched music during my workout and exercised in silence — here's what happened to my performance James Frew 18 June 2025 It was a game changer When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) The gravel crunched as my feet swept across the floor. My breath became heavy and labored, so I closed my mouth to inhale and exhale mindfully through my nose. The kettlebell slammed onto the ground, so I moved with more control in the next rep. These are all perfectly normal things that I'd never noticed in my training before. I have workout headphones permanently attached to my ears, blasting motivational music to distract me from the intensity of the session. But whether it was the sun scorching down on the garden or just a moment of rash decision making, I left my earbuds in the drawer, grabbed a kettlebell and pressed play on my workout in total silence. You may like I tried 60 minutes of silent walking every day for one week — here’s how it helped boost my mental stamina This 4-move calisthenics workout builds mental stamina and boosts your metabolism — and I'm hooked I'm a personal trainer — these are my 3 'non-negotiables' for building mental stamina I've been exercising regularly for over a decade since I left college and was even a fitness editor for several years, but I'd never chosen to train without music, and when I gave it a shot this week, it was like the whole world changed. Here's what I learned. It developed my mind-muscle connection I've always used music as a distraction. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to music and it plays a huge role in my life (without it, I probably wouldn't have got my first writing gig reviewing headphones). But I know that, at least some of the time, I use it to block out noises. I live in a city — there's always traffic, planes and construction going on. And I find this constant stream of background noise quite stressful. And it's a similar thing when I'm training; I mostly do high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) workouts. These are short, efficient but tough, and my heart rate skyrockets (thanks to a combination of intense exercise and a chronic health condition). So it's a constant push/pull between enjoying the session and feeling terrible as my heart rate climbs above 170bpm. And that's where music is the perfect way to keep my mind off the difficulty of what I'm doing. But without it, I became more aware of my body. I could really feel my heart thumping away in my chest, how dizzy I felt and the effect it had on my muscles, especially in my legs. You might be wondering why I thought that was a good thing. It allowed me to take a moment to reflect on what was going on and react accordingly. Rather than pushing through when things didn't feel right, I took more breaks, paused the session and gathered myself, improving my form and performance. I was less distracted (Image credit: Tom's Guide) This is a much more practical change, but if you cut out music, you also cut out having to decide what to listen to. I spend a lot of time curating the best workout music into playlists with the 'perfect' selection for workouts, walks, writing and other activities. But you're not always in the mood for a specific song, or it just doesn't quite fit what you're trying to do. Some songs with high BPM (beats per minute) work as running tracks and for high-intensity workouts. Those same tracks don't always hit the mark if you're doing something with more control or focus on form, though. And in HIRT workouts, you switch pretty quickly between fast-paced moves like burpees to controlled exercises like deadlifts. Each round only lasts 45 seconds (a minute with breaks), so you could do three completely different styles of exercises in less time than it takes to finish a single track — meaning you have to constantly change the song to get the right vibe. That's a waste of time, takes you away from your workout and means that you're not actually focused on what you're doing as you're too busy thinking about what song would make the perfect soundtrack for the kettlebell Cossack squat you're about to do. Exercising in silence removes all of that distraction — it's just you and the workout. It was a mindfulness practice One of the ways I manage my chronic health condition is that I meditate. It's been one of the best things I've ever done, not just for helping soften my chronic pain, but it's changed the way I approach life too. It's easy to imagine how you can be mindful (aware of your surroundings and the present moment) when you're having a quiet walk in the park, but less so when you're doing burpees and kettlebell swings to work your muscles and cardio system. But ditching the workout music I usually have streamed into my ear holes meant that I could hear and notice everything. I already touched on how it helped me focus on form more, but there were other changes that had nothing to do with exercise. During a short rest, I heard bird song and looked up to see two wood pigeons gliding across the sky. In the distance, the sounds of someone running a tap to wash dishes gradually hit my ears. All the noise I usually drown out came floating in. I spotted when I didn't lift my feet properly during certain moves as my foot scraped along the floor. During Russian twists, if the kettlebell slammed on the ground, I didn't have enough control. I began noticing more how my performance varied, and when I needed to adjust to get the most from my training. More from Tom's Guide I tried this 10-minute walking exercise every day for a week to build mental strength — here's what happened I worked out with these Chris Hemsworth-approved adjustable dumbbells — and they blew me away I walked for 90 minutes every day for two years — here’s what changed for me Round up of today's best deals Bowflex SelectTech 840 Adjustable $129View Deal See all prices Amazon Basics Cast Iron Kettlebell $26.99View Deal See all prices TRX Kettlebell $91.23View Deal See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Social Links Navigation Buying Guide Editor James is Tom's Guide's Buying Guide Editor, overseeing the site's buying advice. He was previously Fitness Editor, covering strength training workouts, cardio exercise, and accessible ways to improve your health and wellbeing.His first job at as a sales assistant in a department store, and this is where James learned how important it is to help people make purchasing decisions that are right for their needs, whether that's a fountain pen to give as a gift or a new fridge for their kitchen. This skill stayed with him as he developed a career in journalism as a freelance technology writer and, later, as Buying Guide Editor for MakeUseOf, where his interest in fitness combined with his commitment to impartial buying advice. This is how he came to join Fit&Well as Fitness Editor, covering beginner-friendly exercise routines, affordable ways to boost your wellbeing, and reviewed weights, rowing machines, and workout headphones. James is an advocate for sustainability and reparability, and focuses his reviews and advice through that lens to offer objective insights as to whether a specific product or service will be right for your needs. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. I tried 60 minutes of silent walking every day for one week — here’s how it helped boost my mental stamina This 4-move calisthenics workout builds mental stamina and boosts your metabolism — and I'm hooked I'm a personal trainer — these are my 3 'non-negotiables' for building mental stamina I tried walking backwards every day for 30 days — here's what happened to my body Noise canceling headphones almost killed me, twice I thought power walking was weird — here's what happened when I tried it 30 minutes a day for one week Latest in Fitness Think you're tough? Arnold Schwarzenegger has 4 fitness tests that might just predict your ‘expiration date’ New study shows you can exercise less and see better results — here’s exactly how I stink at golf — but I use these 3 products every round to look like I'm good Run, don’t walk! My favorite New Balance FuelCell Rebel V4 running shoes just dropped to $87 Forget sit-ups — build a stronger core and improve your posture with this 15-minute standing abs workout Forget the gym — this park bench workout will help you lose weight and shape up Latest in Opinion Rematch is the soccer game I didn’t know I needed after EA Sports FC 25 let me down I've been using Nespresso's spill-proof iced coffee cup, and it's the best $25 you'll spend this summer iOS 26 is bringing some big Apple Intelligence upgrades — but will they be enough to justify an iPhone upgrade? I've been using the MacBook Air M4 for 3 months — here's my pros and cons ‘Elio’ review: Pixar’s best movie in years is a visually stunning and emotional sci-fi adventure I reviewed this $49 fitness tracker almost a year ago, and I'm still wearing it today — here's why LATEST ARTICLES I've been using Nespresso's spill-proof iced coffee cup, and it's the best $25 you'll spend this summer Forget sit-ups — sculpt your abs in 10 minutes with this standing dumbbell workout I ditched music during my workout and exercised in silence — here's what happened to my performance If ‘Materialists’ left you wanting more Dakota Johnson, this rom-com on HBO Max is for you Remedy's new Control co-op shooter is best played on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus — here’s why Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Terms and conditions Contact Future's experts Privacy policy Cookies policy Accessibility Statement Advertise with us Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Please login or signup to comment Please wait...