Happy Monday Morning Folks! (Yes there is such a thing).
It’s definitely a happy one for me with all these good endorphins roaming round my body. I’ve taught my 5:45am Body Step class and I was surprised at the turn out- these people are dedicated to their Body Step, I love it!
Today was not ideal for working hard and getting sweaty (it can happen!). It was humid, sticky and hot. Which makes ‘hitting the wall’ a lot more likely. If you’re unsure what I mean by this term, it’s like when your reach that point when your mind wants to give up. You feel like you can’t come back from this point and either stop completely or crank down the effort. Whilst hitting the wall can also be a physical sensation and not just a psychological one (see here), it’s my favourite kind of stuff- the stuff most of us overlook, the mental side of hitting the wall that I want to discuss today.
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Mind you, that your hitting the wall could feel and look completely different to mine. As an instructor I don’t allow myself to get to that point because I will admit it’s tough to bounce back from- plus I’m too preoccupied instructing my butt off to notice anyways. However, as a participant I know I’ve hit the wall when I start to doubt myself, shake my head, technique drops and negative thoughts run through my mind.
Thank goodness it doesn’t happen often. Plus I exercise enough that I know how to push through it (practise makes perfect), and I’m pretty competitive and prideful so I don’t like to give up or in (ha, I have an ego).
However, others might be slightly less determined, perhaps they are new or maybe they’re just not as exercise-enthusiastic as I (this is not me pumping myself up just explaining others feel differently about exercise and obviously have different personalities).
How do you break that wall down and push on to do bigger and better things?
- Psyche yourself UP not out.
- Block out your mind and listen and respond to your body. (It can often keep going. Your body usually out runs your mind).
- Have a few motivational and inspirational quotes handy. (If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you).
- Think about how you’ll feel after.
- Remind yourself of past experiences and successes.
- Look at someone who is still going and tell yourself you’ve got to keep up or beat them. (If you like a competitive edge).
- Maybe taking a couple of minutes to breathe, shake it off and grab a drink is all you need to jump right back into it.
Last night as my partner and I were watching an Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary Pumping Iron- Arnie talked about how the last few reps are what makes the difference. It’s in the state of muscle fatigue that changes occur. (Ps. He is an amazingly dedicated and motivated man).
This same analogy can be applied with hitting the wall. When we make it past that wall we achieve greater things- better fitness, greater lung capacity, higher heart rates, bigger and stronger muscles, and so much more!
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- When do you typically hit the wall and what happens?
- What do you do when you hit the wall?
Daily Healthy Thought: I can do it, if I WANT to.