Few words incite mixed emotions like the often-dreaded “E” word: Exercise. Yeah yeah, I know you’ve been meaning to get back into it. Your schedule doesn’t work with being more active right now. There just isn’t time in the day. We’re all tired at the end of the day. Let’s skip the endless list of reasons why exercise doesn’t happen and get to why reconsidering your perspective on this might be helpful.
I could use this blog to cite study after study about the research backed psychological benefits of exercise and mental health. (If you’re interested in learning more about that, a good article is linked below). I could use this blog post to share specific tips, hacks, or tricks to incorporate exercise into your day to day routine. I won’t do either of those though, I’ll instead simply share my own experience and perspective.
Weightlifting was, and still is, the form of exercise that I resonate with the most. Lifting started as a way to hang out with friends and mess around with free weights after school. Today, it is a critical element of what keeps me mentally healthy. I’ve learned an incredible amount of life lessons through blood, sweat, and protein heavy meals
“Process over result”
I learned that all great goals take time, persistence, and patience. I learned that if I wanted to bench press 225lbs, I first had to bench press 85. And then 90, and then 95, and you get the point. There are no shortcuts (seriously, there aren’t). The cliche applies: it’s about the journey not the destination.
“Knowledge is Power”
If I can learn to keep my vision both short and long term, I will have the presence of mind to take my weightlifting journey one week at a time while also setting longer term goals for myself. I also learned the value of not trying to “reinvent the wheel”. After my early experiences and progress “messing around” with weights, I learned about progressive overload (keep increasing your weights) and educated myself about my body and how to use my muscles more intentionally.
“Embrace the Pain”
I also learned that there will most definitely be challenges. There will be plateaus when I thought I’d never accomplish a goal. There won’t necessarily be anyone to force me to the sidelines; I will need to discipline myself and be responsible with how I navigate the strains, injuries, and fatigue.
“My Struggle is Normal”
Pushing through these mental/physical barriers won’t be easy, and that it’s going to feel like quitting makes the most sense sometimes. However, it’s not hard because I’m not good enough, or not trying hard enough. It’s hard because it’s supposed to be hard, because if it were easy everyone would be able to do it. My struggle is normal, and there will always be a degree of hardness to the work, and this is nothing I’m not capable of if I keep working on it.
You’ll notice I didn’t list any of the ways in which weightlifting benefitted me. To me, they’re pretty straight forward: improved mood, more confidence, more energy, better sleep, satisfaction of achieving goals etc. These all matter, but it’s the “Iron Lessons” that have strengthened me against external and internal pressures of life. I genuinely hope everyone can find their own “Iron Lessons”, in whatever form of exercise they choose!
To learn more visit: https://health.gov/news/202112/physical-activity-good-mind-and-body
