About half way through my running journey, I decided I needed some strength training to help increase my running distance, improve the feeling of the run (I felt like I was landing heavy and didn’t have a spring in my step), and to reduce random niggles. My physio brain knows the many benefits of strength training, but there was something inside of me that resisted returning to the zoo of grunting weight lifters, cardio bunnies, and machine hogs. My ego always loved telling me I should go harder, lift heavier, run faster, regardless of what my body was telling me.
Which begs the question, when starting a new habit, how much do you listen to your body? Or do you find yourself obsessed with the results? Afraid that if you allow your body to do whatever it wants you’ll find yourself sinking into the couch, watching the 20th episode of some trashy TV, and at the bottom of a bag of chips? (Which are actually all great things to do from time to time. Anyone else obsessed with Selling Sunset???)
I’m here to tell you, listening to your body does not equal “giving in” to all its wants and desires. Although depending on your journey sometimes it does require allowing your body whatever it wants and then resurfacing to find balance. But today, we are talking about a subtle awareness to know when the body is resisting (telling you “I don’t want to do this") because it’s something new, or because it actually needs to rest/modify the type of movement. This is flexing your gentle discipline muscles.
I’ve learned gentle discipline through yoga. Gentle discipline gives me the freedom to listen to my body while staying consistent. Because we know that consistency is king if you want to make a change in anything in your life. But it is only the acute awareness through yoga that I have learned how to decipher between, “my body needs rest or I’m building a habit so I have some resistance to this new thing, so I can, healthily, keeping pushing.”
New habits cause uncertainty and angst within us. Our brain wants to be able to predict what’s going to happen. If we’ve never been to a gym or it has been a while, thoughts can flood in, “what if I look like an idiot because I don’t know how to use the machines? Or what if people snicker at me because I can only lift light weights? What if I hurt myself? What if I can’t do what I used to do?” Any one of these thoughts could keep you planted right where you are in the safety of your normal routine. But if you truly want to make a change you have to muster up the courage do the scary thing. But here’s how I used gentle discipline to achieve consistency at the gym to help reach my goals.
I first tried to go for 1 hour 2-3x a week. The plan was cardio for 20min then strength training and a bit of stretching at the end. I was pumped. Ready to smash it. When I started the weight lifting part, mannnnnnnnn it was over it in about 1 exercise. I thought, “I don’t want to do this. Why am I even here!?” So, I noticed my body and tuned in. My heart rate had increased, my muscles had tightened, my hands went clammy. I was feeling anxious. I could’ve easily said to myself, “Quit complaining and stop being so lazy. You’ve done 5 minutes of training, you can’t leave now it’d be pointless.” But I noticed what I was feeling and I knew my nervous system had had enough. I honoured my body and left. That day, the achievement was that I even set foot in the gym.
I continued to try to stay for an hour, but same issue came up. This made it difficult to stay consistent. One day, I remember telling myself maybe I’ll just do 1-2 strength exercises and leave. That meant 15 minutes in the gym (if I decided not to do cardio that day). Who have you ever heard of that goes to the gym for 15 minutes?
Well I did.
When I gave myself permission to do a couple of exercises and leave, believe me when I tell you, you could see the stress leave my body. The flood gates of ease and freedom opened up. My muscles relaxed. My breathing slowed. I even smiled. Although this is something I would have never done in the past, it was exactly what I needed.
By changing the intensity and giving myself grace, I started to build consistency. I started seeing results. Getting stronger, feeling better with my movement and capacity to run. I also, very slowly, started to strength train for longer periods. Two exercises became three, then four and so on. I found with small chewable chunks of training I could manage and it felt enjoyable.
So what do I do when I'm trying to decipher between - my body needs rest - and this is the right time to push my comfort zone and build consistency? Most often, I ask myself, “If I go, will it make me feel better?”
Now, let’s stop here for moment. Because the fitness industry will tell you, “you always feel better after a workout.” Or, “there’s no such thing as a bad workout.” But I’ll be pretty blunt here.
They are wrong. Completely wrong.
If you haven’t slept well, and you’re overwhelmed with stress from work, relationships, kids etc…. A HIIT (high intensity interval training) class probably isn’t going to make you feel better. Movement in general may make you feel better, but
what type of movement you choose needs to align with your energy levels and body’s needs.
So when I ask myself this question, “will you feel better after this workout?”, I’ll typically close my eyes and stay quiet. I listen and feel into what my body is telling me. If I start to feel that anxious type, increase in heart rate, shallow breathing, tense muscles, to me, that means I either need to choose a different form of exercise (e.i. dance around house or yoga instead of running/lifting) or I need to modify at the gym (i.e. less exercises, different sets and reps, try a class). If I feel a more of a, “I’m just kind of bored of the gym and it feels like a mundane thing to do, but I still have the engird available”, then I typically go to the gym as usual and monitor how I feel through out the workout. Change things up as needed.
Now, if we come back to making a decision to change the type of movement, I have a bit of a list of questions to help me find exactly what I need to re-energise for the day:
What if I only strength trained?
Then I notice what my body does/how it feels.
What if I only do cardio?
And notice how my body feels.
Would I rather do a led class?
How does my body feel?
Would I rather stay home and dance around the living room?
How does my body feels?
Would I rather do yoga?
Would I rather go for a walk?
Would I rather read a book and journal?
Would I rather meditate or listen to an interesting podcast?
Then listen to how does my body feel?
And then… here’s the big kicker… the big reveal…
I honour that.
Because more often then not, giving my body what it needs actually fuels it to help me achieve my goals, with ease. Discipline without suffering? Yes. Yes. Yes.
In the tradition of yoga, the word 'tapas' is often translated into the word 'discipline'. Tapas is the third Niyama of the 8 limbs of yoga. In Saskrit, 'tap' means ‘to burn’ which creates a fiery discipline or passion within us. But yoga teaches us that it doesn’t always have to be serious and rigid. Cultivating tapas can bring us from a life that was given to us to a life we’ve chosen. It empowers us. It shows us that we can be courageous and do hard things. Sometimes those hard things are doing the extra set, trying a new exercise or class, going to train because we know it’ll help achieve your goals. And sometimes, the courageous thing is to rest, modify or change up the type of exercise we choose.
This attunement to our bodies and minds takes time. And like anything, practicing non judgementally, will build this essential skill. Yoga, through asana, pranayama, and meditation, helps build this awareness so you can better serve your body, mind, and soul.
And if you get it wrong and exercise when it would’ve been more helpful to rest or vice versa, then no big deal. Acknowledge and continue to practice as this awareness grows within you.
If you need assistance with returning to exercise, yoga, mindfulness, injuries or pain please reach out and ask. I am here to help.
This is a personal experience of mine while getting back to a regular exercise routine. I would love to hear about your journey with exercise and movement in terms or starting a new type of movement or returning to one after a bit of time off. Do you tune into your body? How do you listen and respond to your needs? Let me know below!
Salar de Uyuni 'Salt Flats', Bolivia
Comments