I believe in the power of perseverance. I do. I know that the key to success is ultimately to keep going after inevitable failures. However, not all projects, goals, jobs or relationships MUST be seen through to the end. This can be difficult to admit. We are taught that quitters never win. I used to have mini-breakdowns every time I dropped a class, quit a job, or changed my mind about a project I had started. I hated being a “quitter”. That wasn’t who I was. Eventually, I learned that it can be okay to quit. I can trust myself to know when it's time to stop. Sometimes I quit because new approaches aren't having the desired outcome. Sometimes I quit because I honestly no longer care to complete the goal. I don't throw my hands up and walk out the second it gets tough. Only after evaluation (and a gut-check) do I decide to walk away. At times, it can be relatively simple to determine that quitting is the right course of action:
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At a doctor’s appointment in my early 20s, I asked what a healthy weight goal would be because I was once again in the midst of trying to lose weight. The doctor said, “Anywhere is better than where you are right now.” I remember it so vividly because it angered me, yet simultaneously validated my desire to be smaller. I weighed 175-180ish pounds at the time and was a size 12/14. He added, “You could get to 140. You’d be pretty thin.” At 5’10”, I had weighed anywhere from 160 to 190 since my teens…140 wasn’t a weight I had seen in many years. I don't think that doctor had my health in mind when he mentioned that number.
Stress can be a good thing; it gives you that kick in the butt to perform well. Too much stress on the other hand will result in physical and mental manifestations. The on-going, negative, daily stresses that build up over time can have massive impacts on your quality of life. Unrealistic deadlines, “not your favorite” co-workers, traffic, arguments with a loved one, aging parents, childcare, illnesses or injuries, unexpected repairs, insomnia, watching the news = STRESS! Just reading that list made me feel it! We all have variable doses of stress throughout our lives and when it's not well-managed, it adds up. If we look at women with very similar situations and sources of stress, we’d still find differences in perceived stress levels and how each is affected by them.
How do you address your stress? Do you open a bottle of wine, grab some pizza, and complain to a friend? I’m not gonna lie, that sounds ideal when you're dealing with an unexpected rough patch. However, for ongoing day-to-day stress that is affecting your life, you've got to have some other strategies. Several forms of coping, such as reliance on alcohol, will eventually make you feel worse. And it matters because chronic stress can have a significant impact on your health and well-being. Chronic stress has been shown to have numerous effects on the body. Immune function, cardiovascular health, and gastrointestinal processes can be negatively impacted. Stress influences hormones which influence metabolism and appetite, leading to changes in weight and energy levels. Hormones also affect recovery rates from illness or injury, ability to sleep, mood, and more. Chronic stress can impact relationships at home and at work. According to the American Psychological Association Stress Survey in 2014, 48% of those polled said stress had a negative impact on their personal and professional lives. Social support increases chances of succeeding in exercise and healthful eating efforts. It follows that if relationships are strained, it will be harder to find dependable social support. When under chronic stress that is continually pushed down or ignored, it will likely manifest in changes to your health, energy, mood, and/or relationships. That's kind of a big deal! If you are working on improving dietary and exercise habits but you don’t address chronic stress, you aren’t likely to get very far. Even if exercise itself helps; addressing stress is an essential part of a comprehensive fitness plan. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as an “unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.” It is more than data received from the body. The reason we perceive physical pain is not always simply due to tissue damage. Pain is complex. One thing is for sure, everybody hurts…sometimes. And it seems more of us are in pain more frequently.
When we are in pain, we don’t want to move. The more it hurts, the less you move. The less you move, the more things hurt. It's a vicious loop. Maintaining regular movement is absolutely critical to a healthy, functional body and a fulfilling life. Not only that but studies suggest that exercise can provide pain relief equal to medication in some cases. Your body was meant to move but how do you do that when you are experiencing musculoskeletal pain? Of course, it's imperative to be checked out by a medical professional; pain can be a sign of underlying pathology. Second opinions are also a great idea. You want to be cleared for exercise so that you do not exacerbate any injuries or medical conditions. If your doctor or physical therapist tells you that you can proceed, you should! I am asked about pain in some form every few weeks. A certified personal trainer (CPT) cannot diagnose or treat medical conditions. But a CPT can help you get moving if you are ready, able, willing (and cleared!) Here are a few important things to keep in mind. |
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