The More Pain you Expect The More You Feel
"You think you need perfect form or you'll get hurt; you're more likely to get hurt if you think you're strong and resilient, you're less likely to get hurt."
This quote struck a chord with me. We all kind of know this intuitively, but hearing it stated so clearly made a lot of sense. Think about that person who's always worried about their form and technique, or the one constantly concerned about their back, knee, or shoulder. What usually happens to them? They tend to get these little injuries all the time. When you expect pain and then feel a little bit, you amplify it in your mind, making it feel more intense than it actually is.
Constantly worrying about your knee, shoulder, or technique can lead to something small turning into something big. On the other hand, if you believe you are strong, resilient, and capable, your body can handle much more. This mindset allows you to brush off minor discomforts like a little knee wobble or shoulder tightness.
How we think about these things over extended periods really matters. Our thoughts affect how we approach everything we do. When we're in the gym, it's a very controlled environment. We don't often get the chance to pick something up with perfect form in real life. But the deadlift, for example, lets us overload that movement. When we can deadlift 300 pounds, picking up something that's 100 pounds in a non-ideal position becomes manageable.
Of course, we should strive for good form and technique, but if we obsess over them to the point where we think any slight deviation will cause injury, we might actually bring about that injury. The purpose of the gym is to prepare us for the real world. When we see a workout as incredibly difficult and constantly tell ourselves it's going to be hard, we often make it worse. Afterward, we feel wrecked because we've convinced ourselves it would be terrible.
But if we approach it differently, telling ourselves, "I like to do hard things," or "I'm ready for this workout," we feel much different during and after the session. Changing our internal dialogue before, during, and after a workout changes our entire experience. This shift in mindset helps us stay consistent and fit for life. We want to kick ass into our 90s and live our lives to the fullest.
Understanding how our thoughts change our physical responses helps us stick with fitness for the long term. We need to respond to events rather than react. If we react to a workout by thinking it’s hard and our technique is off, it will likely turn out that way. But if we respond by thinking about how to improve, we get better over time.
Be mindful of what you say to yourself before, during, and after your workouts. If you expect pain and difficulty, you'll likely experience more of it. If you anticipate strength and resilience, you'll feel stronger and more capable. I hope this helps. If you think this message could benefit someone, please share it. We want more happy, healthy people in the world. By liking and sharing, you help us reach more people. Thanks for taking the time to add this tool to your toolbox. Cheers!
