Slow it Down, Child: Exercise like a Human, Not a Robot

When I sat down at my computer to write this post, I had a million ideas bouncing around in my head, but none of them stuck. For some reason, preaching to you about the health benefits of quinoa or the latest trend to take the fitness community by storm seemed a bit redundant. Although I usually find those sorts of topics electrifying, today, I wanted to do something a bit out of the ordinary. I wanted to talk about something different.

After being tortured by the infamous blinking cursor for a few hours, I finally knew what I wanted to say this Saturday afternoon. Well, actually, I’m going to let someone else say it for me because the author took the words right out of my mouth. In a piece for HBFIT, Ally Love shares a very personal take on the “beast mode,” “no excuses,” “push it to the limit” mentality that dominates contemporary North American fitness culture:  

“We aren’t machines. We cannot push through everything, stretch ourselves thin, or force it all. We conceded that there is pride in feeling like a robot, but there is no happiness. Our lives consist of a symphony of tempos that contribute to our individual rhythm. Something’s motivate us to go faster and harder, while others require us to be slow, meticulous, and thorough. It’s exploring our idiosyncrasies.

When you hit a fitness class or personal training session, I know it can be motivating to feel like a beast–to feel unstoppable. You put on your “beast mode” t-shirt and grunt your way through those reps. This can work but know that this is not how you have to be all the time. You’re only human and that’s not an excuse, that’s a gift. You’re not always going to finish strong but you’re always going to finish. The way to ensure that you cross that threshold is to create complexities in your approach-in your workout, your routine, at your job. Machines do things the same way forever, without a break. Don’t be that thing. You have options. You can run faster longer, slower shorter, uphill harder and downhill lighter. You’re dynamic and resilient, and that’s what makes you unstoppable. That’s what makes you more than a machine. Finding more than one way to improve yourself, inside and out.”  

Ally’s words really struck a cord with me, since I am that trainer who loves to see clients working their hardest during a training session. I push my clients because I want their dream body to become a reality; however, as Ally reminds us, humans are not machines. Sometimes we can’t push through the pain; we need rest. Taking a moment of pause, whether that means decreasing the amount of squats in your routine or running at a slower pace than normal, allows the body to regain strength. Not only can frequently pushing yourself over the threshold result in injury, but also it may push you into workout burnout.   

So, whether you’re exercising with me or on your own at the gym, don’t forget that you’re human. It’s perfectly acceptable if your idea of going beast mode varies throughout the week or the duration of a workout session. The important thing to remember is that you’re making an effort to achieve a better quality life.

Excerpt by Ally Love, courtesy of HBFIT

Photo Credit by Christian Baron, courtesy of Unsplash