Daily Physical Activity: Our bodies are designed to work hard physically and are short-circuiting in a sedentary digital age. Regular physical activity is something humans must do in order to maintain a sound mind in a sound body and be self-reliant. Luckily, it is something that is designed to make you feel good. Remember that Sweat=Bliss. The more you move your body, the more energy you will have to seize the day. On the flip side, the more sedentary you are the more your life force gets sucked into a black hole where it goes to waste. If you do not move your body regularly, your constitution will deteriorate and you will slowly become more and more fragile and dependent on others for your survival, which is the opposite of self-reliance.
A recent article in AARP magazine said that 'sitting' is the 'new smoking' because inactivity has become an epidemic that is creating health costs which are as high-or higher-than those from tobacco use. Think like a Spartan youth. Embrace the 'pinch of hunger' and start believing that your daily physical activity keeps you brave and sturdy in the face of adversity, and it will! Sometimes you have to use your imagination to cope with truly dire situations.
3. Fortify Mental Toughness: A daily commitment to exercise makes you mentally tough. The act of deciding that you are going to begin and finish a workout everyday fortifies a mindset and habit of perseverance that you can apply to any challenge you face. A seize-the-day attitude is fortified by pushing yourself physically and mentally through an athletic challenge-no matter how big or small it is. You don't have to be running a 10K to feel these effects.
I hate to reference the most over quoted motivational quotation of all time...but what Nietzsche said is so true that I have to say it again: "That which does not destroy me makes me stronger." You can make the concept of almost being 'destroyed' into a game when you're working out. Pushing against your limits in athletics is a fantastic way to flex your ability to persevere through a suffer fest-- "survive" it-- and come out of the experience feeling stronger.
Push yourself harder at the gym. Crank up the intensity and pretend that you are on a quixotic journey--even if you are just on a spin bike or elliptical trainer. Doing this will fortify your mental toughness and create a 'tool-box' of coping mechanisms you can use with other challenges you face in the workplace or job hunt.
When I woke up yesterday it was windy, gray and snowing. The reading on the thermometer was 7° F. I really did not feel like leaving the cozy comfort of my bed to face the brutal headwinds and bone chilling temperatures to go for a long run, which I like to do every morning. But I knew that the process of lacing up my sneakers, bundling up and heading out to complete my daily run would fortify my 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' mindset. Like everybody else, I have to be vigilant about maintaining a tenacious spirit in order to stay upbeat and positive and to keep moving forward in these very competitive and cutthroat times.
Being intimidated by bad weather or tough conditions and then bagging a workout can make you feel like a wimp; whereas if you get out there and push through it you end up feeling much stronger and resilient. Remember this the next time you want to bail on a workout because of bad weather. That said, there's always the option of working out indoors, which is equally beneficial.
