Do you ever think I could never do that?

When it comes to exercise, do you ever think “I could never do that”? Perhaps you think a type of exercise is too hard for you or that you aren’t the sort of person who could do it. Perhaps you feel you are so far away from where you want to be health-wise that you don’t know where to start.

Of course, running long distances or lifting weights might initially be too much, particularly if you haven’t done that type of exercise before. However, when we have thoughts such as “I could never do that”, then what is stopping you from participating are your beliefs about your capabilities and thinking that these will always stay the same.

These “limiting beliefs” can end up holding you back. Your future ends up being dictated by your limiting beliefs, rather than being determined by your values and potential for growth.

Can you challenge yourself?

When it comes to movement there are so many options - there’s no right way to exercise. We are big believers in doing exercise you enjoy. However, your decision to not do a type of exercise should be because it doesn’t interest you, not because you fear it or think you can’t do it and there’s no point in trying.

We want to support people to not be limited by fear or rigid beliefs about themselves. It’s one of the adventures of life - to get outside your comfort zone and expose yourself to things you don’t think you can handle.

So maybe you can’t run 5 miles right now or do a triathlon. But you don’t have to try and do the whole thing. Instead, you can start small and inch into the discomfort zone bit by bit. We dare you to challenge yourself and see if you can try something you think you can’t do. Be curious instead of locked in by your beliefs.

It’s natural to feel trepidatious about physical discomfort and effort, because it is inherently unpleasant. What’s more, you don’t have to do a vigorous form of exercise (e.g. running, high-intensity interval training, rowing or Cross-Fit, to name just a few). The “no pain no gain” message that has proliferated throughout the world of fitness has painted a narrow picture about what effective exercise really is. However, we often see people feeling they can’t even consider a vigorous activity because it is “too hard” for them, and they “aren’t the sort of person” who could manage it.

Sure, something like marathon running or Cross-Fit might initially be too much, particularly if people haven’t been active before. But the problem with those statements we just mentioned is that what is stopping the person from participating is anxiety and their idea of their potential capabilities, along with the notion that these will always stay the same.

When actually, it’s entirely possible for anyone healthy and able to try these things. But their future is now dictated by this one belief, rather than being determined by goals, values and actual possibilities. The belief then remains, which continues to limit them.

As we said, you don’t have to try vigorous or physically challenging activities. But that decision should be because they don’t interest you, not because you fear them or think you can’t do them therefore there isn’t any point in trying. We want to help people to not be limited by fear or rigid beliefs about themselves, instead transcending those. It’s one of the adventures of life, to deliberately expose yourself to things you don’t think you can handle. Hero’s journey - be willing to be the fool.

So maybe you can’t run 5 miles right now, or do a triathlon. Maybe you can’t even run a mile. But you don’t have to try and do the whole thing. Start small. Inch into the discomfort zone bit by bit - I dare you.