mental barrier

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darcanar
darcanar Posts: 7 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How do you break through a mental barrier when it comes to exercise? I always stop before I should. I know that my muscles and my lungs can be pushed. But once I'm exercising and I start to feel tired, I let myself stop. I'm not dizzy, or in pain, or gasping for air. It's not my body. I'm just tired, and feeling the burn, and my mind says You have to stop! Just stop! and I do.
What do you say to yourself at that point that helps to keep you going?

Replies

  • SarahJayRigdon
    SarahJayRigdon Posts: 113 Member
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    I tell my self "Just 5 more minutes and then we can stop" but after 5 min I think "Well I've made it 5, can I make 5 more?" and eventually I just stopped looking at the clock. Taking group fitness classes really helps me too!
  • tattoogal
    tattoogal Posts: 6
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    This might sound silly but I am a HUGE Biggest Loser fan and when I get to that mental point where my mind says stop but my body could do more I actually think of Jillian yelling me to keep going. Plus I just know that to get results I have to push myself out of my comfort zone. Hope this gives you some ideas.
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
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    I like to listen to my favorite music, stuff that I can get into and I just go! It's hard to stop when you're groovin' with the beat!

    Another thing I do is cover up the time on the machine so I don't see; if there's tvs, I watch tv to distract me. I've always heard it said that the first 20 mins are the hardest; if you get past those then your body gets into a groove and it's easier from there on out. So I just focus on getting to 20 then I set smaller goals thinking to myself "10 more minutes" or "you've got 5 more in you" and cheering myself on in my head.
  • logansmom6106
    logansmom6106 Posts: 27 Member
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    This might sound silly but I am a HUGE Biggest Loser fan and when I get to that mental point where my mind says stop but my body could do more I actually think of Jillian yelling me to keep going. Plus I just know that to get results I have to push myself out of my comfort zone. Hope this gives you some ideas.
    To funny I do the same thing and one of my callanges to my self is if im going to watch TV i got to do a work out for half the show so during the biggest loser I get one hour in and when Jillian is yelling at the pepole on the show i think that she is yelling at me. :laugh:
  • tipusnr
    tipusnr Posts: 572
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    I remember the little guy I used to be and the hard times I took from it and get angry to keep going. Besides that, I find that goal setting really helps me not to quit.

    When lifting, I tell myself not how many reps I've done but how many I have left to go to meet my goal.

    When bicycling, I guide on stronger riders and try to keep up unless I'm by myself. Then I sing songs to keep rhythm or talk positively to myself. (One negative self-comment can KILL the WHOLE WORKOUT!)

    When running or jogging, I break the distance down into fractions and complete fractions until the run is done. I pick people out to try and catch or sing songs. This is the only time that I wear earbuds and an mp3 player with tunes that have hard driving beats.

    I recommend keeping track of your statistics when you work out so that, if you have no other goal to beat, you can set goals to beat yourself.

    Additionally a workout partner really helps you concentrate on something other than how you feel.

    I almost forgot. Not that I recommend this to most people but I'm 55 years old and (thanks to little guy syndrome) I've abused my body a great deal over the years. I have a sensitive disc in my back, a bad knee, joints that ache, and various other bruises so I EXPECT to hurt. My mindset already accepts that there will be pain but the alternative is to sit in a corner a let others have the life I want and I'm NOT GOING TO DO THAT!!
  • tjones7
    tjones7 Posts: 306
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    I am so happy you asked this question I feel the same way except sometimes I do feel like I'm about to die so I stop. I would like to know tips on how to push past the pain
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    I actually was just listening to a Radio Lab podcast that dealt with this exact issue--only to the extreme. It really is a mental game. Our bodies are physically capable of pushing much further than our minds lead us to believe. That said, I'm not sure I have a solution. Mostly I just try to pack a lot into a short workout so that I really can tell myself "only five more minutes".

    Edit: link to podcast. It is really interesting: http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2010/04/05/limits/
  • jessicajoy87
    jessicajoy87 Posts: 905
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    I keep at it. I basically make myself do my whole exercise routine. I always get to the point where I just want lay down and go to sleep butI think about how great I am going to feel when I am done and think thatit is less than an hour its not going to kill me. I don't really know alot about exercising. I hope you break the barrier! Good luck!
  • FabulousFifty
    FabulousFifty Posts: 1,575 Member
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    I watch TV while on the treadmill. I tell myself when I begin I don't have to go past 20 minutes if I don't want to. Then at 20 minutes I always decide to go until the next commercial during a show. Then after that commercial I am ready to wait until the next commercial. I am up to 35 minutes now! You just hang in there and go a couple minutes longer each time. You will amaze yourself! Flip on your favorite show and see if you can make it past commercials! (not too scientific, but it motivates me :wink: - hey, whatever works!)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,118 Member
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    If you are at the gym or with a workout partner, it is okay to push yourself harder than you normally want to. And that is a good thing, I agree with all the mind tricks mentioned above.

    That said, if you are new to exercising, it is normal for you to feel tired and feel you need to rest. The endurance comes with time. You have to work up to heavier workouts.

    The "Biggest Loser" contestants are being constantly monitored and have undergone medical evaluations and there are medical professionals present while those intense workout sessions are going on.

    Be careful. It shouldn't be that hard. Start slowly, work up to intensity, it will come.
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
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    The mind is extremely powerful. Positive mantras are an important tool to have in your pocket. Lots of them. I say to myself repeatedly things like, "I can do this, I am a strong independent woman who can do anything, I am amazing, I am a runner, I am an athlete, no one can stop me, I am doing something amazing for my body, I will not give in....." I think you get the idea. I think it is important to have a bunch of these things that you say to yourself, not just one or two. Some days, certain mantras will motivate me more than others. Think about all the negative things you say to yourself and then turn them on their head....You'll be amazed at where this can take you. You have to shut up the voices that are full of negativity and the best way to do that is to replace them with positive voices. Before you know it, these positive things won't just be "things you say to yourself"....they will be true.

    I really am an athlete now. I am a runner. I really can do whatever I put my mind to.
    Stay strong
    Risa
  • perrim
    perrim Posts: 117
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    I have a few songs on my ipod that just get me going NO MATTER WHAT. So when I feel not so motivated, I play one of those songs to push me through and it works every single time.

    The other thing I always keep in mind is what a trainer once told me. It's the last 20% where you push yourself the hardest and feel the burn where you get the most benefit. Of course, she was talking about strength training, but I have convinced myself that it's the same with cardio too.

    I also just bought a heart rate monitor (again) and for me at least, it's a huge motivator in general.
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
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    UGH! I TOTALLY have a HUGE mental barrier right now too. I've been putting off the big 25 minute run in Couch to 5K for 2 weeks now. I ran the 20 mins and it was hard but I made it through it but now I have it in my head that I can't do the 25 min. I'm so disgusted with myself. :grumble: :mad: :angry: :explode:
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
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    The mind is extremely powerful. Positive mantras are an important tool to have in your pocket. Lots of them. I say to myself repeatedly things like, "I can do this, I am a strong independent woman who can do anything, I am amazing, I am a runner, I am an athlete, no one can stop me, I am doing something amazing for my body, I will not give in....." I think you get the idea. I think it is important to have a bunch of these things that you say to yourself, not just one or two. Some days, certain mantras will motivate me more than others. Think about all the negative things you say to yourself and then turn them on their head....You'll be amazed at where this can take you. You have to shut up the voices that are full of negativity and the best way to do that is to replace them with positive voices. Before you know it, these positive things won't just be "things you say to yourself"....they will be true.

    I really am an athlete now. I am a runner. I really can do whatever I put my mind to.
    Stay strong
    Risa
    Risaaaaaaaaaa WOW Girl you definitely hit a nerve with that, I am so inspired by what you wrote, thanks for taking time to post. We really never have any idea what one of our posts can do for another member!:flowerforyou: :heart: :wink:
  • YogaRunner
    YogaRunner Posts: 652 Member
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    HealthyChanges2 - I'm glad you found my post helpful. We can all reach our goals if we harness the power of our minds. Our minds hand us thousands of thoughts every day. Choose the ones you listen to wisely! And increase the positive thoughts you attend to. It will make all the difference....at mile 23 of my first marathon this past January, I really wanted to just be done already. I had to dig down deep and it was my mind, not my body that got me through to the finish.
    Here's to all of your goals:drinker: Each and every one of you!
    Risa

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