Checking out – Do we miss an opportunity?

StaceyL76
StaceyL76 Posts: 711 Member
in Motivation and Support
Checking out or distraction – Do we miss an opportunity for personal growth?

I personally cannot stand running on a treadmill. When I talk myself into doing it, I usually have to find a way to distract myself to get through it. The only time that I am not bored is when I am engaged and challenging myself. It is in those moments that I grow.

I am just getting back to the gym after a pretty long break and I decided to start jogging as part of my workout strategy. I am in my 2nd week and I was finding myself not wanting to do this, I didn’t want to go and run on that damn treadmill! I don’t mind running outside, that I rather enjoy it, except in frigid temps or even just colder weather. Tonight, I told myself to just start with 6 minutes of run time then walk to recover and go again for another 5-6 minutes and recover- that was my plan.

Well, for me the first 5 minutes is always the most painful, I just wait to get over that uncomfortable feeling. As I am about 2 minutes in.. I am talking in my head, saying oh I don’t know if I can do this tonight. Uuugghh. I focused and pushed through and when 7 minutes hit I was comfortable and past the pain. I had to talk myself through it but I did it, not very cheerfully, but I did it. Then I recovered and I set a goal for 5 minutes of jogging time and this is where I noticed that I was looking for a distraction. In my music, in my thoughts, on the screens that that gym has going, I wanted to check out! Just allow the treadmill to zip underneath my feet without any thought to it.

This is not what I want out of my workouts! I want to focus on form, functional movement, how my body is feeling with each push off the treadmill. (How many of you feel at times the treadmill is just taking you for a ride, that you are basically rebounding to keep from flying off? I don’t want that so I focus on pushing each stride.) I put a stop to seeking that distraction and stayed present- encouraging myself to push, reminding myself that you have to push through challenges to gain growth. These mental hurdles are the hardest for me. I was being a brat! I didn’t want to deal with the discomfort jogging on a treadmill brings on for me.

I felt so good after I finished that 5 minute interval and the subsequent intervals I did tonight. I was really there for myself tonight. It was a high, a familiar one as I do challenge myself at times. I wonder how different I would have felt had I checked out, would I have surpassed my original goal as I did tonight? Tonight’s challenge wasn’t physical, it was mental. There have been so many times when I have just gone through the motions to get a burn in. I wonder where the difference in where I would be had I not checked out of so many of those workouts?

This experience has me wondering, how much opportunity is lost when we check out? I think of those challenging workouts that cause one to truly be present and I think they bring something of real value to the table.

What are your thoughts or experiences on this?

Replies

  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Interesting point. I dislike cardio in general, but the more I focus on how my body feels through it, concentrating on the muscle movements, the faster time does seem to go for me. You speak truth.
  • YoungDoc2B
    YoungDoc2B Posts: 1,593 Member
    If you hate running on the treadmill, why do it?
  • Corkline
    Corkline Posts: 107
    After 10 min on the treadmill I want to scream I'm so bored. And if I don't have a distraction, game over, I'm off and I'll find something else to do. I also zone when I'm running outside, scenery, other runners, etc. I find it meditative. So yes, I check out, but sometimes that's what I need. Time to think, problem solve, etc. I'm not looking for meditating on my body.... I'll save that for yoga!
  • Adam_72
    Adam_72 Posts: 7
    Treadmills are challenging - mentally

    I get bored on them , I get bored running in general. I hate road running.

    The main difference with the treadmill is the stats that are available to you , from them I tend to use them to better myself , longer distances , quicker times. This helps me as I don't have that accurately available when running on the road.

    I cant say I just go for the ride - check out , I think I would fall off if I did but the more I push myself , especially in distance , as I said I hate running ( even though I am doing a lot atm ) I tend to struggle mentally , I lose focus on the music in my ears and I'm fighting the head not to give up.

    For 5km is easy now , 2 months ago that wasn't realistic , now 10km is manageable , after 10km the battle in the head intensifies , yesterday I got to 12km and the head won , and I stopped . Im sure the body could have got to 15km.

    Like most things , eating lifestyle and exercise be it cardio or strength , you have to win the battle of the head.
  • ericadawn92
    ericadawn92 Posts: 346 Member
    I COMPLETELY relate. I also hate the treadmill, more due to the mental challenge it poses than the physical. Getting in the right mindset really makes all the difference! I definitely have tried to switch my thinking from "oh my gosh I hate this SO MUCH" to more positive and motivating thoughts. It's definitely easier for me to do when I'm running outside...I end up just getting distracted by nature or the neighborhood I'm running in, which is much more pleasant than staring at a wall or TV screen...

    Anyway, just wanted to say I relate :)
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
    What a great topic.

    I also much prefer the outdoors to treadmill. I honestly don't like running at all, so the fact that I'm indoors looking at myself in the mirror while all sweaty -not my favorite reflection of myself - its almost too much to handle.

    I had some of the same thoughts tonight while in the hotel gym. I am just hopping really not running. But I upped the incline and speed and challenged myself. Even so I burned much fewer calories than when on the hamster trail ( way too much sawdust half the year).

    I think I focused on my stride and footfalls much more...my form was good and I was able to maintain my abdomen tension so as to support myself. I think my form was better and that will give my body good muscle memory for the future.
  • libbymcbain
    libbymcbain Posts: 206 Member
    An old yoga teacher of mine used to tell me that concentrating on what you were doing while performing a physical activity improved your performance and how quickly you improved about 10%. This is pretty common thinking in martial arts and other eastern physical training systems apparently.

    There seems to be some scientific backing for this- this study shows how people managed to strengthen muscles in the hands and elbows by just thinking about doing the exercises- they didn't improve as much as much as people who did the exercises as well. but they did improve. So thinking about it works, doing it without thinking works, but what works best of all is doing it while thinking about it.

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393203003257

    I think it might be something to do with the link between the nervous system and the brain- if you practice doing something mentally you are building that pathway, even if you aren't increasing the size of the muscle there. Lots of yoga teachers talk about the "subtle body"- all the nerves connections and so on. Making improvements in how you interact with that aspect of yourself is an important aspect of fitness in yoga- especially so you believe you can do things you have no experience of having done before.
  • newmein2013
    newmein2013 Posts: 674 Member
    I need music or I'll go insane. I do prefer running outdoors as opposed to the treadmill but it's just too cold for me. I focus on my workout (breathing, intervals, sprinting & incline) but I kinda have a routine that I stick to & on days I'm feeling really good, I just kick it up a notch. But I do it unconsciously b/c I'm definitely lost in my music. The beat of the music sets the tone for my WO & then I'm in autopilot. I always feel relaxed afterwards and that I gave it my all (unless I was sick & just pushed through to get it done.)
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
    I zone out all the time while running. I just throw on my headphones and go. It helps me go further honestly if im focusing on my running I'm sitting there focusing on my legs and every pain or minor cramp or strain in them and finding myself wanting to stop. So i love just zoning out and going. However I know I'm going to fall off the treadmill one of these days from not paying attention. I've had a couple close calls already .

    I don't particularly like running but it helps me get through it
  • StaceyL76
    StaceyL76 Posts: 711 Member
    These are great great replys everyone. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and some facts with me. = )
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    The average human spends 50% of their waking time "checking out" or daydreaming. It's a perfectly normal, and actually necessary thing to do. Your brain can only process so much data and make so many decisions at a time, before it needs to phase out. The trick isn't to avoid zoning out, but to recognize that it's something you need to do, and plan for it.
  • StaceyL76
    StaceyL76 Posts: 711 Member
    The average human spends 50% of their waking time "checking out" or daydreaming. It's a perfectly normal, and actually necessary thing to do. Your brain can only process so much data and make so many decisions at a time, before it needs to phase out. The trick isn't to avoid zoning out, but to recognize that it's something you need to do, and plan for it.

    I understand that we all need time to just let go. I was just wondering if others have thought about what we may be missing out on by choosing to do so in our workouts. I don't plan show up at every singel workout - I too use workouts to just let go. I may show up more often now though.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    I find that I'm the opposite. If I don't check out somewhat while doing my cardio I tend to not be able to go for as long or as hard. If I'm focusing on how I feel I find that I tend to psych myself out and convince myself that I can't do it. Just today I was able to run for over a mile straight through and I only attribute that success to "checking out". When I first started my run, I was focusing on how I felt, my legs, my stride, how it felt running at the incline, how high the incline was going to go up in 15 seconds, etc. At only 90 seconds in I was convinced I wasn't going to make it, but then I reminded myself that I knew I could make it at least 1/2 a mile and then I would take it from there. I was listening to a book and I started focusing on that instead of the run and the next thing I knew I had only 2 minutes left!

    I also notice that when I'm doing treadmill work with my friend on the treadmill next to me I tend to go faster at higher inclines than I do when I am going by myself listening to a book. Actually having her by my side to distract and encourage me is what convinced me that running on a treadmill wasn't so bad after all.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    Yeah I totally get you. I used to do the same thing and it made me hate exercise. I stopped going to the gym and do all my workouts at home or outside. When I run outside, I wear my HRM and manage my speed with my heart rate and am constantly thinking about form. When I'm working out inside (usually Jillian Michaels videos) I really focus on the movements and what they are trying to accomplish (strengthen shoulders/chest, or quads, or obliques, etc.) and picture my muscles getting stronger with each movement. I've never worked out like this before and I'm not sure what made me start, but I've been going strong for 7 months and am in the best shape of my life. I didn't really connect this until your post.
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
    I hate the treadmill. Find workouts you enjoy doing or you find challenging!
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    I try to focus on my time on the rower and the weight machines and when I go for a jog I focus for most of it, too. But in order to squeeze a bit more time and calorie burn from my workouts I will often sit down on the stationary with a book and peddle away.

    (Dear Mr. Martin, if you don't bust out another 1000+ page Game of Thrones novel soon I'm sending that lady from Misery to your house! :laugh: )

    It sometimes gets me amused looks from other gym members, who tend to be a very fit crowd, but I don't care. I have twenty pounds left to lose and inefficient exercise is still better than none at all!
  • bids55
    bids55 Posts: 36 Member
    I hate thinking about getting on ther treadmilll but love it when I am on. I zone out and love it as it makes time go by much faster. Change my playlist at least once a week. If I miss a session I feel like crap for missing . If I get on I usually only feel like crap for the first 5 minutes and then all is good. The mind is a complex thing.....it can inspire greatness or failure.

    Henry Ford said it best......"If you think you can or your think you can't ....both are right"
  • StaceyL76
    StaceyL76 Posts: 711 Member
    I hate thinking about getting on ther treadmilll but love it when I am on. I zone out and love it as it makes time go by much faster. Change my playlist at least once a week. If I miss a session I feel like crap for missing . If I get on I usually only feel like crap for the first 5 minutes and then all is good. The mind is a complex thing.....it can inspire greatness or failure.

    Henry Ford said it best......"If you think you can or your think you can't ....both are right"

    Indeed. Great post. Thanks.

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