Don’t like to exercise? Train your brain to think the opposite
Perhaps the thought of exercising gets you, er, running in the other direction! Or you want to incorporate exercise into your routine, but come up with excuses each time. It’s almost always in the mind rather than the body. Now about that mind. A research team from Florida International University (FIU) revealed that our brain, not just our body, is key to how we respond to physical discomfort while exercising. The findings were published in the journal ‘Stress and Health’(opens in new window).
The science of mental strength and resilience
“Maybe you think you’re low-tolerant, that’s your personality, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” commented study co-author Marcelo Bigliassi, an FIU assistant professor who specialises in AI-driven neuroscience and the brain-body connection, in a news item(opens in new window). “Our data is showing the opposite. When we give people who are minimally active and low-tolerant a little physical stress, it gives them a new point of reference or comparison, so it’s easier for them to do something difficult again another time.” Small doses of physical stress are able to rewire mental tolerance. This is what makes it easier to endure when it comes to physical challenges. We can acquire a certain amount of mental toughness by ‘training’ key brain networks to cope better. “We have to remember stress has shaped humanity and is one of the only reasons we are here today,” Bigliassi stated. “So now the question is: How can we use it to our advantage?” Over 30 healthy volunteers who exercised a little or not at all filled out a questionnaire before undergoing two tests. They placed a hand in ice water without moving it or making a fist for a maximum of 3 minutes. Right after, they got on an indoor bike to cycle quickly for 6 minutes. The results showed that the peak intensity was tolerable, and even pleasant and less painful. “[P]ushing our limits changes how we perceive stress, discomfort, and pain and is the only way to build up the cognitive abilities that make you mentally resilient enough to deal with whatever comes your way,” explained Bigliassi. “You have to match the level of complexity to your current capabilities. The goal isn’t to fail, fail, fail because then you’ll only feel terrible,” he added. “We want you to do hard things that are hard for you. Not anyone else. Only you.”
No pain, no gain
They say that there’s no success without hard work. “I guess I like to make people stressed,” Bigliassi concluded. “But it’s because I want them to capitalize on stress, not be afraid of it. If my work helps make someone mentally stronger and more resilient, so they can have a good, long, healthy life, well, that would be amazing.” So the point is to embrace stress, not fear it. Coping with physical and mental stress while exercising helps to develop resilience. Don’t forget that our body and mind adapt through challenge, not comfort.