The science regarding the benefits of exercise is resounding.
And while we’d do well to listen to it, it’s equally important to listen to ourselves.
What happens to us on a personal level via exercise, and in particular during resistance training?
For instance, what do we notice that’s impactful?
What I’ve learned from my time in the gym is really quite simple. What’s done in the gym serves as a practical metaphor, utterly applicable to one’s larger life.
The exercise experience
What happens when we place weight in front of us and attempt to move it?
We are first and foremost, despite any doubts and insecurities, placing ourselves in the crosshairs of a challenge. Engaging it.
And then (assuming we move the weight) we are overcoming that challenge.
This simple act re-programs our brains. It moves us from I can’t and I’m not sure to I can and I have so I can again.
The next time we meet a challenge—in the gym or beyond—our mindset has changed.
This microdose of accomplishment may be the most profoundly transformative aspect of exercise.