Getting Over That Mental Block

A lot of working out is mental. Getting up and getting moving takes effort and you have to make the decision first. Recently a coworker of mine has picked up running. Since they know that I’ve run marathons, they asked me for tips on getting over that mental hurdle. It took time to build up to the marathon just as it took time to build up to a lot of the exercises that I do. Here are a few tips on getting over that mental block whether it’s for running or other workouts.

Tip # 1 – Just Show Up

Now hear me out, I’m sure you’ve heard this before and maybe not in a positive light. Sometimes telling someone to “just do it” can have negative impact rather than good. However when you are just getting into a new exercise plan or there’s a programmed run that you aren’t too confident about I’d challenge you to push those anxious thoughts aside and just show up. Show up and do the workout as planned. No expectations, no negative talk (if you can help it), nothing. Just show up, do the workout, and call it a day. After a while, you’ll become used to showing up and getting through it would working yourself up beforehand.

Tip #2 – Pick A Moving Target

This was one of my favorite things to do when I first started running. The beginning of my run journey had many run/walk intervals and I used to use light poles as my targets. I would run from one post to the next and then walk. I slowly began to run two posts and then three and continued on until I didn’t need walk breaks. Sometimes I’ll trick myself completely and not even take a break. For example, this past week I had to do 35 calories on the Assault Bike. I told myself just get to 10 and then you can take a break. Once I got to 10, I told myself I’d get the break at 20 and so on. I kept this up and eventually hit my 35 calories faster than expected! Sometimes a mental nudge helps!

Tip #3 – Break It Down

Marathon training can be very, very daunting. Especially on weeks where my long runs passed 13 miles. I began to dread it and honestly I would get so very bored. My running coach began to write out my workouts in fun ways. He’d break it up into “three, 2 mile runs” or “four, 4 mile runs.” with instruction in between. Telling yourself that can help you envision the feeling and pace of what a two mile run should be like but for a longer duration. During some weight lifting sessions, I do the same. I break up longer exercises into smaller sets and slowly chip away.

I’ve been told that our mind gives up much faster than our body usually does. There’s been workouts when I walked away and kicked myself because I knew I had more to give but my brain made an excuse to stop. Even though I’ve been at this for years, I sometimes have to come back and do all of these things. I believe it’s a life long practice and can have lots of positive benefits!

What are some of your tips and tricks for getting over that mental block?