The world of wellness can be a confusing place. One minute you're told to eat "clean," the next minute everyone's adding protein powder (which is highly processed, by the way) to everything but their toothpaste. 🤯
I, for one, am ready to tune out the info overwhelm and tune into ways to really motivate our midlife bodies for MORE!
Introducing Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?– a monthly series where I debunk the fads and look into angles intended to help you approach your wellness endeavors with more motivation and purpose. My goal is to share thought-provoking information that helps you build simple, sustainable strategies for supporting your wellbeing.
For Volume 1, we're tackling a topic near and dear to my biceps: Strength Training – Your Secret Weapon Against Stress.
Now, I know that some of you might be thinking:
- "I don't like lifting weights."
- "I don't have time."
- "I'm afraid of getting injured."
or
"If one more person tells me to lift weights....."
For the purposes of this "exercise" let's put our objections aside, just for a moment. I promise you can pick them up when we're done, but be warned - you may not want to!
I believe strength training shines when the motivations behind it are viewed through a personal lens—like looking through a View-Master, each click revealing a new and inspiring image of what strength means to you. This perspective helps us move beyond *just* a focus on aesthetic gains or "instagrammable" physical feats to include things like building resilience and tenacity to support you through stressful times in your life.
One of my favorite ways approach lifting weights is to focus on Stress Inoculation Training as a motivator.
Um Whut?
Stress Inoculation Training is technique used by therapists to help build mental resilience by gradually exposing a person to stressors in a controlled, supportive environment. While largely a technique used in cognitive behavioral therapy, Stress Inoculation Training does not involve physical training per se. Rather, it's controlled exposure to a stressor over a period of time that helps someone build coping strategies.
Whether training clients or myself, I've noticed the many parallel themes between the positive mental benefits of strength training and one's ability to navigate through stress in their life. For example, when you lift something challenging, you're not just training your muscles; you're training your mind to overcome obstacles.
From figuring out how to organize your body so the lifting can be possible, to mentally navigating through each repetition to follow, strength training has the potential to build that "I can do this!" attitude - even in the face of uncertainty.
But there's more to it than just a hard workout.
Are you ready to learn how to approach strength training differently?
*By no way does this article intend to suggest that strength training can or should take the place of CBT. Rather, it is meant to draw a parallel between different stress management techniques and how they lend themselves to building resilience in challenging times.
This blog exactly describes the themes we're working with in my upcoming program, Inner Strength, Outer Peace.
Learn more about how below:
February 15 - March 22nd
In this program, you'll:
- Work with your breath to meet the needs of your nervous system when experiencing stress.
- Strengthen your core musculature to build a solid foundation for physical and emotional resilience.
- Explore mindfulness practices to manage stress and enhance self-awareness.
- Develop a personalized toolkit for navigating life's challenges with more grace and ease.
Included In The Program
- Weekly movement class
- Weekly integration assignment (it's simple and fun!)
- Weekly audio mindfulness practice
- Participant Group Chat
- Ongoing access to all materials
I promise you that this isn't just another movement class. It's a heart song from me to you and a chance to release and replenish the energy we need to stay focused and resilient. It's something for YOU to receive and enjoy.
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