Uncovering the Benefit of Adversity Through your Workouts
FEBRUARY 22, 2021 | WORDS BY JASON KHALIPA
The dictionary refers to adversity as difficulties or misfortune…but when I think about adversity, I add in: challenges, discomforts, and something that disrupts your normal life.
Something I ask myself often is, “as a society have we become so focused on being comfortable that we are not as prepared to deal with the uncomfortable?”
200 years ago, were humans better prepared to address adversity? Since then, we have innovated. We've created air conditioners, cars, and elevators. Most people (not all) on a daily basis are not worried about finding their next meal or seeking shelter. Things that once challenged us thousands of years ago have seemed to slowly fade away. Most of the physical activity ingrained in our history as a species is uncommon today- like chopping wood and carrying water. For many, these physical activities have been replaced by spending time on the computer and on cell phones.
Focusing on being comfortable has its side effects. I have seen it first hand with my children. We try everything in our power as parents to keep our children comfortable and avoid challenges.
SO, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LIFE THROWS THEM OR US A CURVEBALL AND MAKES US UNCOMFORTABLE? HOW PREPARED ARE WE TO NAVIGATE IT? WHAT MINDSET TOOLS HAVE WE DEVELOPED TO OVERCOME IT?
It would be nice to experience something that takes us out of that comfort zone in a safe, manageable, and consistent way. This is where our workouts can provide us a valuable set of skills that I am forever grateful for.
Working out will not make you immune to adversity, nor will it solve all of your problems, but I believe it can help you just like it helps me. My family and I received a dose of adversity when my daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia at 4 years old. I think back to that experience and wonder how well I would have managed had I not used fitness as an outlet for years to develop my mindset and learn to overcome challenges.
Fitness is a safe way to learn to overcome adversity.
Adversity shows up in a variety of degrees and ways. I would never wish upon anyone adversity that they can not handle or overcome. Losing a loved one, carrying a friend to safety, or thousands of other challenges are never something we hope for. This is where fitness and our workouts come into play. It is a safe and effective way to build up a mindset without having life altering, detrimental impacts. It is a safe space where we can feel a sense ( a small sense) of adversity to overcome the challenge of a workout.
Fitness is a manageable way to learn to overcome adversity.
Outside of physical activity, there is rarely a time I can think of that adversity can be managed and regulated like a gas pedal on a car. In your workouts you can speed up or slow down, increase the weight or decrease, add reps or not. It's your choice to set goals and work to accomplish them, to push yourself and get uncomfortable. In life, adversity rarely arrives in this fashion and we should be grateful that there is a tool we can use to build up our tolerance and push the “manageable” meter upwards.
Fitness is a consistent way you can learn to overcome adversity.
Adversity arrives in life through unpredictable patterns and waves. We have all had days that feel like a tornado and others that feel at peace. Our workouts provide us a consistent, safe, and manageable opportunity to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable and strengthen our mindset. Everyday is a calculated opportunity to set aside some time, even if it's 10 minutes, to push ourselves and our minds.
My family and I believe in the idea of “sweating once a day.” This is something we have instilled in ourselves as well as our children. Creating an opportunity to use fitness (tennis, wrestling, workouts, etc) as a catalyst for developing life changing habits is incredibly powerful.
If you aren’t currently exercising or active, me telling you it will help your blood markers or the way you look and feel probably won’t motivate you. But what if I told you there is a tool we can use on a daily basis to enhance our ability to overcome challenges that may face you in the future? Perhaps that will get you moving in the right direction.
