Body love #4. Hard work
Body love for optimal body composition
Today we’re talking ‘Hard Work’.
Nothing we have discussed over the course of these posts is applicable if you aren’t willing to put in some hard work.
That should be obvious.
However, your attitude and mindset towards hard work and what it means to you may be the difference between seeing results or not.
Hard work should not be some form of torture or deprivation inflicted on oneself, but instead a healthy dose of stress (examples; exercise, fasting, cryotherapy) that provides a hormetic stress response that essentially makes you stronger & more resilient as a result of exposure to the stressor. Which naturally has its own positive knock on effects, such as; building muscle, burning more fat, mental clarity, improved tolerance and increased energy.
Consider the satisfaction following a gruelling workout, or solving a complex problem. Then consider your response that follows.
Do you;
A. Feel hard done by that you had to undertake these challenges and now feel entitled to berate others who did not withstand the same challenge, whilst reaching for the now well deserved tub of ice-cream.
Or
B. You now feel empowered and motivated to continue on this path of accepting challenges as they arise and will do your best to support yourself to undertake them, with appropriate rest, refuelling and reflection.
If you answered A, you might like to consider some self explorative work to help alter your mindset towards a more positive one. Including a self care, & acceptance (see previous posts).
If you were able to relate answer B, you’re already familiar with the broad range of positive health effects as a result of a little hard work. Which is awesome. I encourage you to continue to reflect on this and use this as motivation as you move forward.
Hard work is a good thing, and is absolutely necessary for physical, mental and emotion growth. So if you want serious physical changes this year, you better start embracing the sweat, pain & discomfort that comes along with it.
But....balance.
Work, play & rest should all fall under the same ‘hard work' umbrella, with each deserving of your full attention and focus.
Remember, life IS hard work. In fact humans thrive on hard work. So if you’re not willing to put it in, you won’t get much out of it. Which is true for all aspect of our lives; gym, our home, relationships, pets, & careers.
Science will show you over and over again that live organisms that are continuously challenged hormetically will live longer and thrive compared to those who don’t #slothlyfe