Your own brain could be your worst fitness foe

November 8, 1:36 AMPortland Senior Fitness ExaminerCaitlin Chock

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Believe that you can achieve!
Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons

The biggest obstacle standing in your way to achieving your fitness goals and getting in the shape you've always envisioned could very well be yourself! In fact, it is a fact that the brain will tell you to give up, let up, or stop well before your body actually ever will. When you begin to tire during your workout, the fatigue signals your brain to tell you to stop. This is actually a survival technique that is well outdated, as the brain is simply trying to protect the body. So when you begin to get winded during your workout and you're being told that you sipmly can't go any further, you may do well to sipmly tell that little voice to stuff it and keep on hoofing it!

We often think of certain feats of strength or achievements as unobtainable. Some imagine a marathon well out of their capabilities, and others shudder at the mere thought of finishing a single mile. Whatever your glass ceiling is, I challenge you to look beyond that as it may come down to a matter of mind over matter. Studies prove that the human body is actually the most evolved and best equipped at handling endurance. Our species may not be able to run at the same speeds as gazelles or cheetahs, but we can keep going long after they tire. This is how citizens in some African and other countries are able to routinely run up to 50 miles a day.

While many of us don't even want to do that, it goes to show what the human body is capable of. It is just a matter of pushing past the discomfort and barriers our own mind sets up for us. In your own workouts and fitness routines, keep this in mind; you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish when you shift your thoughts from, "I'm too tired and I can't go any further" to, "I know I can do it!" It may sound corny, but when you remember that even Oprah, Katie Holmes, and funny man Ryan Reynolds have all finished marathons, it should be further proof that you too can achieve any fitness goals you set out to do!