When life gets overwhelming, training is my regulator, is it yours?
Life has seasons. At times everything is cruisy, work is under control, I'm sleeping well, nutrition is on point, I have so much space and time for socialising, and training feels effortless and incredibly enjoyable.
Other weeks? The PhD deadline is looming, anxiety is high, my inbox and to-do list won't stop growing, my brain feels like it's juggling twenty tabs at once and I start to feel disconnected with my body.
I understand that you have probably experienced this too?
But, this is when training becomes really important to me. It becomes my regulator - the thing that helps me cope with everything else.
For me - it helps structure my day & week. It forces me to take 45 or 60 minutes out of my day and switch my thinking brain off, and connect with myself physically. Sometimes I train around people and socialise, other times I put in my headphones and smash some good music.
This routine, the movement, the focus required for each lift, and even the familiarity and comfort of the gym environment help bring me back to the present, giving my mind a chance to reconnect with my body, and reset before stepping back into the rest of life. Even the physical sensations - increased breathing and heart rate, the doing of the hard thing - are a huge regulator.
But its important to remember - Stress is stress. Your body doesn't separate work stress, family stress, financial stress, or hard training. They all contribute to your total load, which is why recognising how you are present during these times, adjusting expectations, and having some sort of framework is so important.
Over the years as a coach, I've noticed people generally respond to stressful periods in these common ways:
Type 1: Life gets busy, stress piles up, and training becomes the first thing to disappear because it feels "optional": They stop training.
Type 2: They come into training, and ironically things feel really good - or at least better than expected. Suddenly they are looking for that win, that instant gratification after a hard day: they go off program and max out.
Type 3: They feel exactly as expected. They expected today to be awful, then they missed their first snatch, the second one felt a bit wobbly, suddenly everything is proof that today is a disaster: And they crash out.
None are "wrong", but there is another option you can lean into.
Type 4: The regulated athlete.
When life feels overwhelming, talk to your coach. Let them know work is hectic, you're stressed, you're not sleeping well, or your head just isn't in it. We are literally here to help you and adjust things where necessary,
Then walk into the gym with no expectations. See how your warm-ups feel. If you're moving well and the weights feel good, great—follow the program. If they don't… drop the weight by 5 kg, or reduce the volume & focus on quality movement and being mentally present.
Instead of seeing it as another task on your to-do list, start viewing movement as medicine. An opportunity to spend 30, 60, or 90 minutes away from life's other responsibilities and reconnect physically. Of course, sometimes resting genuinely is the right answer. But more often than not, some movement is medicine.
The more I train, the more I appreciate training for reasons beyond numbers on the bar. I love a big, heavy session - but I also love leaving the gym with a clearer head than when I walked in. So the next time life feels overwhelming, don't ask yourself whether today's session is going to be perfect. Ask yourself "Can training be the thing that helps regulate me today, rather than another thing I have to get through?".
Because here's the thing to realise… not every training session needs to be perfect, or even exactly to program. Some sessions exist simply to keep you grounded, and to maintain your routine, and allow you to keep showing up when life feels overwhelming.
Feeling overwhelmed and not sure how training should fit in right now? We're offering a free one-on-one session to help you figure it out, come chat with one of our coaches, get a feel for the gym, and let's build a plan that works for where you're at. Book your free session (Link).
— MWBC Coaching Team
