Step out of your Comfort Zone

Inspiration for this blog post came from an article in Psychology Today by Dr. Sherry Pagoto (www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shrink/201411/the-real-reason-we-dont-exercise). Dr. Pagoto argues that our desire to avoid any discomfort is stopping us from exercising as much as we know we should. Human behavior is often driven by immediate experiences, rather than long-term benefits, which means that people are unlikely to do something that is scary, hard, or uncomfortable now (exercise?), even if that action will result in greater health and vitality later (exercise!). Exercise is uncomfortable. If you exercise, sooner or later, you will have to deal with sweating, feeling too hot, feeling too cold, being out of breath, sore muscles, blisters and calluses, getting rained on, getting up early or going to bed late, getting dirty, and worst of all, having someone see in you in these unflattering conditions. But is that really so bad? What seems uncomfortable today may not even phase you if you just challenge yourself to experience it a few times. So we challenge you to confront a discomfort that prevents you from exercising. Go for a walk in the rain! Get up early to exercise! Put a bandaid on that blister and get back out there! Remember, every time you head out for a walk in the rain, there will be a huge sense of accomplishment and a hot shower waiting for you when you get home.