As Brazier writes, “The human spirit depends upon the stimulation provided by a degree of adversity.” As we learn to accept discomfort, we can then benefit by placing ourselves in uncomfortable positions. Brazier says we can learn “…how to live a noble and satisfying life, in which the affliction and trouble are as essential as the grit is to the pearl.”

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” —Viktor Frankl

Discomfort and Physical Fitness

The implications of this simple teaching are wide and profound, but here I am writing to address one simple point: physical fitness. Never before has it been so important for all people to improve their health (and therefore their immunity), and improving one’s strength and endurance while shedding excess weight is key.

We need to exercise frequently, but that fact is ignored, denied, and avoided by most people. A few years ago, the Center for Disease Control published a report claiming that less than a quarter of American adults (under 65) met the federal exercise guidelines.
CDC Report

Americans usually blame their age and their low energy levels, indicating that the discomfort of exercise is what they are avoiding. They also say they work too much, which may be true, but I wonder how many of them are relieved to have the excuse, and how many are disappointed that they missed their workout—or that they are just too busy to even have an exercise program in place.
NY Post Article

We humans have a natural tendency to avoid exercise because it is uncomfortable. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective.

Learning to Love the Pain

In my youth I had the fortune to row on a crew that took the highest prize on the planet at the Henley Royal Regatta. Rowing is a brutal sport. There is no contact, no violence, and injury is rare. The brutality is self-inflicted pain.

When I left crew and was racing two-man lifeguard boats in the ocean, I was lucky to have a rowing partner, Kevin, who was both an excellent athlete and extremely tough. Forty years after we quit the beach patrol, we got together to row in an “alumni” race.

We had entered our 60’s but were still in great shape, and I complimented Kevin on his condition. He replied, “A long time ago you told me, ‘Ya gotta learn to love the pain.’ I never forgot it. It became my mantra.”

Kevin’s simple decision to make friends with discomfort is the reason he is in great physical condition, and still a competitive athlete at the age of 65.

The Perspective of Great Athletes

Jack LaLane once said, “Dying is easy. Living is a pain in the neck. You've got to work at it.” He accepted that it’s hard work to keep in shape. Of course, he needed to be in great shape to set an example for people.

Many athletes and physiologists will tell you the same: pushing yourself and entering discomfort is the key to achieving higher levels of fitness, or to winning races. Simply increasing your capacity for discomfort is what will allow you to maintain and progress in an exercise program that will strengthen your immune system, help you sleep better, reduce anxiety and depression, and increase your lifespan.

Strenuous exercise can even bring exhilaration—think of hikers, surfers, or rock climbers. Hard work can bring joy, if we can look at it that way.

One of the world’s top fitness experts, Alex Viada, thinks of the discomfort as stress. He says we have to intentionally take a dose of stress—“eustress,” or good stress.

Grit, Fun, and Embracing Discomfort

Champion mountain biker Payson McElveen said, “Emotional toughness or grit is more of the battle than the physical side.” And, “Going through hardship mentally as well as physically is the key to being successful at anything, really.”

McElveen is having great fun riding his bike on challenging trails, simply because he’s okay with the discomfort. He has made friends with it.

I once met a young woman named Maggie who trained at my gym. She stood out because she was bouncing around the gym with joy, enjoying every moment of her workout. I asked her how she does it. She said:

“I like being able to make myself better, and that’s what I’m thinking the whole time, it’s like, ‘I’m making myself better,’ and that's why it’s fun for me.”

Her parents, both athletes, had instilled in her the ethic of always doing her best. Maggie loves working out hard because she sees the results, and improvement is her reward.

Discomfort is just a part of the process of improvement, and she has no negative reaction to it when it arises.

Final Word

The discomfort will be there. Indeed it is part of the lives of us all. We can avoid it and be weak, or rise to greet it and be vibrant.

Tom Reed is a functional medicine health coach, medical support hypnotherapist, personal trainer, somatic therapist, martial arts instructor and world class senior athlete. His website is www.peak-wellness.co.

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