Chapter 3: How to Develop Mental
Toughness
In sport psychology, mental toughness encompasses a wide variety of
positive attributes that help a person handle difficult situations and persevere
without losing confidence.
Studies
7
suggest that mental toughness can be developed
by gradual exposure
to demanding situations. This simple practice teaches you how to cope and keep
going when you want to give up.
Fatigue Is in Your Mind
According to a study led by exercise physiologist and marathoner Emma
Ross,
fatigue is all in your head
8
. Her study on experienced runners uncovered
that it’s not the muscles that can’t keep going on for longer during strenuous
exercise – it’s the brain that reduces the electrical stimulation of the working
muscles.
Scientists speculate it’s the brain’s mechanism
to prevent us from either
damaging ourselves or exercising to death. You can delay this effect by slowly
pushing your limits and expanding your safe zone. It’s like taking your brain a
little closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. Once it can look down, you take it
to a higher cliff and repeat the process.
If you’re working on a fitness-related goal and you’re
close to giving up,
reminding yourself it’s not your muscles that give out but your brain can help
you perform one more rep. Continuous small improvements will lead to long-
term progress, which in turn will ensure you won’t
give up on your goals too
soon.
I can attribute crushing at least several of my personal records thanks to this
knowledge.
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