We’ve all been there. Your legs suddenly feel so heavy it’s as if someone’s replaced your bones with dumbbells and completing that final rep is harder than a Countdown conundrum. Yes, that’s what hitting the wall can feel like.
But the good news is you’re not alone, pretty much everyone who works out experiences the dreaded wall at some point. And the even better news is there’s something you can do about it. With our help the next time you hit the wall you’ll be able to smash right through it and carry on.
Why do we hit the wall?
As the saying goes, here comes the science bit. Whilst hitting the wall can be attributed to glucose shortage in the brain, which saps your energy levels, research indicates that the mere expectation of hitting the wall can turn the prospect into reality. In other words, if you think your body is going to scream at you to stop, it will. This suggests that the dreaded wall isn’t just a physical experience, but also psychological. And this means that there are mental strategies you can employ to wave goodbye to the wall.
So, how can you smash the wall?
Remain positive
If you hit a sticky patch whilst working out, remind yourself that it’s temporary. Reciting mantras can help to give your mind something positive to focus on. For example, Olympian Deena Kastor used the mantra ‘Define yourself‘, LeBron James got motivated by ‘Don’t be afraid of failure. This is the way to succeed’, and Serena Williams used positive affirmations as the password on her phone, which forced her to repeat it multiple times each day. Another effective technique is to keep in mind what motivated you to take that first step and how you will feel once you’ve achieved your goal.
Chunk it up
When physical and mental fatigue kicks in finishing a workout can seem overwhelming. To overcome this, break your sessions into small, manageable chunks. This helps keep motivation levels high as you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each exercise.
Reward yourself
Visualising a potential reward has been shown to minimise pain. And the bigger the reward, the more likely you are to keep going. So whenever you feel the wall approaching, visualise the carrot dangling at the end of the stick!
As you can see, the limits you can push your body to aren’t pre-set and the wall isn’t a dead end. Give these strategies a go and you can work harder for longer and smash through the wall.
