Sometimes You Don’t Need A Workout. You Need A Way Out Of Your Own Head.
Sometimes life is just fucking exhausting.
Not necessarily physically.
Mentally.
The constant noise.
Work.
Money.
Responsibilities.
Deadlines.
Family.
The news.
The endless stream of information, opinions, arguments and people telling you what you should be doing with your life.
It can feel like there’s absolutely nowhere to escape it.
Last week I wrote about hustle culture.
About how we’ve convinced ourselves that working harder, doing more and constantly pushing is somehow the secret to a better life, because it has been sold to us for years and drilled into us since we were kids.
And about how I’ve been just as guilty of that as anybody.
This week I want to talk about something that’s helped me deal with the other side of it.
Movement.
Not because I want to get fitter.
Not because I’m trying to burn calories.
Not because there’s a race coming up.
Not because I want to look good naked, although still being able to look down and see the old chap is a plus.
But because sometimes I need to get out of my own fucking head.
And exercise has helped me do that more times than I can count.
Sometimes The Best Thing You Can Do Is Get Moving
You know those days.
Everything feels a bit much.
Your head’s full.
You’re irritable.
You’re overthinking things.
Something or someone at work is getting on your tits.
The more you sit there thinking about it, the bigger it seems to become.
Sometimes the last thing you feel like doing is exercising.
But you get yourself out of the door.
You go for a walk.
You go for a run.
You head to the gym.
Something starts to change.
Not immediately.
And not always like a bolt of lightning.
Gradually, the noise gets a little quieter.
You’re concentrating on your breathing.
The rhythm of your feet hitting the ground.
The next set.
The next repetition.
The path ahead.
And for a little while, the rest of the world can just fuck off.
Not because your problems have disappeared.
But because you’ve given yourself some space away from them.
Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
Exercise Isn’t Just About Physical Fitness
We spend so much time talking about what exercise does for our bodies.
Stronger muscles.
Better cardiovascular fitness.
Healthier bones.
Improved mobility.
Reduced risk of various long-term health conditions.
All of that matters of course it does.
But I think we sometimes underestimate what being physically active can do for our mental wellbeing.
Regular physical activity is associated with improvements in mental health, including reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Research suggests that exercise can be an effective part of managing these conditions for many people.
That doesn’t mean exercise cures depression.
It doesn’t mean going for a run will fix an anxiety disorder.
It certainly doesn’t mean somebody experiencing serious mental health difficulties should be told to simply get outside and cheer up if they are feeling down in the dumps.
If it did, big pharma would have got governments to outlaw it years ago as they wouldn’t make any money.
Mental health is considerably more complicated than that.
But movement can be one genuinely useful tool.
Unlike some of the increasingly ridiculous wellness solutions we’re sold, it doesn’t necessarily require an expensive subscription or a cupboard full of supplements.
Sometimes it just requires a pair of shoes and an open door.
What About Anxiety?
Anxiety isn’t always something you can simply think your way out of.
When you’re anxious, your mind can become stuck on what might happen.
What might go wrong.
What you should have done.
What somebody thinks of you.
What tomorrow might bring.
Sometimes the more you try to stop thinking about something, the more you think about it.
Physical activity can help in several ways.
It gives you something else to focus on.
It can provide a break from repetitive worrying.
It may help regulate your response to stress.
Over time, regular exercise can support your sleep, confidence and overall general wellbeing.
For some people, it also provides a sense of control when other parts of life feel uncertain.
You might not be able to sort out everything that’s bothering you.
But you can go for a walk.
You can complete a workout.
You can do something positive for yourself.
That small action can be enough to make the next part of the day feel a little more manageable.
Of course, the response isn’t identical for everybody.
Some people find intense exercise helpful.
Others find that high-intensity sessions can make uncomfortable physical sensations more noticeable, particularly when they’re already anxious.
That’s why finding the type and intensity of movement that works for you matters.
Exercise should be another way to support yourself, not another thing to feel guilty about.
Running Has Saved Me More Times Than I Can Count
For me, it’s running.
Always has been.
And not necessarily because I’m training for something.
Sometimes I just need to run.
I need to get out.
Away from the gym.
Away from the laptop.
Away from whatever’s been going round and round in my head.
And just put one foot in front of the other.
There’s something about the rhythm of running that works for me.
The breathing.
The movement.
The fact that, for a little while, there’s nothing I need to do except keep moving forward.
No emails.
No phone calls.
No problems to solve.
No one needing anything from me.
Just me, the path and whatever’s going on inside my head.
Sometimes along the way, things start to make a little more sense.
I work through a problem.
I realise something wasn’t as important as I’d made it.
Sometimes I don’t think about anything in particular and just sing my head off.
Which, is fucking wonderful.
It doesn’t mean every run is brilliant.
Sometimes my legs feel like lead.
Sometimes I’m knackered.
Othertimes, I get back and whatever was bothering me is still bothering me.
But more often than not, I feel better for having gone.
Not because I’ve achieved anything spectacular.
Because I’ve given myself some breathing space.
And that’s worth an awful lot.
The same can be said for just training sometimes during the week.
Then There’s The Sea
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know how much I love getting out into nature.
Particularly being by the sea or just water.
There’s something about it.
The sound of the waves.
The open space.
The wind.
The feeling that the world is suddenly a lot bigger than whatever problem has been occupying your head.
I can stand there, look out across the water and feel things begin to settle.
Not because the sea has magical healing powers.
But because being somewhere that gives me a sense of space, perspective and calm genuinely fucking helps me.
When I can’t get to the coast, getting outside for a run or a walk is often the next best thing.
A woodland path.
A trail.
A park.
Somewhere with a bit of greenery and fresh air.
Research into green exercise and exposure to natural environments suggests potential benefits for mood, stress and wellbeing, although the effects vary and nature isn’t a replacement for mental health care.
But you don’t need a research paper to tell you whether a particular place helps you feel better.
Sometimes you just know.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for your head is get yourself somewhere with a bit more sky.
You Don’t Have To Go To The Gym
This is important.
Because whenever we talk about exercise, people often assume we’re talking about structured workouts.
Gym sessions.
Running plans.
Fitness classes.
Strength training.
Those are all brilliant options and have kept me busy for almost 20 years.
But movement doesn’t have to be complicated.
You can go for a walk.
Ride a bike.
Dance around your kitchen.
Work in the garden.
Take the dog out.
Go swimming.
Explore somewhere new.
Or simply spend twenty minutes walking around the block.
You don’t have to turn everything into a workout.
You don’t have to measure every step.
You don’t have to hit a particular heart-rate zone.
You don’t have to come home absolutely fucking destroyed.
You certainly don’t have to earn the right to eat afterwards.
Sometimes movement can simply be something you do because it makes you feel good.
Exercise without having to turn it into another bloody performance target.
There’s Something About A Proper Sweaty Session Too
Sometimes a gentle walk is exactly what I need.
But other times?
I need a proper workout.
Something that gets the heart pumping.
The muscles working.
The sweat dripping.
A session where you’re so focused on what you’re doing that there’s very little room left in your head for anything else.
And when you finish, there’s that feeling.
You know the one.
You’re tired.
You’re sweaty.
You’ve worked hard.
Mentally, somehow, you feel lighter.
Maybe you’ve had a shit day at work.
Maybe something’s been getting on your nerves.
Maybe you’ve spent hours dealing with problems.
And for forty-five minutes, you’ve been able to switch off from all of it.
That’s one of the things I love about training.
Not every workout delivers that feeling, and you don’t need to push yourself to exhaustion to get mental health benefits.
But when it happens, it’s fucking brilliant.
Sometimes you arrive at the gym carrying the weight of the day, and leave feeling like you’ve put some of it down.
The People Matter Too
There’s another part of exercise that doesn’t get enough attention.
The social side.
Because sometimes it’s not even the workout that’s the most important thing.
It’s the people.
At The Den, I see people arriving after difficult days.
Tired.
Stressed.
Fed up.
Perhaps not particularly in the mood to train.
But they come in.
They see familiar faces.
Have a chat.
Take the piss out of each other.
Have a laugh.
Get moving.
And quite often, they leave looking like a different person.
Now, I can’t tell you exactly what’s happened inside their heads.
I wouldn’t pretend that one fitness class has magically fixed whatever they’re dealing with.
But I can see the value of having somewhere to go.
People who know you.
A sense of belonging.
An opportunity to switch off from the outside world for a while.
Because loneliness and isolation can affect mental wellbeing too.
Exercise groups, clubs and classes can offer something beyond physical activity.
Sometimes people come for the workout and stay for the community.
Exercise Can Help, But It Isn’t A Cure For Everything
I don’t want this turning into another fitness-industry message telling people that all their problems can be solved by getting off the sofa.
They can’t.
Anxiety disorders are real.
Depression is real.
Burnout is real.
Trauma is real.
People experiencing mental health difficulties deserve proper support.
Sometimes that’s talking therapies.
Sometimes medication.
Sometimes changes to circumstances.
Sometimes a combination of approaches.
Physical activity may be a useful part of that support.
But it’s not a substitute for treatment when treatment is needed.
If somebody is struggling to get out of bed, telling them to go for a five-mile run isn’t helpful.
We need to stop confusing encouragement with judgement.
Movement is an opportunity.
The aim is to help people find something that makes life a little easier.
Not give them another reason to feel they’ve failed.
Don’t Turn Your Escape Into Another Source Of Stress
The very thing that helps us manage stress can become another source of it if we’re not careful.
We start exercising because it makes us feel good.
Then suddenly we’re tracking everything.
Steps.
Calories.
Pace.
Heart rate.
Training load.
Recovery scores.
Personal bests.
Whether we’re improving quickly enough.
Before long, the run that used to clear your head has become another performance review.
Another thing to worry about.
Another target to hit.
Now, I love a challenge.
I love training for events.
There’s nothing wrong with tracking performance when it serves a purpose.
But sometimes it’s worth leaving the watch alone.
Going for a walk without counting the steps.
Running without worrying about pace.
Training because you enjoy the feeling of moving.
Not because an app has told you you’re behind schedule.
Not everything that makes you feel better needs to become something you’re trying to get better at.
Sometimes You Just Need To Get Outside
I’ve spent years coaching people to become stronger and fitter.
I’ll keep doing that for as long as people have faith in what I do.
Because physical health matters.
But I also know from my own experience that exercise can give you something that doesn’t show up on a body-composition scan or a fitness tracker.
Space.
Perspective.
Confidence.
Connection.
A break from the noise.
A chance to think.
Or sometimes a chance to stop thinking altogether.
And there have been plenty of times when that’s exactly what I’ve needed.
When work’s been overwhelming.
When I’ve been running myself into the ground.
When life has felt a bit too much.
Getting outside and moving has helped me find my way back.
Not always.
Not perfectly.
But often enough that I know how valuable it is.
And perhaps that’s why I get frustrated when the fitness industry reduces exercise to burning calories, losing weight and looking a certain way.
Because it’s so much more than that.
Sometimes the most important thing you get from a workout isn’t a stronger body.
It’s a little bit of peace inside your own head.
In a world that never seems to shut the fuck up, that’s worth an awful lot.
So, if your head’s full this week, perhaps find a little time to move.
A walk.
A run.
A class.
A bike ride.
A wander through the woods.
Whatever works for you.
No pressure.
No performance target.
No need to prove anything.
Just a little space to breathe.
Because sometimes you don’t need another productivity hack, another wellness supplement or another motivational quote.
Sometimes you just need to get out of your own fucking head.
