The 1 habit of mentally strong people

Exercise forms a part of their lives and they derive their mental might from the discipline and determination it demands

We all know how tough it is to stick to a fitness plan, so imagine people who have, especially if they’ve managed to keep at it for years. They’ve obviously got planning and prioritising sorted. Plus, they look at the benefits of exercise (ups mood, body image, muscle), rather than dwell on how tough it is to step out for a run at the end of the day. Here, fitness professionals and enthusiasts acknowledge the positive role of their workout regimen on not just their bodies, but also their minds.

The mind controls the body

So your instructor has said you need to do 800 jumping jacks, and at 700, you’re ready to give up. “The body is just a vessel to carry our thoughts forward. The mind controls the body and thoughts create energy,” says Jacqueline Babitha Xavier, from Hyderabad, who discovered running at 43. Now three years later, she trains people in Sweat N Burn, the gym she founded, not just on how to do the perfect push-up, but also to believe they can do it, no matter how long it may take.

The pain pays off

Praveen SP, who founded Trihedron by Fitness Cube in Bengaluru, speaks of the physical and psychological pain in the initial years to build a lifetime of strength. “Each time one starts a routine, one should be able to give up a few things,” he says. It’s important to be aware of what it is going to take to reach your goal. So if your dietician asks you to cut out sugar, understand in real terms what it will mean.Praveen’s own journey involved not just a diet change, but a change in mindset too. “When I became aware of how much food my body actually needs and why I should not overeat, the picture became clear,” he says.

Motivation comes from within

Body builder Anand Arnold, from Ludhiana, says that fitness creates a storehouse of energy for us to deal with the vicissitudes of life. His aspirations to become a body builder seemed to have been cut short, when at 15, he was diagnosed with cancer in the lower part of his spinal cord. That left him paralysed waist-down for three years and wheelchair-bound for life. “Every day is a challenge,” he says. “I constantly motivate myself and stay positive. When I am exercising, I remember those who made fun of me. I prove them wrong with my achievements. Fitness gives me physical strength and also the emotional strength,” says Arnold, who has been Mr India three times now.

You learn to breathe

Exercise becomes a part of you. “It’s almost like faith or religion,” says Hyderabad-based Santha John, a former advertising professional, who currently mentors people through a wellness programme she runs in tandem with other healthcare professionals. She talks about how yoga helps you control your breath, establishing not just the way you breathe when you exercise, but also how you regulate it in times of stress.

As Praveen puts it, “The strength gained in the gym is not just for physical purposes. It depends on how one uses the energy, learns to relax and becomes overall more aware.”