Physical Challenge

There is nothing quite like accomplishing something requiring physical exertion. Whether it be playing sports, a solid workout, an enduring hike, or snorkeling along the coastline, moving your body in one way or another is a gift that pays dividends to the soul. Humans are mobile creatures. Humans are bipedal and evolved to stand upright so that our lungs could outlast the creatures we hunt. We are able to endure for longer. We are not faster over short distances but over long durations of time and distances, we will outlast any animal on 4 legs. It is our physical biological advantage. In the present day, we do not need to take multiple-day hunting trips to bring back a deer so our tribe can survive but that physical itch still needs to be scratched. The natural dopamine rush and endorphins that fill our bodies after a physical test is over are craved by all.

We crave physical action. It is in our biological nature. Without physical goals and activity, we can disassociate from who we naturally are as humans. We can slip away into the grips of living a sedentary lifestyle. We lose the natural sources of dopamine and the release that physical activity brings us. We can find ourselves slipping into thoughts of depression and helplessness when we are immobile. These feelings come because we are doing the opposite of what we are meant to do as humans. We are meant to be on the go. When we are stuck in place, our worlds are flipped upside down.

Everyone should have a physical pursuit they are chasing. Something that gets them out of bed. Something they look forward to after a long day of work. Something that adds a brick to the building they are building. Something that realigns the needle so it faces forward progress. It can be as little as walking to the mailbox every day. As the days go by, that task will become easy enough and then the challenge becomes walking to the next mailbox. And so on. Physical challenges are a gift because what is hard today will not necessarily be hard tomorrow, and definitely won’t be hard in 2 months if you are consistent. Physical pursuits are not accomplished overnight, they are accomplished over time as you push and prod your way to progress. No matter how big or how small, setting your eyes on a physical challenge will have positive effects on both your physical and mental states. In a push to become a better you, push to find a physical outlet to channel who you want to be.