Your Brain Might Be the Biggest Barrier to Getting Active
You know exercise is good for you. You know walking, strength training and regular physical activity improve your health. You've probably promised yourself you'll start exercising more when the weather improves.
So why is getting started sometimes so difficult? The answer isn't always about your muscles, joints or fitness. Sometimes the biggest barrier sits between your ears.
Your brain prefers familiar routines
Our brains are remarkably good at creating habits. When we repeat an activity regularly, it becomes more automatic. This helps us navigate everyday life without consciously thinking about every decision.
Unfortunately, inactivity sometimes becomes a habit too. After a few months of spending evenings on the couch, getting up for a walk requires more conscious effort.
Add a little discomfort, tiredness or uncertainty, and your brain has plenty of reasons to maintain the familiar routine. The solution isn't necessarily more willpower. It's making the first step easier.
The power of starting small
One of the most effective ways to establish a new exercise habit is to make the initial goal achievable. Instead of deciding you'll exercise for an hour every day, start with a ten-minute walk. Instead of committing to five gym sessions a week, begin with two.
The aim is to create consistency. Behaviour-change research supports strategies such as planning when and where you'll exercise, linking activity to an existing routine and monitoring your progress.
Small successes also help build something psychologists call self-efficacy. This is your belief in your ability to complete a particular task. Every time you follow through on a manageable exercise goal, you give yourself evidence of what you're capable of doing. Confidence grows through experience.
What if you're afraid of getting injured?
For some people, motivation isn't the main obstacle. It's fear. Perhaps you've experienced a painful back episode, injured your knee while running or developed neck pain after returning to the gym. Now you're reluctant to try again.
This response is understandable. Pain is an important protective experience, and our brains learn from previous episodes. But pain doesn't always mean ongoing tissue damage.
Modern pain science recognizes that pain is influenced by biological, psychological and social factors. Previous experiences, stress, sleep, expectations and confidence all play a role.
Avoiding movement indefinitely sometimes makes the problem worse by reducing physical capacity and reinforcing fear. A more effective approach often involves gradually returning to appropriate activities, with professional guidance where necessary. The goal is to rebuild trust in your body's ability to move.
Exercise changes your brain too
Physical activity benefits more than your muscles and cardiovascular system. It benefits your brain.
Research associates regular exercise with improvements in mood, sleep quality and aspects of cognitive function. Exercise also influences processes involved in neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt in response to experience and learning.
One important area of research involves brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, a protein involved in neuronal function and plasticity. Physical activity influences BDNF signalling, although the relationship between blood measurements, brain changes and individual health outcomes is complex.
The important message is straightforward. Regular movement supports both physical and brain health.
Your spine, movement and your nervous system
Your brain and body constantly exchange information. Specialised sensory receptors in your muscles and joints provide information about movement and position. This process, known as proprioception, helps your nervous system coordinate movement and maintain balance.
Your neck and spine contribute to this sensory information. For example, receptors in your neck muscles help your brain interpret head position and coordinate information from your eyes and balance system.
Neck pain and some musculoskeletal conditions are associated with changes in sensorimotor function.
Chiropractic research has investigated whether chiropractic spinal adjustments influence aspects of sensory processing and motor control. Findings are promising but more research is needed on the long lasting effects of spinal adjustments on neuroplasticity.
What we do know is that comfortable movement, appropriate exercise and physical confidence matter.
Five ways to get your mind ready for summer
Choose one activity you enjoy. Walking, swimming, cycling, gardening and dancing all count.
Make your goal achievable. Ten minutes completed regularly is more useful than an ambitious plan you abandon.
Put it in your calendar. Decide exactly when and where you'll exercise.
Focus on progress rather than perfection. Measure consistency and how you feel, not simply speed or distance.
Find someone to join you. Social connection often makes physical activity more enjoyable and helps maintain motivation.
Change your question
Instead of asking, "Am I fit enough to exercise?" try asking, "What's one activity I feel comfortable starting today?"
You don't need to feel completely motivated before beginning. Often, motivation improves after you start.
At Lane Cove Chiropractic Centre, we understand that returning to activity involves physical capacity and confidence. If pain, stiffness or previous injury is holding you back, an assessment may help identify the problem and guide an appropriate return to movement.
Make this spring the season you start moving again
Book an appointment with our team to discuss your spinal health, movement concerns and activity goals.
Dr Mark has a special interest in helping recreational athletes of all ages perform better and prevent injury. Correct breathing and postural alignment are critical for top performance and injury prevention and is an integral part of “The Over 40 Athlete System” that Mark has developed.
Dr Julie has a special interest in helping mothers and “mothers to be”. Her Post Graduate qualifications in Paediatric Chiropractic and as an ex-midwife give her a unique ability to help pregnant women, new mums and their young children.
Yours in Health,
Dr's Mark & Julie
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