Waking up one morning, I felt a familiar sense of dread at the thought of my workout. Recently, my performance doctor had supported a new program aimed at enhancing my metabolic health and aiding fat burning. This program involved zone 2 training, which for me, meant over an hour of cardiovascular work at about 60% of my maximum heart rate. The challenge wasn’t in its intensity but its monotony – slow and tedious.
That particular morning, anxiety gripped me instantly. A looming conversation with a client filled my thoughts. Working with this client had been frustrating, and I was strategizing ways to address their missteps and potentially terminate our agreement. Despite the allure of the monthly retainer and the project’s significance, my anxiety and anger were pushing me towards ending the collaboration.
With these thoughts racing in my mind since 4:50 am, I decided against lying in bed, dwelling on the impending conversation. By 5:30 am, I found myself at the gym, on the elliptical machine, embarking on the workout I had been dreading. Keeping my heart rate below 120 beats per minute was challenging. Every time I pondered over the upcoming call, my heart rate spiked, and I had to consciously slow down to stabilize it. This internal conflict between planning for the call and maintaining my heart rate was a constant struggle.
Around the 40-minute mark, a change occurred. Thoughts of the call started to fade, and my worries dissipated. It wasn’t that I had resolved the situation in my mind; rather, it seemed like my body decided that it was unnecessary to worry. By the time I hit the 60-minute mark, I felt a profound sense of relief. I even managed to do 30 minutes of weights with newfound enthusiasm and excitement.
This experience led me to a realization. I believe that intrusive, disruptive thoughts and feelings of anxiety are often a product of our autonomic nervous system. In a sympathetic state, we tend to plan and strategize as a defense mechanism. This has been an adaptive response for anticipating and preparing for future challenges. However, sometimes this arousal can occur without any external trigger. In my case, my body required an hour of zone 2 movement to balance its chemistry and shift into a parasympathetic state.
This has been a valuable lesson for me. Whenever I feel a sympathetic trigger, movement, particularly a simple zone 2 session lasting over an hour, is the best remedy. It’s not about intense training but finding a way to calm the system completely.
In conclusion, the call with my client went much better than anticipated. Being calm and regulated allowed me to express my concerns with empathy and understanding, leading to a renewed mutual respect and a clearer path forward in our collaboration. This experience reiterated the profound impact that physical activity can have on our mental state, and how sometimes, being just an hour away from a workout can lead to a clear mind.
