It is a classic internal battle. Is your body failing, or is your brain just trying to protect you from discomfort? Distinguishing between physical exhaustion and mental resistance is a skill that even elite athletes must constantly develop and refine. Here is a question from a reader who is curious about the process of training when you don’t feel like it: Stew, how do you know which days are appropriate for scaling back the workout for recovery or injury prevention, versus gutting it out and working through it regardless of how you feel? What's the balance between optimal training and mental toughness? Thanks, Sam. Great question. I've always said there's a fine line between mental toughness and stupidity, and it is true. The most reliable way to distinguish this conflict is to give it 10 minutes. The 10 Minute Rule lets you get moving (do the warm-up) and figure it out logically. If you feel better and the fog is lifted after 10 minutes, go for it. If you still feel heavy, stiff, or your heart rate is abnormally high for effort, this is a good signal to take a recovery day (or mobility day). Take today, for instance, I am personally taking it easier these first three weeks of the year, because last year, even though it was a good year, it was highly stressful. I know I am burned out, and I know I can push harder and keep doing it, only to get burned out even more. I could even get sick because I'm just burning the candle at both ends. So, my New Year's goal was to recover from the last two months of the previous year and then start working on my goals. So, there is a difference. There's a difference between your mind saying I really don't feel well and your body saying I really don't feel well. Obviously, if you are ill or fighting an illness or injury, that is a logical place to pull back on your workouts. Or at least work around your illness or injury, like with mobility work or easy non-impact cardio if needed. Or do the upper body if a lower extremity is injured.

Toughness that makes us resilient in life is rooted in both psychology and physiology. Born out of inspiration and evolving into habits and discipline, the physical and mental challenges we endure each day are what make us resilient to stress. No one is immune to stress, but with the consistent movement outside our comfort zone, we find toughness on the other side. https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/psychological-and-physiological-challenges-create-both-mental-and-physical-toughness