Move the Goalposts

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it.”

– Bruce Lee

I have a confession to make:  I am addicted to walking.  My average step count is between 12-17 thousand steps a day.  I love moving outdoors, seeing the world drift by one scene at a time.  It gives me a sense of freedom that I don’t find anywhere else.  It has become a daily touchstone for me.  Recently, two things happened that threw a monkey wrench in my habit:  The typical insane New Orleans summer temperatures began, and I developed a minor stress fracture in my foot (probably from walking too much).  The first I was prepared for.  I bought cooling shirts, hats, sunscreen, electrolytes, and adjusted my schedule to avoid the heat.  The second, however, I could not adjust for.  So I did what any thoughtful, mature person would do in this situation.  I respected what my body was telling me and took some time off to let it heal.  And now my second confession:  I didn’t do that. I continued to walk through it and made it worse.

The attitude of “just push through” is understandable.  For those of us that rely on a steady exercise routine to relieve physical and mental stress, going without can be very disruptive to the rhythm of our life.  Challenging your limits is a great tool for building resilience.  However, as I and many others have learned, pushing through actual pain often leads to the opposite of resilience.  It leads to injury and MORE time away from the exercise we crave.  Maybe it’s not an injury.  Maybe it’s a broken down car, a new job schedule, or even something more serious like a chronic illness.  Life has plans of its own, and those plans often don’t line up with our calendars.  So how do we continue to move in a healthy, sustainable way in the middle of challenges?  The answer is simple:  Move the Goalposts.

Moving the goalposts means changing your goals based on what your body is capable of each day (or each moment, or each year).  In a Pilates class we call these modifications.  For example, in the Hundred exercise you can alter the angle of the legs or bend the knees to take pressure off of the core and spine, or even take pauses if needed.  Author Mark Manson calls this Minimum Viable Action:  The most basic step you can take that moves you in the direction of your goal.  This concept can be expanded beyond individual exercises.  Going back to my foot injury for a moment, what would minimal viable action look like?

Goal:  3-mile walk

Challenge Minimum Viable Action

1. My foot hurts Walk slower/shorter distance

2. Foot still hurts Do Reformer Pilates instead of walking

3. Can’t put toes on bar         Put heels on bar instead

    without pain

4. Pressing out the carriage     Skip exercises that put pressure on                    

     is painful                                   the foot

If you have a more serious injury or other issue that completely disrupts your ability to exercise, then you must move the goalposts even closer.  If all else fails, you could lie down on your back and breathe deep with your core muscles engaged.  Is it perfect? No, but neither are you.  It’s perfect for where you are.

        Injuries aren’t always the result of pushing yourself too far.   Sometimes they’re a result of a teacher overworking you.  Read more about this (and how to avoid it) in my next blog, The Good Workout Trap.