![[Original size] Pink Square Testimonial Instagram Post-4_edited_edited.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fb0af0_8e85341985924f88bd047055c3e88611~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_62,h_71,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BOriginal%20size%5D%20Pink%20Square%20Testimonial%20Instagram%20Post-4_edited_edited.png)
Exercise more! It’s good for your mental health. It’s a phrase we hear all the time, and while it seems like a simple way to improve your well-being, anyone who has ever experienced any kind of mental health issue knows it is nowhere near as easy as people make it out to be.
When you are struggling mentally, just the thought of getting yourself off the couch and out the door to do any kind of exercise can feel impossible. The idea of training for a triathlon might seem like a full-blown fantasy. Yet it’s not impossible, or even improbable. In fact, triathlon can be a great way to improve both your physical and mental health. And yes, I’m speaking from experience.
Having both worked professionally supporting people with mental health challenges and struggled with my own, I know how hard it can be to get yourself to exercise. For years, fitness was this elusive mental health boost I just couldn’t seem to fit into my life. That is, until I started training for triathlons. And in the spirit of the sport, here are my top three reasons why triathlon is particularly beneficial to your mental health:
It forces you to become comfortable being uncomfortable
No, I don’t mean it forces you to be uncomfortable being in a wetsuit or dealing with sore muscles (although it will do that too!) What I mean is that because it involves doing three different sports, the odds are unlikely you will come into triathlon excelling at all of them. This means that for most people, you will be faced with doing something you don’t feel particularly good at. Or in my case, many things you feel you outright suck at. Talk about feeling uncomfortable!
Yet there is no better way to change some of the distorted thoughts that come with most mental health issues than to face them head-on (aka exposure therapy). Anyone who has received any kind of help for depression or anxiety is probably pretty familiar with the thought traps we can get stuck in, such as “all or nothing” thinking and perfectionism[i]. Triathlon forces you to get out the “all” but prevents you from being stuck in the “nothing”: it gives you the space to feel good and excel in an area you feel comfortable, but it also makes you work on something you don’t necessarily feel skilled at.
Even better, it reminds you that you are not alone, that everyone has strengths and struggles. Coming into triathlon, I felt pretty confident about my swimming. That confidence gave me the courage to at least explore “tri-ng” a triathlon. I quickly discovered that many new triathletes are not confident swimmers. Offering nervous swimmers encouragement and support made me feel more comfortable joining a group ride or run even when I knew I’d be the slowest one there.
By pushing you to work on something you don’t feel good at, triathlon helps you let go of some of the judgments we carry and to see the value of working hard at something even when we aren’t the best.
It gives you the benefits of working on something individually while offering you the community of support we all need
“Find a workout buddy.” This is a common piece of advice given to people trying to start and/or maintain a fitness routine. And it’s good advice. Research shows having a training buddy (or as I like to call them, an “account-abili-buddy”) dramatically increases the chances we not only start exercising, but that we keep exercising[ii]. But as most people who have struggled with depression or anxiety will tell you, the urge to isolate can be high. Maybe you are worried you are going to let people down. Or maybe you fear people are going to judge you. Whatever the reason, jumping into a group activity is not an easy ask for someone who is feeling depressed or anxious.
I know that when my mental health isn’t the best, sometimes I just need to work out on my own. I also like being able to do a race knowing the only person I can let down is myself - I don’t have to panic that if I miss a play or don’t show up I’d be letting others down too. But other times I need people to help me escape the traps my mind sets for itself. I need people to coax me out into the world and get my body moving.
Triathlon offers that balance: it gives space for both isolation and community. You can train and compete individually yet still find team support and encouragement. I’m constantly impressed not just with how kind and supportive triathletes are, but how diverse the training community is across age and ability. Having a 20-year-old superstar training with a 55-year-old newbie is common place. How many other sports can say that?
The style of training encourages sustainable exercise habits that benefit your daily life and regulate your body
One of the most frustrating side effects of mental health issues is the way in which it negatively impacts your nervous system. As anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack or flashbacks can attest to, this can be distressing and/or disabling to your life.
Learning to recalibrate your nervous system is one of the reasons why yoga and meditation are so often recommended as coping strategies for mental health issues. Yet while I am a huge proponent for both yoga and meditation, years of working as a therapist have taught me that these strategies don’t work for everyone. Focusing on breathing during a swim, taking note of your heart rate on a run or keeping your focus as you ride up a big hill: all of these are great alternatives to tune into your body and focus your mind. Switching between sports and constantly alternating between high and low intensity training helps you learn to feel more in control of your breath and teaches you to really stay focused in the moment. An added bonus is that it gets you outside, giving your body the vitamin D and fresh air it so desperately needs[iii].
Triathlon training also offers you both routine and rest in a structured way that helps with building healthy habits. Ask any expert and they will likely tell you routine is excellent for our mental health. They will also probably tell you how hard it is to help people both start and stick with a routine. I can speak from experience here. For years, I could not maintain a consistent workout routine for the life of me. I’d get started, but within a few weeks or months I’d be back to being a couch potato. I would try to maintain a routine that was too intense to be sustainable, or get hurt and just never come back to it. And I know I’m not alone in this- how many people do you know who have struggled in the same ways?
That is part of what I love about triathlon: you not only have options, you have an emphasis on balance. Got hurt running? Focus on swimming for a bit instead. Wake up one day and not feeling up to a high intensity workout? Do a slow, steady run or walk. Triathlon provides routine but also offers enough flexibility that you can adjust as you need without giving up. It is not just a sport, but a way to build a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.
Prior to moving to California, Anna Coutts, M.Ed. worked as a Registered Psychotherapist in Canada for over a decade supporting high risk youth and their families. Outside of training for triathlon, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter.
Comments