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There is simply no way to separate the mind from the body that makes sense. Everything we feel, think and do has a neurochemical basis that stems from the way our body fits in the external world and then signals the brain so it can understand what is going on. Our decisions are guided by our feelings and our feelings arise from the way our immediate (and sometimes extended) environment impacts us.
This is why exercise is such a powerful inerventionary tool. By forcing the body to move it also forces it to rebalance its internal states (so we don’t die from the stressor of moving) and this rebalance, in turn, affects how we feel and how we think. Plus it makes us stronger and more resilient in preparation for the next moment we move which is how we get stronger and fitter.
All of this is important because both loneliness and mental health are modern day issues. We can feel isolated and alone. We can feel lost and unsure of our direction in life or even our own sense of who we are. Exercise helps us because it provides an inescapably grounding experience that anchors our body to the external world, but it takes time, effort and patience and while we drum up the necessary internal resources required for us to exercise it’s good to know that there is a place where we can feel safe with others even if we don’t know them and less lonely.
The Hive is not just for those who actively exercise every day. We all start from a base where exercise is foreign to us and we’re unwilling to engage in it. We evolve. But prior to evolving it’s important to feel neither judged nor left out. Most of us, at some point, will stumble and stop exercising or feel low.
Whether we're here to journal about our fitness journey or just our day, the process is the same: we share because we want to connect. We feel safe because here, we all belong. We belong because we accept and are accepted without judgement. These are important steps to rebalancing our inner world. Everything else positive we seek follows from there.
Even for those who simply read other people’s posts, threads and logs, the sense that everyone has some kind of struggle gives them the strength they need to deal with their own. There is an entire corpus of research that supports the efficacy of the connection with others in maintaining one’s physical and mental health. There are countless studies on the neurobiological benefits of a sense of belonging. I won’t bother with any of these here, in this post, because the primary driver behind all these benefits is the simplest of acts: a connection between one person and another that feels safe.
Over the years, this community, has grown. There are a lot of people here who are now seasoned bloggers posting daily accounts of their own journey and are quite knowledgeable about exercise and its effects. They often share their knowledge and answer newcomers'questions. As we’re heading towards 2025 a lot of new people will come here looking for the same thing we all look for: a safe space to feel at home in; even if we don’t exercise. The value of that is inestimable.
By being as open and welcoming as we are we ease people’s anxiety and make it more likely that newcomers will discover, for themselves, the sheer joy of working out regularly. By openly sharing our own journey with all its speed bumps, we encourage others with our example and make them feel less alone.
Fitness starts with the mind long before it takes place in the body and within The Hive we aspire to safeguard and nurture both.
This is why exercise is such a powerful inerventionary tool. By forcing the body to move it also forces it to rebalance its internal states (so we don’t die from the stressor of moving) and this rebalance, in turn, affects how we feel and how we think. Plus it makes us stronger and more resilient in preparation for the next moment we move which is how we get stronger and fitter.
All of this is important because both loneliness and mental health are modern day issues. We can feel isolated and alone. We can feel lost and unsure of our direction in life or even our own sense of who we are. Exercise helps us because it provides an inescapably grounding experience that anchors our body to the external world, but it takes time, effort and patience and while we drum up the necessary internal resources required for us to exercise it’s good to know that there is a place where we can feel safe with others even if we don’t know them and less lonely.
The Hive is not just for those who actively exercise every day. We all start from a base where exercise is foreign to us and we’re unwilling to engage in it. We evolve. But prior to evolving it’s important to feel neither judged nor left out. Most of us, at some point, will stumble and stop exercising or feel low.
Whether we're here to journal about our fitness journey or just our day, the process is the same: we share because we want to connect. We feel safe because here, we all belong. We belong because we accept and are accepted without judgement. These are important steps to rebalancing our inner world. Everything else positive we seek follows from there.
Even for those who simply read other people’s posts, threads and logs, the sense that everyone has some kind of struggle gives them the strength they need to deal with their own. There is an entire corpus of research that supports the efficacy of the connection with others in maintaining one’s physical and mental health. There are countless studies on the neurobiological benefits of a sense of belonging. I won’t bother with any of these here, in this post, because the primary driver behind all these benefits is the simplest of acts: a connection between one person and another that feels safe.
Over the years, this community, has grown. There are a lot of people here who are now seasoned bloggers posting daily accounts of their own journey and are quite knowledgeable about exercise and its effects. They often share their knowledge and answer newcomers'questions. As we’re heading towards 2025 a lot of new people will come here looking for the same thing we all look for: a safe space to feel at home in; even if we don’t exercise. The value of that is inestimable.
By being as open and welcoming as we are we ease people’s anxiety and make it more likely that newcomers will discover, for themselves, the sheer joy of working out regularly. By openly sharing our own journey with all its speed bumps, we encourage others with our example and make them feel less alone.
Fitness starts with the mind long before it takes place in the body and within The Hive we aspire to safeguard and nurture both.
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