The Power of Discomfort

After a particularly spicy pole training session, ALT co-owner reflects on the benefits of discomfort and how it’s helped her build resilience over the years

It’s training time, and I’m working on my layback in Pole. I start with a climb, hold on tight and wrap my legs around the pole into a seat, before preparing to walk my hands down towards my waist, lean out backwards and let go. This move thrills and terrifies me in equal measure. It looks so cool: holding on, upside down with no hands. But as my thighs grip the pole, a familiar hot pain surges between the inside of my legs and my brain. I glance down and think “hey that looks sore!” watching my skin pull uncomfortably against the pole and the pain instantly multiplies.

I love observing my inner monologue in these moments as it ranges from the defeatist: “Ugh, I can’t do this” to the cautiously optimistic “ok just try it” and the more self assured “right, you’ve done this before so you can do it again!” We all have that voice in our heads, and it likes to pipe up when things start to get uncomfortable.

It’s no secret that the world of fitness, aerial and pole comes with its pains. Whether it’s callouses from the weightlifting bar, burns from the Silks or bruises from the Aerial Hoop, our journey to mastering these skills usually involves some degree of overcoming our own physical pain barriers and building up strength and a tolerance to discomfort. 

There’s nothing new in this, the world of health and fitness is full of people promoting the benefits of doing uncomfortable things.

Inspired by Wim Hof, my partner never skips his morning cold shower and has even plunged into Loch Lomond in the middle of February. And while I’m normally the one scoffing into my duvet during his icy wake up calls, the power of enduring a few short moments of discomfort in the name of personal growth is not lost on me. 

There are so many moments in your aerial or fitness journey when you have to face discomfort head on. From getting up the nerve to booking (and turning up to!) your first class, to the first time you go upside down on the Hoop or climb to the top of the Silks there is an inherent bravery in taking on a hobby which constantly demands you to go outside of your comfort zone.

At ALT our ethos has always been to make sure that this process is filled with lots of fun, laughter and to not to take ourselves too seriously (we’re not about to audition for Cirque du soleil anytime soon!) but there is a serious side to training: one which benefits us outside of the studio as well as inside it. For me, it's resilience. Training has taught me to quieten down my inner critic, to believe in myself and to face challenges head on again and again.

A great training day leaves you feeling powerful, like you can take on the world. The good days have inspired me to challenge myself and live life on my own terms: “If you can climb that high on a trapeze you can probably start your own business”. And the difficult days have taught me how to sit through discomfort and come out the other side, telling myself: “If you can get through a circus bootcamp class, you can get through anything!” This was especially helpful during the pandemic…

Being ok with discomfort is something that I now regard as one of life’s most valuable skills- and one that we do ourselves no favours turning away from, as facing moments of discomfort can lead to life changing results in the long term. Whether it’s speaking up about a problem with work, bringing up a conflict with your partner or putting yourself out there for a new opportunity, there is nothing to be gained by staying in our comfort zones. By flexing the discomfort muscle, we learn that the outcome is usually worth the effort and it becomes easier each time.

That said, I don’t believe we should be uncomfortable all of the time- life is to be enjoyed! With regular training and more physical self awareness I’ve become more in tune with when not to push myself. When you’re attempting a trick that leaves you head to floor (like my layback) you need to know when to trust your gut instinct that says ‘not today’. There are some days when you’re fatigued and need to rest, when an injury needs time to heal, or when emotions will turn a difficult conversation into a shouting match. Just because you can do something doesn’t always mean you should.

Over the years, I’ve noticed my own resilience and self awareness growing exponentially, and I have Aerial and Pole to thank for that. It aligns my mind and body in a way that improves my life well beyond the studio walls. So while you won’t catch me filling my bathtub with ice cubes anytime soon, you will find me still trying to perfect that layback and other pesky pole tricks!