Snake, rattle, and roll

Remember, toward the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indiana Jones, having overcome giant rolling boulders, poison darts, and tarantulas, has one more obstacle between him and victory?  He says, “It had to be snakes.”  The one thing he really doesn’t want to face remains to be conquered. 

Sometimes when we deal with our bodies, it seems like it always has to be snakes.  We have one movement we just can’t beat.  We have one exercise that always remains too challenging.  We have that bum ankle/hip/knee that acts up and keeps us from the prize.  We become frustrated, discouraged, even scared.  We dread the inevitable time when the snakes have to turn up in our workouts.

One thing that can help is remembering all the things that are not snakes.  Indy did make it through all the aforementioned boulders, darts, and spiders, after all, just as we may easily survive the squats, presses, and curls that may accompany the terrible lunges or burpees or whatever Jabberwock-like exercise becomes our nemesis.

Another is to keep in mind that Indy beat the snakes.  It took time and courage.  He needed to call on all his boulder/dart/spider experience to find the inner resources to do it, but he did.  And we can, too.