This morning, I ran 4km along the beach with my 9-year-old daughter. It was gritty, wet, and hard work. There was sweat. There were moments when she—and I—wanted to stop. It was uncomfortable. It didn’t feel “good”.
But apart from the obvious physical benefits, the real magic wasn’t in the run itself—it was in the experience. The discomfort taught her something. It gave us a chance to talk about effort, mindset, and what happens when you push through the voice in your head that says “stop”.
We talked about how the body feels when it works hard. That breathlessness, burning legs, and a fast-beating heart aren’t signs to panic—they’re signs you’re alive, capable, and strong. It’s a lesson in resilience, one that can’t be taught from a textbook or screen.
What Pain Really Means
A key takeaway from a Master’s module I studied in Pain and Neuroscience really stuck with me:
Pain is not just a result of physical injury—it’s a perception influenced by our psychological interpretation of emotion, memory, and context.
In short: pain is felt when the body and brain decide it’s important enough to take note. Two people can experience the same physical force and interpret it completely differently depending on their past experiences and the environment.
Take this example:
A stranger tackles you in the street—versus hitting the ground in a game of rugby.
The physical sensation might be the same, but the emotional meaning, and therefore the pain, is completely different.
Children learn this too. Think about when a toddler falls over—they often pause and look to their parent before reacting. They’re checking: “Should I be worried?” Their response is learned.
A Generation Losing Touch with Challenge?
We now live in a world that’s moving away from challenge.
No tree climbing—for fear of injury.
No contact rugby—because it might hurt.
Screens over bike rides. Video games instead of scraped knees and forest trails.
We’re not just avoiding danger. We’re avoiding discomfort. And in doing so, we may be raising children who fear breathlessness, heat, effort, and the unknown.
But physical exertion is meant to feel hard sometimes. That’s the point. It’s how the body adapts. It’s how confidence grows. Discomfort is not the enemy—avoidance is.
Our Responsibility as Adults
As parents, teachers, and coaches, we have a duty.
A duty to expose our kids to manageable discomfort.
To help them understand that feeling uncomfortable isn’t a signal to stop—it’s often a sign they’re growing.
To show them that fear doesn’t always equal danger.
What was the last thing you did that challenged a child’s belief in themselves?
This morning, my daughter and I didn’t just run 4km.
We built resilience.
We built trust.
We had a conversation about pain, discomfort, and strength.
And I watched her confidence grow.
At Gas Station Fitness & Nutrition we teach children about Physical Literacy. We challenge them in a controlled environment and push their comfort levels so they learn and develop a life-long love of fitness. Sign up your child for a free trial class HERE
