Health Resistance: Why Does It Feel So Hard to Get Better?

Shikha Mishra
Oct 25
4 min read

Ever tried to make a change — a real one — and felt like the universe suddenly conspired against you?

You decide to move more.

Eat better.

Sleep deeper.

Breathe slower.

And then… everything pushes back.

You’re exhausted.

You’re “too busy.”

You’re “not ready.”

Sound familiar?

At LifeForce, we see this every day. People walk in ready to reclaim their health — and Resistance walks in with them.

But here’s the thing: Resistance doesn’t show up when you’re doing something meaningless. It shows up when you’re about to do something that matters.

What Is Resistance, Really?

Author Steven Pressfield calls it the enemy within.

“Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure itself; it will lie, it will promise, it will seduce you, it will bully you. Resistance has no conscience.”

It’s that invisible force that rises when you try to do something meaningful.

That voice that says, “You’ll fail.”

That feeling that makes your body heavy when you try to move.

That whisper that says, “You’re not that person.”

But what if that voice isn’t the truth?

What if it’s just fear — dressed up as logic?

Why Does Resistance Hit Hardest When You Try to Heal?

Because healing is powerful.

Because choosing vitality over survival is radical.

Because deciding to feel good — in a world that profits off you feeling bad — is revolutionary.

So ask yourself:

What if the struggle is proof that you’re on the right path?

My Own Battle with Resistance

Some mornings, I wake up and I know it’s going to be rough.

I didn’t sleep well.

My body feels heavy.

My brain’s foggy.

And the last thing I want to do is train.

But I’ve learned something over the years — those are the exact days I need to lift heavy.

Not because I feel strong.

Not because I want to.

But because if I don’t, the whole day slips away.

I’ll be lethargic.

I’ll eat like I’m trying to make up for the sleep.

I’ll feel disconnected from my body, my rhythm, my energy.

So I train even for 10–15 minutes.

And every time I do, I’m reminded:

Resistance shows up hardest when the work matters most.

The Power of Strength

When Resistance whispers, “You’re too tired,” I don’t negotiate.

I don’t wait to feel ready.

I lift.

Because I know that strength offsets the fog.

It doesn’t erase the sleep debt — but it gives me momentum.

It reminds my body that it’s capable.

It reminds my mind that it’s in charge.

The Science Backs It Up

Research shows that acute sleep deprivation doesn’t always impair strength performance. In fact, resistance training can help counteract some of the cognitive and metabolic effects of poor sleep.

So when you lift, even tired, you’re not just moving your muscles — you’re teaching your brain resilience.

It’s not perfect — but it’s powerful.

When I push through, I don’t just feel better physically. I feel more me.

More grounded.

More alive.

Core Idea

At LifeForce, we believe that strength, mobility, nutrition, and recovery are not just tools — they are acts of rebellion against the normalization of chronic fatigue, pain, and disconnection.

But every time someone tries to take that first step — to move, to nourish, to rest — Resistance shows up.

Resistance is strongest when the stakes are highest.

Want to start training again after years of inactivity? Resistance will whisper, “You’re too old.”

Want to eat better? Resistance will say, “It’s too late.”

Want to sleep more? Resistance will scream, “You’re lazy.”

Health Resistance is a mirror.

The more important the change, the louder the voice that tries to stop it.

That voice isn’t truth — it’s fear.

And fear, as we like to say at LifeForce, is a compass.

What Does Your Resistance Sound Like?

“You’re too tired.”

“You’ll hurt yourself.”

“You need rest.”

“You’re too old.”

“You’ve tried before.”

“You don’t have time.”

But here’s the question I ask myself:

Is that my body talking — or my fear?

Because when we stop listening to Resistance, something shifts.

We start listening to strength.

We start listening to life.

Train for Agency, Not Aesthetics

At LifeForce, we don’t train for aesthetics.

We train for agency.

We train to reclaim our rhythm.

To challenge the normalization of fatigue, pain, and disconnection.

To remind ourselves that we are not broken — we are becoming.

Ready to Meet Your Resistance?

Not to fight it — but to understand it.

To move through it.

To rise above it.

Because vitality isn’t just about what you do.

It’s about who you become when you do it.

Your LifeForce is waiting.

And Resistance?

It’s just the gatekeeper. 💪