The Powerful Connection: How Physical Strength Builds Mental Resilience

As we celebrate International Women's Day this March, I've been thinking about the incredible women throughout history whose physical strength has built remarkable mental resilience. Their stories don't just inspire us – they show us a pathway to becoming stronger in every sense of the word.
Quick note: I haven't included photos of these amazing women due to copyright considerations, but I encourage you to look them up – their stories and images are truly inspiring!
The Women Who Showed Us The Way
Throughout history, women have overcome extraordinary physical and mental barriers, often using physical training as a foundation for building unshakable determination:
Kathrine Switzer didn't just run a marathon when women "weren't supposed to" – she finished the 1967 Boston Marathon despite an official physically trying to remove her from the course. The physical endurance she'd built through training gave her the mental strength to keep running even when faced with direct opposition. Her persistence helped change the rules for women in sport forever.
Wilma Rudolph's story still gives me goosebumps. After being told she would never walk normally due to polio, she not only walked – she became the fastest woman in the world, winning three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics. Her physical rehabilitation built the mental toughness that saw her break both physical and racial barriers.
Dame Sarah Storey shows us that adaptability in our physical approach builds mental flexibility. After a successful Paralympic swimming career, she transitioned to cycling and continued her gold medal success across multiple Paralympic Games. Her ability to transfer her strength from one discipline to another demonstrates how physical challenges build transferable mental resilience.

The Science Behind the Connection
This connection between physical and mental strength isn't just anecdotal – it's backed by fascinating science:

• Regular strength training increases BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which enhances cognitive function and decision-making capacity.
• Physical exercise improves how we regulate stress hormones, helping us bounce back faster from challenges.
• Challenging physical training strengthens the anterior midcingulate cortex – the part of our brain linked to perseverance and the ability to do hard things.

This science explains something I've observed in my years of coaching women through physical transformations: as their bodies get stronger, so does their approach to life's challenges. The woman who couldn't do a push-up and now can do ten doesn't just gain upper body strength – she gains the knowledge that she can overcome what once seemed impossible.
From Gym to Life: The Transfer Effect
What I find most powerful about this connection is how it transfers from the gym to everyday life:

• The mental discipline required to show up for training consistently builds the same discipline needed to tackle challenging projects at work.
• Learning to push through the discomfort of a challenging workout develops the resilience to face difficult conversations and situations.
• The confidence that comes from seeing physical progress translates to confidence in speaking up, taking chances, and leading others.

This transfer effect is why I believe physical training is one of the most underutilised tools for building leadership capacity – especially for women who are often socialised to downplay their strength rather than develop it.
Building Your Own Connection
You don't need to be an Olympic athlete to benefit from this connection. Here are some ways to start building both physical and mental strength:

1. Challenge yourself incrementally – Just as you wouldn't start with the heaviest weights, don't take on your biggest mental challenges first. Build confidence through progressive accomplishment.
2. Celebrate small wins – Notice and acknowledge progress in both your physical training and mental challenges.
3. Embrace discomfort – That feeling of "this is hard" during a workout is training your brain to stay calm and focused during other challenging situations.
4. Find community – Surrounding yourself with supportive people amplifies both physical and mental growth.
5. Rest strategically – Recovery is not weakness; it's where adaptation happens, both physically and mentally.

Looking Forward
As we celebrate International Women's Day, I'm inspired by the women who have shown us what's possible when we build our physical and mental strength together. Their legacies remind us that developing our strength isn't selfish – it's necessary if we want to create positive change in our world.
I'm excited to be speaking about these connections at talks this month on "Physical Foundations for Leadership". I believe that by understanding and developing the connection between physical and mental strength, we can all build greater capacity to overcome challenges, lead effectively, and create the change we want to see.
Which physically and mentally strong women inspire you? And how has your own physical training helped build your mental resilience?