The Soft Signs That This Is Not Easy
- Dawn Roe
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 27
Hands gripping, a tense face, or holding the breath are often quiet signs that an exercise is more demanding than it looks. Noticing them early allows you to adjust and improve the quality of movement.
Not all effort is obvious.
Sometimes the body gives quieter clues that something is more difficult than it looks.
These are known as soft signs.
They often show up as:
hands gripping or fingers tightening
a “concentration face” — jaw set, lips pressed, brow furrowed
breath holding, or breathing becoming strained
None of these are wrong.
In fact, they are very human.
They usually appear when we are:
learning something new
trying hard to get it right
working at the edge of what we can manage that day.
and they are useful signals.
They tell us the task may be just a little too demanding right now - either in terms of skill, effort, or both.
And that matters, because when those soft signs appear:
movement often becomes less controlled
tension increases
breathing becomes less helpful
and learning tends to drop away
That is not the best place to build confidence or develop good movement.
So rather than pushing through, I tend to bring this behaviour to their attention, and suggest an adjustment.
The goal is a Better quality movement.
This might mean:
reducing the range
slowing the movement
using a little more support
or simply taking the pressure off “getting it right”
Then something interesting usually happens:
The hands soften
The face relaxes
The breathing returns
And the movement usually improves.
This is a better place to build from.
Because progress is not only about how much effort we put in. It is also about whether the body can stay organised, calm, and responsive while doing it.
So next time you are practising something, notice the soft signs.
They are not a problem.
They are guidance.
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