Let's Get Physical

Ever been in the best shape of your life? Ever worked seriously hard at it, found yourself at that seriously awesome fitness level, and then just abandoned the pursuit due to boredom, fatigue or loss of interest? If that's ever happened to you, then you've probably found yourself months later wishing you had stayed motivated because you could have been in even better shape by now, you could have reached your goals, and you know you totally could have kicked ass. Yeah that's me right now, but I'm not beating myself up over it, I'm learning from it. The break in my fitness routine actually happened due to a broken heart. It took a while, but I finally realized the old lay-around-and-do-nothing routine was a habit that was definitely not doing me any favours. It ultimately dawned on me that not going out for a run was only punishing myself and no one else. I was the only person suffering the consequences of my decisions. I wanted to get back into it, to have a goal to work toward, but I was afraid. Afraid of not being as good as I was before? Maybe. Afraid of trying and trying but never quite getting to where I want to be? Definitely. The reality is, fear is just some made up shit that we get from our imagination and past experiences and let's face it, if we think of it logically, future events don't have to be the reflection of past experiences. Just because you could not accomplish something yesterday, last month, or last year doesn't mean you won't crush it tomorrow, and doing something to work toward a goal is always better than doing nothing. Will the world end if I only get in 50 box jumps instead of 75? Nope. Will my family stop loving me and turn their backs on me if I don't get a PR on each consecutive run? Probably not. Will I still be able to look at myself in the mirror if I'm walking around five pounds over my goal weight? For sure.

After considering all the things that I knew definitely would not happen, I started working out again this week. Hard. Probably at almost the same intensity as what I left off at over six months ago. Just a few tips for everyone on this. First of all, jumping into an exercise routine with both feet after you have been sedentary for a while is probably never a great idea. Unless it's for me, of course. I decided I could handle it. Yes, I have had to kind of crawl up the stairs after my workout because my legs had literally turned into quivering masses of jello. Yes, I have had to ease myself down onto the toilet seat day after day because my muscles were so sore they couldn't be trusted to let me down on their own. (I'm actually thinking of installing those bars in my bathroom designed for elderly people, to help me with that sort of thing.) But in the end the reality of it is I feel great for it, even if it wasn't the exact right way to go about it.

Second, working out doing tabatas in front of a fully mirrored wall is the most humbling experience you will ever have. Ever. When I bought this house last year I thought that line of mirrors was the most glorious part of the place. It's actually a wall of mirrored doors that have a storage space behind them, and I decided the minute I saw it that it would be the perfect workout area. However, doing any sort of cardio-like move in front of those mirrors will show you jiggles and wiggles and rolls you never knew you had. Oh they were always there, but you weren't able to see them at any other time because you didn't have these super new angles with which to see them with. It's hurtful.....I mean, seriously cruel and upsetting to see....but I highly suggest you do your indoor workouts in front of a bank of mirrors just to get a realistic idea of where you are in your fitness quest. Think of it as a necessary rude awakening.

Lastly, when people ask you why you're walking all weird and you tell them it's because your ass hurts so much, they will always, ALWAYS want clarification and details. Make sure you are as clear as possible that you are doing absolutely amazing workouts, improving your fitness, and getting into legendary physical shape. Unless, of course, you like to keep things ambiguous. In that case, carry on, and good luck in your fitness endeavors!