Reinvigorating My Fitness
Exercise has been a relatively regular part of my life since my high school years. There have certainly been peaks and valleys in my level of commitment and intensity, and though I don’t consider myself to be an intensely fit person, exercise is an integral part of my routine.
Lately, I have been in a bit more of a slump in this realm of my life. When COVID hit, and our gym closed, my husband and I jumped on purchasing some weights, luckily nabbing a set of adjustable dumbbells. We already had an exercise bike (my least preferred type of cardio), and according to my journal, I was expecting this to last “a couple of weeks.” So, I downloaded some videos from my gym, set out a plan and was feeling motivated. I started attending some virtual exercise classes that I was enjoying and felt great. I was exercising regularly, and once I began to work from home, I was able to squeeze in some quick morning exercise bike rides and more walks with my dog. Now, 3.5 months later, I feel lacklustre, and I find myself being more passive and unenergized in my workouts. There is a combination of factors; the virtual classes I liked have ended, the routine has become well, routine, and my energy seems to be wavering. I will still be waiting a bit before heading back to my gym (which reopens this week), and so, I need to start getting myself re-motivated and feeling more enthusiastic and accomplished in my workouts.
I have a few ideas in mind for how to get re-invigorated and successful with exercise.
Proper Schedule. I’m going to get back to a schedule, not only when I will be working out but also what exactly my workout will be. This schedule will include length, type of exercise and goals and will also mean setting strict timing on my workouts. On a good day, I would have 70 minutes allotted for some cardio and then some weights, but being at home as led to less focus and often a “break” that happens between the two sets of exercise. I want to focus on continuous engagement as though I were out at my gym.
Find excitement in my new class. Even though the classes that I was enjoying are no longer virtual, the gym through which I attended them continues to have other virtual classes. I have been less enthusiastic about them, as they are a boxing HIIT class, where I lack confidence. I am going to work on challenging myself to change my attitude toward the class, focusing on what I enjoy there and letting go of my self-criticism for not being “good at it.”
Stop with the passive exercise. In this, I am referring to when I choose to watch a television show or be on social media while exercising. There have been times when I have been able to have t.v. on while I exercise, but I know that while I am in more of a slump, this is not an option. I am going to instead listen to podcasts/audiobooks while exercising. I want to brainstorm how to make social media and passive browsing less accessible during this time, as it is easy to do this out of habit. I am inclined to leave my phone in another room, but I also use a great exercise app for my workouts.
Adding something new. I got myself a jump rope! Now that there is warmer weather, I can head outside and try this new form of cardio. It’s a fun little addition and gives me something to look forward to improving.
It can be tough to acknowledge a part of our lives that is not what we want it to be. I am hopeful that by giving thought and attention to the hurdles I am currently facing and strategizing an action plan, I will soon be back to feeling positive, accomplished and motivated. Often, putting “pen to paper” or I suppose “fingers to keys” in this case helps me to sort out everything in my head about a problem and create some direction for myself. I know that when I have steady and purposeful exercise in my routine, I feel accomplished, energetic and capable, and only I can make that happen for myself.
July 05, 2020