Exercising! I call it the trifecta, you’re either born loving it, can’t stand it, or you’re on again/off again. Based on the title of this blog you probably guessed that I fall under the latter, I feel like most people do. Recently I realized that I was probably putting a lot of pressure on myself in the past to workout, eat right and lose weight. “Pressure” is the common denominator in all of this.
“I HAVE to go to the gym.”
“I HAVE to work out for AT LEAST an hour.”
“I CAN’T eat this.”
“I CAN’T eat that.”
“I SHOULD be eating this.”
“It’s TOO late to eat.”
Then comes the justifications.
“I worked out three days this week, so I don’t have to workout again until next week.”
“I worked out today I can have dessert or eat carbs.”
“I didn’t make it to gym so I’m just going to have a salad.”
I could go on, but you get the picture. I think for me, the constant pressure turns into being completely turned off by it all. I didn’t want to do it anymore and I didn’t feel like being bothered so I quit and dealt with consequences of not being able to fit into my clothes, trying to catch my breath after walking up a flight of stairs, eating foods that would likely increase my blood pressure, cholesterol and lead to diabetes. PRESSURE!!!!!
A little over a month ago my gym opened back up (with restrictions of course). I had no intentions of going but for some reason I was in the mood to work out that day so I went, ran a mile and left. On my way home I decided to change my mindset. Maybe it’s not about meeting the goal that society sets but what works best for me.
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change.”—Wayne Dyer
So, I told myself, I’ll do what I can, even if it’s just a little bit. Doing something is way more than doing nothing at all. If I ran one mile today, the goal I set for myself the next time may not be a 1.1 mile, it will be what my body feels it can handle that day.
I’m happy to report that I’ve been working out consistently about three times a week for five or six weeks now. When I go to the gym I run a mile, but I’ve done 1.20 miles, 1.30, and even a mile a half at times. I’ve also incorporated a 15 min strength training exercises and a 20 min yoga practice to my routine.
~~Tam33ks~~
Self-Care At Forty 