A Year In - How The Pandemic Has Impacted Our Workouts
It’s Been 365 Days and some of us….…are still feeling lost on our fitness journey. For me, it’s been a hard year. I started with the same mindset of this will give me ample time to workout. And it has, but other things have kind of gotten in the way of that. For me, it is injury. Yes the back issue I have written about before – still here, still looming. It reminds me that if I workout too much I will be out for a week or two here and there, it also reminds me that something like pushing in a bench can throw it out completely. It’s really annoying if I’m being frank. I went from hauling loads of weight (the culprit) to moving tiny weights, completely seated, and for a longer period of time. I don’t necessarily mind that though…
It’s kind of a poetic in the meathead kind of way – I’ve gone from loud blasting music with weights crashing all around me to dumbbell and pull down work seated on a bench, alone in my basement, with headphones in, often listening for the cry, laughter or scream of our daughter. I realized that my tiny view of what ‘real fitness’ is composed of was so very very wrong. This version of working out is just as awesome and effective, and seems that moving more slowly, in a different manner for long term satisfaction is much more meaningful these days. Stop and smell the flowers but remember to keep watering them.
I’m experiencing a lot of clients still battling with the effects that the pandemic has hit each of us with differently – depression, anxiety, lack of motivation, weight gain. Everyone is on their own timeline, and this past year has taught me about the tenacity that many people have in their back pocket ready to take hold. So what if you’ve ‘tried’ 4 times and failed 4 times already – let’s get to that 5th. It’s still there, it’s still in your mind and it just isn’t the right time. The right time will be soon, and it is important to find it, but something has to light that fire. What is it for you that lights your fire? Is it your children and making sure you are a good example, and you are around to watch them grow up? Is it your ability to get daily tasks done without feeling wiped out at the end of the day? Is it something more? Family history? The list is endless, but your reason is out there.
The high is something that gets everyone hooked, but I’ll be honest. That high comes after a little bit of consistency with workouts, so often we don’t make it there before we stop and start and stop again. You’ll get there, you’ll find it. Even if you disappear on the workouts with me, I’ll keep checking in to see how things are going and if you’re ready – the last thing you need is someone that completely gives up on you while you’re figuring this all out.
What’s your plan for the next 365 days?