I fell off, Now what?
Right before the holidays last year, I wrote to you all about stepping out of my comfort zone and diving into workouts that challenge me in every way at Ownit Rx. At the time of that article, work was calm and life was going smooth. I was committed to working out at least four times a week and seeing the gains in my physical and mental health.
Then life hit.
My calm, well scheduled routine went to hell. The holidays came and I found myself overcompensating with my family to make up for the normalcy that the pandemic took away. My cat died unexpectedly. Work exploded. We moved. Overwhelmed and exhausted, I put self care on the back burner.
My exercise routine went from regular to non-existent.
I put the care of everyone else before myself and that decision cost me greatly. What I didn't realize at the time is that my gym workouts were my escape. Ownit Rx had become the place I came to take my mind off everything. My workouts were a part of my peace--a moment in the day where I shut out all of the noise and demands to just focus on connecting with my body to stretch, move, lift, and sweat.
Ownit Rx was my outlet. I could push the prowler to work off the irritation caused by coworkers, in-person and virtual. I could slam the weight ball and get unsolicited hugs as I grieved Milo. The workouts are hard, but focussing on finishing helped me to disconnect from work, politics, from being a mom, a wife, and a business owner. My workouts were the one moment in the day that was all about me.
So why did I fall off? Why did I give up something so good for me so easily? More importantly, why has it been so hard to get back into my workout routine?
To figure out the answers to all of these questions, I turned to the expert, Owner of Ownit Rx.
Fabien Wilkinson.
Be Kind to Yourself.
First thing he said to me is “this happens to all of us, all of the time.” The first step is to have a bit of compassion for yourself. Life happens. For me, it took a while to even realize that I’d fallen off. It was never my intention to give up my workouts. It all started with missing one night to work late, and it snowballed from there.
Start Where You Are.
Remember the article from Coach Fabien last month, “It’s Time to Get Out of Your Own Way.” If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it (go check it out here). Essentially, it tells you to start where you are. Don’t wait to get back in shape before you come to the gym. Don’t worry about failing, being out of breath, or being slow. Just come.
Schedule it.
Right now my schedule is bonkers, but I’ve realized that I have to make time for my workouts. I can’t make my 5:30pm class often these days, but I’ve been doing the portions of the workout that I can do at home. I don’t have a prowler, but I’ve got bands, a bike, and weights. Fabien has been great at giving me modifications. He really wants the members of Ownit Rx to win and he’s willing to help you get creative, if it also helps you stay consistent.
I’ve also just started showing up. Sometimes I find myself with a late morning or early afternoon free, in those moments I head to the gym. It’s not class time, but I still get the workout done and my moment of Zen.
To quote Coach Fabien, “Everything else is on your Google calendar. Schedule your workouts.” I know that things happen unexpectedly, but I found that if I schedule time for myself I will find a way to honor that commitment. Whether it’s doing the Ownit Rx workout at home, coming in during open gym hours to complete the daily workout on my own, or making one of the class times offered, come get your medicine. I promise you'll feel better after setting aside this time for yourself.
I am slowly getting back on track. This entire time I thought I was working out for the finished result. I thought coming every day was just about getting my summer body ready.
Really it is about the journey.
Fabien says that all the time, but I finally understand what he means. My workouts give me peace, calm, and escape right now. My mind is cleared and the challenges of that day are left on the pavement in the form of a sweat angel after each workout.
Knowing the value of the process makes me more protective of it.
Yes, in the long term I am still working towards getting abs like Beyonce, but in the short term, I’ll take an hour and a half of “me time” that helps me navigate the day to day challenges and responsibilities currently on my plate.