by Kerry Taylor
YES!!!! We are finally out of the winter doldrums. Well at least, I think we are, in New England you never know. As you shake off the winter blues it’s time to get back in to the habit. I get it, trust me, the schedules get a little tighter, the days are shorter, and the cold slushy weather is not fun at all. Who really wants to go out in the weather we had? With all of that combined the consistency in which you’ve built and entered winter with became non-existent for some. Now is the time to switch that up. As you make your re-entry into the gym or physical activity, make sure you are smart about it. Here are a few things to think about as you get back in the groove.
Focus on showing up for yourself
Showing up is the hardest part of the deal. The door handle is the heaviest weight in the gym. Grab it and pull it open and walk in. Let us take care of the rest. Remember, consistency beats intensity always. Stack the days and create the habit again
Get the thought of all or nothing out of your head
A lot of times we try to do too much, too fast, aiming for 4-5 workouts in a week. Once you miss a day, it becomes easier to miss the next one. Aim for a smaller goal, say 2-3x in a week. That is more doable in the beginning.
Get the rust off
Work on your movement skills, there will be plenty of time to up the intensity down the road. As you start to move again and get familiar with movement, there will be soreness that starts to creep in. LOL. That is A O.K. It may discourage some, but it’s normal, it’s your body’s way of adjusting to the new stimulus you’ve given it. Don’t let it discourage you, just keep moving forward, the soreness will fade.
Commit to it and to yourself
Find a way to hold yourself accountable. Make an appointment to work with a coach, tell a friend that you workout with your plan, put it on your crowded calendar. It feels a lot better to say, “I did it” than “I tried to.”
Getting back into shape/ routine is not an easy thing to do. I own a gym and it gets tough for me sometimes. The key is to create a real plan for yourself, aim small, be consistent in that plan and the next thing you know you’re in rhythm again. If things don’t go according to plan, give yourself some grace, shake it off and get back to it. Just never give up on yourself. That’s the worst thing you can do. Need some help getting back on track, this blog spoke to what you’re going through right now, we go your back. Reach on out and we will help you get the ball rolling again. Until next time, continue to live life 1 degree above the rest.