Thursday, July 31, 2014

Putting in the Work - Time to talk Exercise

As a kid, I wasn't into fitness or sports. In my early years, we lived in a place where I could ride a bike but moved out of a development and to a home with no place to ride except our yard. My parents didn't encourage sports. They said I never showed interest but honestly I don't remember them encouraging me to try sports at all other than basketball. As a grown adult, I am 5'3" so I wasn't destined to be a basketball star plus, I hated it.

In college, my friends and I would go to the Aquatic Center to workout. The space was small and cramped but it worked for our needs. In addition, I had a friend that taught group exercise classes. I LOVED them. They were so hard but it so fun and I really admired her for being up on that stage and leading us all through such a great workout.

Also, I took a weight lifting class in college and found that having muscle tone was actually really cool. From there, I signed up for a gym membership and committed myself to regular exercise.

I have been a certified group exercise instructor for half my life now. I don't teach as much as I'd like but I still get a thrill from leading a class and helping others achieve their fitness goals for the day.

In the last year, I have had a hard time getting regular exercise. Working full-time in a location that was 30 minutes from home, having two kids, community service commitments, and managing the house left little time for me to workout. Sure, I could get up at 4 or 4:30 to get my workout in but that is really hard when you only sleep two to four hours a night. But truthfully, I could have found the time if I had stopped, taken a breath, and really planned my days. I could have done a lunch run instead of eating at my desk. I could have hit the greenway after work or pushed one of the kids in the jogger. I was tired and wasn't making exercise a priority.

Now that I work for myself, I have a new outlook. And, I remember that to get results, you have to put in the work. I am currently building base running miles and practicing yoga several times a week. Once I get a good foundation then I will start to work on strength then speed. It won't come over night and it won't all be fun times. It is going to be hard. There will be good days and bad. There will be setbacks. But, it is time to put in the work.

If you have been meaning to get back out there and run or cycle or go to the gym then look at your schedule for tomorrow and find 20 minutes. A walk around the block is a starting place. Going to the gym and riding the bike for 20 minutes is a starting place. You have to put in the work to get results. Stop saying tomorrow and do it today. Let's do this together. 

See you on the roads.

1 comment:

  1. I needed this post. I haven't done much running since the Knoxville half- 3 5K's and that's it. I had sinus surgery so that set me back and then I just haven't found the oomph to do it. Thanks for the reminder that I don't need to start big- just start small and go from there!

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A Weight Lifted

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