Sweatshirt | Leggings | Sneakers | Mat
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Gosh, it feels like forever since I’ve written about my fitness journey. Fitness always feels like a big push in January after we have all over indulged during the holidays and it’s time to reset. For me, my journey has always had it’s ups and downs. I’m either really good at being on a very dedicated schedule or I’m not working out at all. It’s one or the other, nothing in between. And, honestly, I want to change that.
If I’m being fair, working out has been really hard these last few years. While going thru IVF, it’s not impossible to workout, but there are a lot of restrictions. And a lot of time you just don’t feel up to it. During that time, I always listened to my body, but was never really consistent with any routine.
And then I got pregnant and had all these plans to be super fit during my pregnancy so the weight would drop off more easily postpartum. So I wouldn’t be as winded, have trouble climbing up and down the stairs, etc. And for a while I was really good about doing yoga. The gentle flow always felt amazing on my aching body. And it was a time to slow down, be more present in how my body was changing and developing.
Well, that all went out the window when we moved to Michigan, our house flooded and then Sloane decided to make her appearance six weeks early haha. Things were crazy in my third trimester and it was almost too much for me to go on short walks around the block, let alone getting in a workout. Although, looking back it probably would have made me feel so much better if I had just stuck to my yoga.
I started to feel ready to get back into a regular workout routine about two or three months postpartum. I started extremely slow because after a c section, things just felt very different. And I was scared I was going to do more damage than good. My favorite workouts have always been on the Sweat app. They even have a postpartum section dedicated to new moms getting back into it. It was short, sweet and not too hard. Although at that time, even the simplest moves left me sore the next day.
I felt like I was finally getting back into a consistent workout routine, but there was always something that would derail my schedule. Sloane would get sick, I would get sick, we would be traveling, etc. Basically life happened. And I wasn’t making it my priority. I would workout consistently for a few weeks and then get off track. After a couple of weeks of no workouts, I would get back to it. But I would almost undo all of the hard work I had previously put in.
And then we all got really sick back in July. We had done a lot of traveling for the 4th of July so we were all exhausted from that. And then Sloane tested positive for RSV and then Kurt and I both got the after effects of it. We were both pretty sick there for a while too. Working, trying to take care of a sick baby and being sick yourself is all a recipe for disaster.
Once we were all feeling better, I got back on the workout train. I always knew I would. But this time, I was really craving it. It was different this time because I really wanted to stick to it and be more consistent with it. What I learned over those several months of starting and stopping was pretty eye opening.
I sleep so much better and more sound when I workout. Especially on the days I workout. I have so much more energy and don’t feel like I am dragging by the end of the day. Typically I have a half cup of coffee in the mornings and, at times, a little can of Coke in the afternoons. I was finding myself needing more Coke, more often. Which was also a bad cycle because I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine, so it would make going to bed that much harder. Since I’ve been more consistent with my workouts, I haven’t felt the urge for any caffeine in the afternoons.
My energy has been so much better in such a more productive way. I have the extra energy now to do the little tasks I’ve been putting off. Or even the mundane ones that I usually ask Kurt to do. I just do them now myself. This was one of the most eye opening things for me.
It’s only been a little over two months that I have been really consistent with my workouts. And it’s not like I am even doing this every day. I dedicate two days a week for a half hour each to myself. I knock it out during my lunchbreak. The other days, we still go on walks as a family, which we have always. We all truly enjoy this in our evenings and we won’t give this up until it gets too cold! Eventually, I plan to add another day into the mix, but I’m not pushing myself because I’ve found that when I overschedule myself, that is when I set myself up for failure.
It was about a month in that I realized that I need this. I need to workout for myself, to be a better wife, mother, friend, etc. I just need it. It makes me feel so much better. More productive, more active, more up for whatever comes my way. So I’ve made a promise to myself that I will continue to be consistent. We haven’t been hit with any sicknesses since July and that is usually when I tend to get off schedule in the past. So I’m sure we have it coming soon with the new Fall temps setting in. But I plan to make it work. Even if I have to get up early or do it once Sloane goes to bed. Consistently is key.
A few things that have helped me stay consistent so far:
- Every Sunday, I plan out my week and schedule my workouts. Usually it’s Monday and Wednesday unless we have other stuff going on that week.
- There is no excuse to miss a workout. Even when I don’t feel like it, I still do it and almost all the time I am so glad I did it after because I feel so much better.
- I work from home so this might be easier for me. But on the days I plan to workout, I wear my workout clothes all day. So it makes it easy to go straight from work mode to workout mode.
- I personally like to workout from home. I think it’s a little easy to schedule. And I don’t have to worry about class times, parking, drive time, etc. My favorite app is the Sweat app (only $20 a month). They have a lot of different types of workouts including pilates, high intensity workouts, yoga, etc. It starts off slow and every week gradually gets harder as you get stronger, which I think is a great feature.
- Find a workout that you love and look forward to. We are all different in our needs, so what works for one person might not work for you. Find something that you like to do and it will make working out that much easier.
- Sounds silly, but just do it! Don’t make excuses. It’s a half hour of your time out of 24 hours. You can do anything for a half hour. Plus you will see the benefits pretty quickly if you stick to a plan.
xoxox Amanda
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