The funny thing about improving your fitness level is that it doesn't easily get better, but it does easily get worse. It can take months, sometimes longer, to see real progress. Feeling like you're lifting heavier weights at the gym or lasting longer on the elliptical without gasping for air doesn't usually come without effort. But take a few weeks or a month off, and you can feel like you're starting again from ground zero. That's something I'm personally struggling with right now. How do you find the motivation to start over? Does the thought of a challenge fuel your motivation, or discourage you from beginning? Recently, I had my third child. I've always prided myself on being active during pregnancy, continuing to run until the week my first two were born. This pregnancy was very different. My body didn't respond quite as well, and by the time I was 6 months along, running was a dream more than a reality. I had to significantly slow down in order to take care of my kids and just as importantly, myself. A year ago, a 6-mile run would have been a nice weekday workout. Now it's an intimidating goal that is going to take me time to tackle. Having the endurance, much less the time for an hour of exercise each day is going to be difficult at this point. Whether your exercise program gets derailed because of a new job, a new baby, a new injury or just new priorities, it's frustrating to start over. Slow and steady can be a tough pill to swallow, especially if you're slightly impatient like me. I want everything to come back all at once, but I know it's not that simple. So after a lot of thought, I've come up with a plan to get fit again. I've decided to document my journey and hope that if you're someone who's struggling too, you'll join me. With three children 5 and under, I can't expect to do what I did 10 years ago. But I can expect to be someone who's proud of her strength and endurance and is setting a positive example for friends and family. Step 1: Get back into a regular routine. Routine is tricky for me with a newborn who doesn't sleep consistently, and two other little ones who are vying for my time. I like to exercise first thing in the morning, but I don't think that's something I can commit to on a regular basis- at least not yet. So for now, my goal is to exercise for 20-30 minutes, 4 times a week. I can probably make at least one of those a weekday morning workout, which means the others will be scheduled for evenings or weekends when my husband is home to watch the kids. My exercise time is "my" time, so at this point I don't want to try to workout when the kids are up and running around. But I'm willing to be flexible, and if that's really going to be the only time I have to do it, I'll suck it up for a while and make it work. I've decided to start with walking and strength training videos, with the hope that I can progress back into running soon. For now, I'm just focused on developing a consistent routine. If you're struggling to make exercise a regular part of your life, can you begin Step 1 with me? Can you start with 3-4 days of exercise each week? It doesn't have to be 20-30 minutes- you can build up to that level over time if you need to. If it's easier for you, start with a daily exercise streak. SparkGuy's 10-Minute Fitness Challenge is a great way to build consistency. Next week I'll share how things went this week, and then discuss Step 2 in my plan to get moving again! What do you think? Will you join me? |
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