Competing against yourself!

     If you are a fitness lover like me, you enjoy exercise and working out.  It’s challenging and can bring out a little of your competitive nature, it also relieves stress.  You like pushing your body to the next level and knowing you can do hard things even as you get older, you like competing with yourself!  What you might not be considering is that your body is resisting and fighting these challenges, you are creating your own internal stress.  You know the saying “work smarter, not harder?”  I wasn’t listening to my body, it was saying “it’s ok to not workout so hard, please stop pushing me!”  I had heard this request for several years but didn’t think it was a good idea, if I stopped, then I would be a quitter.  In my mind if I quit, then I would be a failure and I wouldn’t be being productive!   I had trained myself to think that exercise meant high intensity workouts 5 to 6 days per week in order to stay strong and healthy.  I had worked up to this level and couldn’t go back, that would erase all of the work I had been doing. WHO GOES BACKWARDS?  I thought that the more I pushed myself the stronger, healthier and more productive I was.  My body and mind were asking for more walks with nature, yoga, meditation, just to slow down or make a change but I resisted.   

     Thankfully, one day I chose to listen, most people have to get a wake-up call from their bodies in order to slow down, they break a bone, become ill, or have an injury.  Their bodies are asking for rest, it’s telling you it needs a break or it can’t keep up.  I just knew that I was doing what I had been doing for 9 years and I wasn’t seeing the results any longer.   It was like my body was fighting back, it was saying you can keep on pushing me but I’m not going to give you what you want until you give me what I have been asking for.  I was inflamed, puffy, sometimes grouchy and that darn scale kept going up.   I had tension in my neck, aches in my knees and felt depleted.

     So, I stopped pushing so hard and I slowed down.  Yes, I still hit the gym 5 days per week, our bodies need movement, but my regimen looks a lot different now.  Most days I do workouts that are lower intensity for longer periods of time, I do strength training and playful workouts to fun music.    I incorporate classes that provide more movement and flexibility.  I do yoga or meditate at home a few days per week, I go on nature walks or just walk the dogs, I allow myself time to breath.   On days when my body says it doesn’t want me to push that hard or I just don’t have the energy level today, I give myself grace.  I tell myself it’s ok, you showed up, you are moving your body and opening up your mind.   

     I’m so glad I finally listened!  My body is so happy, I have more energy, I’m not inflamed, I’ve released some weight, I have better range of motion and flexibility, I’m not so agitated.   I can actually see the results from all of those years of hard work and I no longer have aches or pains.  I understand that sometimes doing what you’ve always done won’t get you the same results, you have to change it up.  Working harder doesn’t always give you better results, sometimes you have to slow down and let go.  Your body knows you better than anyone else, stop fighting it and just listen.

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