And Now...Inertia

Yesterday, I mentioned that I'd be reflecting on the five big challenges I've faced during my first year of weight maintenance. The first post was all about guilt. Today's challenge? Inertia (or, a really fancy way of saying "laziness.").

 

It's not that I'm lazy about working out in general. I know I need to exercise and I try my best to make time for it every day. What I'm really lazy about is changing things up. And if you think creating new ways to challenge your body isn't vital to keeping weight off, well...you're just wrong.

 

See, the body gets used to just about anything -- which means that if I walk the same route, lift the same number of pounds the same number of times, etc., my body will soon adapt and I'll no longer see a real benefit from what I'm doing. To continually make progress, you have to "shock the body," as my trainer, Nicole, used to say.

 

Fortunately, it doesn't take much to shock my body. A new route, a faster time, a heavier weight or an increased number of repetitions will all do the trick. But really, it takes effort (there's that inertia) to think of new ways to work out.

 

That's my challenge. When I'm struggling to meet work deadlines, get the kids to all the practices and games they need to get to, make dinner, attend a Board meeting, do laundry, walk the dog, etc., who has the energy to sit and think, "How can I challenge my body in a new way tomorrow?"

 

But that's exactly what needs to be done to make sure I don't fall into a fitness rut. So I'm researching new exercise DVDs online, I'm pulling pages out of fitness magazines and I'm calling local gyms for their class schedules. Oddly enough, a little pre-planning helps create some spontaneity in my fitness routine.

 

I also feel the effects of inertia when I have bouts of fear that I can't do it alone. When I'm not sure what to do next, the temptation is to do nothing. That's when I have to remind myself that yes, my dietitian, trainer and life coach gave me lots of support last year. But they also gave me something much more important -- the foundation, the building blocks, for a lifetime of healthy living. When I take a moment to stop and re-group, I find I have all the information I need to keep moving forward.

 

Now, I just have to use it.

 

Comments

[WeightingGame]

I was thinking about this yesterday as I did my 40 minutes on the Gauntlet. I was sweating and my heart was beating and it was hard, but it's the 5th such workout I've done in the last 8 days....I can't do too much else because of my neck. I KNOW I need to change things up...and yet I feel like the workout is still kicking my butt. I tried to do some intervals to push myself...

[MizFit]

Im stuck in a bigbig rut but also in the 'this is what fits my lifestyle right now' place.
or is that an excuse?
I dont think so---my priorities have shifted I guess. Focusing on my daughter to the RUTTAGE of my workout routine as I can derutify later.

yes? I will, right? perhaps?

M.

[Dara Chadwick]

I hear you, Leslie. It's hard to see the value of changing things sometimes when I still feel like I'm getting a good workout. Sometimes changing a workout is really energizing, too, though -- at least for me :-).

Miz, I think there's a difference between a rut and an acceptance of the limitations of the day. As long as we push ourselves when we can, I think we can safely let go of the guilt we might feel...as long as we're not putting everybody else first and ourselves last all the time.