So 2021 has arrived… and the holiday challenge of 2020 ended, so now what?
Let’s start with this: What gets you moving in your wellness journey when the motivation is, well, gone?
The thing is, we all get into our own unique ruts, or what nutritionist and fitness experts may also refer to as a plateau. We all experience ruts, so first of all, it’s ok that you feel you just don’t really want to do THAT workout today, and it’s also ok that you feel a bit defeated because even if you have been doing THAT workout for a few weeks now and you just don’t seem to be getting to your goals as quickly as you thought you would… and, dammit, you “should” (that’s a stupid word) be seeing results because we are almost to the end of January. Feeling stuck is actually pretty natural, but the problem is when it becomes chronic. Stress isn’t necessary a bad thing. For example, eustress, known as “good” stress, leads to positive consequences such as being excited and getting those good-good-feels, especially ones that can push and motivate us; eustress is also a coping mechanism for our bodies and can improve performance. This type of stress comes and goes and works with the ebbs and flows of life. The chronic shit, aka distress, is what you have to be sure you aren’t getting yourself wrapped up in, especially long-term.
Why?? Especially when our holiday plans of eating clean and then rolling into the New Year ahead of the game didn’t quite work out, or we haven’t even done a sit-up since… well, we can’t remember? And let’s not forget COVID closing my gym for three months… the shit just seems to be snowballing, especially lately.
Well, I’m here to tell you- chronic states of stress reduce our ability to recover (physically and psychologically), on top of that it wears us out, further reducing our resources for recovery, and most dangerously, we become used to chronic states and normalize them. When we feel discomfort for a prolonged period of time, that mild unease zaps the motivation and energy right out of us. I cannot stress enough (no pun intended), the more you can become aware of all the nasty feeling and shit that seems to pile up on a regular basis, and then learn to let it go (I like visualizing it as a physically thing leaving my body or sing the song from Frozen as at the top of my lungs… one way or the other my attitude shifts), the easier it will be for you to deal with the “stress”. Eventually, it turns into small moments of awareness where you think to yourself “this sucks, but I have a choice of learning from this and making the best of it, therefore coming out better and stronger.. ooooor I can be a whiny bitch about it and REALLY make sure I’m miserable”. The choice is yours.
Honestly and truly, there is no magic pill. Sorry if I’m letting you down, but YOU and your CHOICES are the magic key ingredients here.
I know you are probably super sick of hearing me say this, but self-discipline is what keeps us going and keeps our heads up and our attitudes in check. Honestly and truly, there is no magic pill. Sorry if I’m letting you down, but YOU and your CHOICES are the magic key ingredients here (no Amazon shopping for you!). I know, that can sound like a bummer when you already feel stuck, but here we are, together, at the end of January 2021, setting ourselves up for the entire year.
You ready? Here we go….
So this may make you roll your eyes at me, but this it the moment where I’m going to share something super obvious with you which is self-care is necessary right now! Self-compassion is not only critical to mental wellness, but also to your physical strength and capacity to move forward. Because self-care is not all about stepping back, it’s also about the push forward, too. Real, unfiltered, raw self-care can boost energy and motivation, leaving you capable of recovery and the next step.
But if that’s not the case, let this realization light a fire under your ass to MAKE IT HAPPEN this year.
So where to start? Well, a good place is by taking a quick assessment of yourself, your nutrition, your workout routine, and how well you’ve been taking care of YOU. What better time to take stock of our own inventory than in January. Remind yourself of where you were this time, last year. I have to imagine you’ve grown and bettered yourself in a couple areas over the past 12 months. Sometimes just this simple exercise in taking stock provides you with an awareness of just how far you have come. And progress is something that reaffirms to us that self-discipline results in progress, even when it doesn’t feel all shinny and new. But if that’s not the case, let this realization light a fire under your ass to MAKE IT HAPPEN this year. No “new year, new you” bullshit. You’re still you, you’re just choosing to let go of unnecessary baggage and start picking up some new habits or attitudes that set you up to be successful and accomplish your goals. You’re amazing! You don’t need to find a new you. Instead, striving to consistently grow and better yourself is a wonderful focus!
Maybe this doesn’t cover what you’re dealing with. Well, then….
It’s time to increase the intensity of your workouts, your fitness routine, and even the way you practice self-care. Focus on intensity rather than volume if you’re short on time, or even introduce something new into your regimen. In fact, think about the redundant exercises in your arsenal (as you take stock) and consider variety as you integrate new ways to target the same muscle groups. Cross training can be an effective way to get out of your workout rut, for example, a 2014 studyfrom the University of Tampa showed that varied exercises lead to greater increases in muscle mass compared to constant exercises. Cross training is great because you don’t get bored (neither does your body) all the while working on multiple aspects of training- like mobility, which in and of itself requires a balance of strength (weight training), and flexibility (yoga), not to mention your body will thank you thirty years from now. Now we’re talking! Fun and motivating. Then again, my idea and your idea of fun may not be the same, but at least you’re not drudging along doing the same damn thing, week in and week out.
It’s a new year, same you, but new perspective, which overtime becomes a more evolved you. What are the ways in which you breathe new breath into your fitness journey, or just life in general? We don’t necessarily need to be a stickler and make some huge resolution with great expectations, but what we do need to do is continue to commit to ourselves and understand that we WILL shift. You don’t have to be extreme, just consistent.
Ebbs and flows my friends.
#2021 #newyearevolvingyou #RushIntoFitness #selfcare #Resolutions #workoutresolution #HIITworkouts #Strenghttraining #ebbsandflows
