How I Finally Found a Work-Out that Stuck
In high school I was a competitive lacrosse player who spent what seemed like every spare minute either at practice, a game or doing extra training. Once I went to college, I definitely lost my way when it came to exercising. I no longer had a coach telling me what to do, I no longer had a set schedule I had to follow and I had no idea what kind of exercise I even liked. About 4 years ago I finally started exercising regularly after a helpful suggestion from my doctor, and it feels amazing to have that part of my life be enjoyable again. Looking back on those years of struggle in between college and now, I see a lot of what was wrong with my previous attempts at building a workout routine, and why every previous attempt ended with me on Pinterest pinning infographic workouts I was never going to do. Here I am to share some of the things I learned to help you find your perfect workout!
A lot of my high school and college athlete friends seemed to have the same struggles as me coming out of organized sports. We had always had a strict schedule of practices, games and tournaments- none of which were optional. We had coaches instructing us constantly and really didn’t have to put much thought into what we were doing to stay in such great shape. By the time I got to college I realized I had no idea what I needed to do to workout. I didn’t want to run sprints or drills on a field anymore, but that was all I knew. I also realized I was missing the adrenaline rush of playing a competitive sport, and started looking into classes as a way to fill this void. Turns out I didn’t really like those either. I always felt like the odd one out in every class I took, mostly because I am 100% one of those people who thinks everyone at the gym or in the class is watching them and judging them (even though I know they aren’t!). On top of all that, once the Dysautonomia symptoms started, most workouts became practically impossible to do without getting lightheaded or triggering other symptoms which only added to my pile of reasons to keep not working out.
My provider finally recommended yoga as another way to help manage my symptoms (see: Becoming a Yogi), and right after my first session I knew this was the workout I had been looking for. I started looking forward to my workouts again and felt noticeably more refreshed at the end of a class. Because I already have a whole post dedicated to yoga (yes, it is that awesome), I want to focus on the elements I feel were missing during all those years of struggling to get a routine down.
I think a lot of my struggle came from the feeling that I had to do a workout everyone else loved. Everyone I knew loved cycling- and I have tried MANY cycling classes, but never walked out loving any of them. Not to mention nowadays a workout that cardio intense is not even an option for me. But the point is I wasn’t thinking about what I needed or wanted from a workout, I was just assuming if everyone liked it then I should too. To avoid this mistake, make sure to really focus on what you do and don’t like about working out. Do you like intense workouts? Do you like workouts that are equipment heavy or require almost no extra props? Do you like working out with other people or is solo more your speed? These are all super important things to consider when deciding to commit to an exercise routine.
I also really struggled with not learning to meet my body where it was at. I tried working out with friends at the gym and doing their routines, only to be bored, self-conscious or just plain unsuccessful. I tried pushing through intense classes when I knew my body was super fatigued and I should stop, and then spent way too much additional time trying to recover. I tried exercises that were either too hard on me cardio-wise or too hard on my body so I would end up modifying everything to the point where I wasn’t even getting a workout anymore. When I finally discovered yoga, I think one of the biggest selling points was how gentle it was. Right now, whether I like it or not, my body needs something gentle, and that doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging, it just means that it doesn’t put my body through unnecessary stress. Once I accepted where my body was at, and started working out appropriately, that’s when I started to see the magic happen. I think the same can be said for a lot of people whether you like gentle workouts like me or are a HITT junkie like my mom, you have to find a workout plan that meets you where you are at in the moment.
A downside I see with a lot of workout options is the inconvenience. For example, even if I liked cycling or reformer classes or gym workouts, the fact that I either have to drive somewhere else to do them, or invest in equipment at home, is enough to make me stop trying. I am very much a home-body and quickly realized gym memberships were not designed for people like me. Chances are if I have to drive somewhere every time I want a workout, I will always choose to stay at home. With yoga I only needed a mat to start practicing and the ease of rolling out a mat at any time of the day I choose has been essential to me sticking with it all these years.
Another big, but often unnoticed, consideration is your mental presence while working out. When I tried to go to the gym with friends, we would workout together, but mentally I was always thinking about other things- I was there because I “had” to workout but NOT because I wanted to be. With classes I was always so distracted by the music and yelling of the instructor and how I thought the class was supposed to look and feel that I ended up not fully focusing on the workout I was doing. Yoga is so simple, yet so complex. When I get on the mat, I am so focused on holding poses, perfecting my posture, breathing properly and distributing my weight to the correct locations that I truly detach from whatever was going on in my day.
Thankfully, I have found my perfect workout. I now understand that mental shift people have where working out becomes something they love to do, and something their body starts craving. To have something so essential in your life be a positive addition, and not a chore, is so important. Like I always say, with any lifestyle change you make, you have to be happy with the change for it to truly impact your life in a positive way. Try everything (even if you think you won’t like it) and consider some of the things I mentioned above while you do. You never know, the most unlikely of exercises could end up being exactly what you and your body need after all!