My daily exercise mantra is simple: get it done.
As you already know, I don't usually care how one gets their 60-minutes of activity in, so long as they get it in before the stroke of midnight. Personally, I have been known to barrel into yoga as late as 11:00 because that's what was possible for me on that day—again, get it done. However, one of the more important things to focus on when considering your routine is your mindset pre, during, and post.
I can't tell you how many times last week I just wasn't "feeling it". I pushed through several workouts simply because I wanted to remain true to my goals, but I wasn't giving them as much effort as I normally might have because I was distracted by so many other things, not the least of which being the start of the new school year.
My baby girl will start Pre-K this year and it will be the first time in more than six years that I will face a day where I won't have either child at my feet from waking to sleeping. That will take some adjusting to, and as the weeks have now dwindled to days—school starts on August 4 here—I find that I want to spend more time preparing myself mentally and physically (imagine the emotions I'll feel seeing my baby totter off to her first day of school) for that all-important "first day", and less time focusing on my waistline.
I have already brought in reinforcements for week one as I believe I will be a complete wreck of a mother.
Each of us will face a moment where we will need to tweak our approach to whatever it is we've prioritized as necessary in our lives. I can attest to the fact that plans are made simply, but even the best laid plans are prone to disruption.
I took the emotional road block I hit in my workouts last week as a sign that I needed to take a moment to ingest how important these last days will be for both myself and my children—my daughter especially—because it will be an adjustment for all of us.
The secret to a life well-lived, in my humble opinion, is not only focusing on your physical health, but your mental and emotional health as well. The one simply does not work without the other and you have to listen carefully to the subtle promptings that often will tell you when you need to refocus your energy elsewhere, if you hope to reap the benefits as a whole.
2 comments:
I can't believe i didn't know about this blog of yours sooner. I've been missing out! I love the blend of topics here from fitness to marriage & children. I've got you in my Reader now and won't miss a post!
I almost cried reading about how this will be the first time in 6 years you'll be without both children during the day. I know that can't be easy to see your youngest head off to school just like her big brother. If i know you though, you'll be what little extra free time you have wisely focusing on being the best Mother & Wife you can be. I'll be thinking about you the first few weeks of school Mom!
Awwww thanks, Ally. I can definitely use the moral support. Lauren, my baby girl, had become my little sidekick over the last two years as my son entered school, and She and I would shop, eat, play, and explore Athens together; now I'll be doing those things solo and it will be a bittersweet pain in my heart.
That said, I feel blessed just to have had the opportunity to watch them grow into these beautiful little beings filled.
The next chapter will include me being their tutor, cheerleader, and confidante as they both navigate the social and academic waters of this new experience.
Hopefully, with God as my ultimate compass, I will always lead them more right than wrong.
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