Failure. Plenty has been said and written on the subject. This is nothing new...moving on and learning from failure is critical to success. But how easy we forget when we are in the midst of struggling with it. Next time you're found, with your chin on the ground As a child, when I was distraught about being unable to accomplish a task, my mom would sing High Hopes. At the time, I didn't pay attention to the lyrics or receive comfort from hearing the song. It was a distraction; one that was both funny and annoying...the annoyance increasing with my age. For years, I believed it was either failure or success with nothing in between. Failure was and continues to be HARD for me. I know; it's hard for everyone. Some of us, though, take it straight to heart. My identity was wrapped up in "not failing" and when I did, I was an emotional WRECK! My inner dialogue was brutal. Failure was to be avoided at all costs; I generally would give up before facing it again. I can now appreciate the song and understand why my mom would sing it. Persistence in the face of failure is challenging but absolutely necessary for success.
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Women should not use heavy weights. Women should only use heavy weights. Do cardio to lose body fat. No, don't do cardio. We hear a lot of noise about exercise online. Some fitness professionals and exercise enthusiasts loudly proclaim the "one right way" and put down other programs or methods, often discounting the benefits of exercise beyond weight loss or aesthetics... meanwhile over 75% of Americans do not exercise enough or at all.
You don't have to use barbells. You don't have to go running. You don't have to join a gym or studio. You don't have to do high intensity workouts. Not if you don't want to. All you have to do is move your body consistently. How you do this is up to you. If you are cleared to exercise, you have choices that can work right now. You know you should exercise. You know why. It's the how and when that gets tricky. Whether that is via group classes, joining a gym, at home, outdoors or with a trainer, you can find one that fits. Committing to consistent exercise is an investment of time and (often) money. It is worthwhile to explore your options. The main considerations:
It happens. Just when you are hitting your stride. Meeting goals. Feeling better! You step wrong off a curb. Your knee does something funny when crawling into bed. A muscle strain. A broken toe. Any number of injuries and accidents can take us away from regular exercise. And for some reason, when that happens, the balanced eating also tends to fall away. I’ve been there. It’s rough. One - LISTEN to your doctor or medical professional. Doing too much too soon will delay or alter your healing. Take it from me, the woman who continued to teach Jazzercise with a broken toe. In hindsight, I delayed the healing process by weeks.
Two - Move when/as much as you can without doing further damage. Lower body injured? Work your upper body and core. Do floor work if you are able. Find ways to keep moving but listen to your body and do NOT work through pain in the injured area. Three - Feed your body well. I know it’s easy to reach for those comfort foods when you are physically hurting and upset. Eat some cake or fries or whatever it is that you crave but find balance. Your body deserves nutritious foods. Adjust your caloric intake to match reduced activity levels, if necessary. Four - Talk to someone if you start to feel down or stressed. For many of us, regular workouts or daily walks are not only for physical health but for mental health. Five - Practice gratitude. Studies have shown that being grateful has emotional, social, career and health benefits. Focus on what you CAN do. You are awesome! Even if you do break your toe on a table leg. (I don't recommend it!) After you have healed, it can be hard to get back into the good habits you previously established. Make a plan, write it down, and start. You may not be where you left off and have to regress a bit in your fitness program and that’s okay. Re-assess your goals. Be aware of your self-talk; be kind to yourself. Keep moving. If you need some help getting back on track, I'm here! I don’t know about you but I don’t want vanilla all of the time. Sometimes I need a different flavor, some variety, some sprinkles! The same goes for my workout! One of my favorite ways to incorporate a variety of movements into one exercise session is circuit training. Circuits involve performing 5 to 10 exercises working different parts of the body with minimal rest in between. Circuits can include body weight exercises, weights, resistance bands, weight machines, cardio equipment and many other fitness implements. The combinations are almost endless! The number of circuits completed depends on the amount of time you have. Limited time for exercise? Circuit training may be your answer. |
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