I think it’s safe to say that to some degree everyones routine went out the window when the coronavirus hit in March. There have been good days and bad days and days of not knowing how to feel at all, you feel me? I believe all of that to be “normal” in a very not normal time.
Exercise is and has always been a great stress reliever for me. Running around Central Park helped me through the extreme anxiety I felt when I lived in New York City and is always something I can turn to for some good me time, thinking and reflection
Pre-corona I would never miss a Tuesday Barry’s Bootcamp class. In the 3 years since I began taking classes there, I’ve grown to love the workout, the community and have met some really great people who have become friends.
I feel so good after a class and definitely chase that runners high that sometimes you can only get from pushing yourself by way of the instructors encouragement. While I don’t track calories burned or miles run, I could see myself improving in different way through sprints and lifting. Long story short I would be annoyed if I missed class one week or couldn’t go to my favorite class with my favorite instructor — it just became part of my routine!
That schedule totally changed for me as I’m sure your “typical” workout routine changed for you. At first I hoped on all the IG live workouts I could. And I mean there were A LOT to hop in at any given moment of the day. I hope I’m not alone when I say that was slightly overwhelming!
I eventually found my groove and tried different HIIT type lives and YouTube videos but the thing was I really wasn’t enjoying any of them. It very much felt forced, I was dreading working out and everything felt very heavy and “blah”. Some of this was definitely news fatigue and being stuck inside our small apartment, but still, my excited-to-workout-spirit was no where to be found.
But then something amazing happened. I stopped forcing it.
I stopped forcing myself to do HIIT videos and tried other types of workouts that I never thought I would like just to see. I started walking the stairs in my building to just do something different for fun. I didn’t count them, I didn’t track anything I just climbed until I didn’t want to anymore. I didn’t workout on days when I didn’t feel like it and I didn’t feel bad about.
I really tuned to what sounded fun and brought joy to my day — something I think is incredibly important for us to do at this time.
Yes, one day I hope to go back to group fitness classes, especially Barrys, but for now I’m not rushing back because I’m enjoying my grove of dance cardio videos (The Sculpt Society is my current obsession!), getting outside for runs and walks around the city, jump roping, and using the gym in my building safely when I can.
During this season of life for me and unprecedented time in our world, we have to give ourselves room to accept that what worked before these times maybe doesn’t work right now and thats ok. Maybe a different form of movement or a different perspective is actually more helpful for our physical, mental and emotional health right now. I think we have to honor that and do right by our bodies.
Working out is so beneficial for our health in so many different ways, but I think what’s even more beneficial is doing workouts that work for you on other levels too (same goes for food choices!). Ones that make you excited to learn something new, that make you connect to your inner child, or that simply make you feel like the beautiful, strong woman that you are!
So if you’re feeling like this or have experienced a similar change in your routine, I challenge you not to be mad or annoyed you can’t do what you were doing before in the same way, but rather be open to what might feel good for right now. Who knows, it could turn out to be a new enjoyable activity you end up falling in love with and want to continue doing!
Has your exercise routine changed in different over the past couple of months too? Has your perspective of relationship with exercise changed in ways you didn’t expect like mine has?
Thanks for reading! xoxo Maggie
