Fitness Funk

 On July 8th I took my fitness watch off and I have not put it back on since. The constant reminders to be active that I once found motivating were now just super annoying. So I let the battery die and it's been sitting on my night stand ever since. 

Its normal to have these feelings about fitness, it's okay to become unmotivated. But it's time to dust of my running shoes and get back to it!

Here are some things I have done to kick the fitness funk.

1) Acknowledge your feelings - I quit wearing the watch, with conditions. Tec can be super helpful in assisting you in achieving your goals, but when every push notification makes you want to roll your eyes.. or smash it with a hammer,  it might be time for a break. So I told myself I would not wear it for July, and crush the challenges in August. BONUS no weird watch tan lines. 

2) Switch it up - My fitness go tos are Cardio (usually running) and weights. I like 45 min max workouts that burn as many calories as possible. But for July I wasn't feeling the high intensity workouts anymore so I decided to switch it up. Walking and stretching became my go to, and because I ditched my watch the limited calories I was burning didn't phase me as much. 

3) Have a plan to return - Taking a break from your fitness routine is healthy. Making a change to what you are doing can benefit your attitude towards fitness but also can be beneficial to your physical gains.

One training principle is the principle of adaptation,  " the process of the body getting accustomed to a particular exercise or training program through repeated exposure" in changing our workouts the body is challenged more, and gains are more noticeable.  

If you need to quit your routine all together because of an injury, changes in schedule, pregnancy, or travel it's good to have a plan to return. How are you going to accomplish this and not slip back into a sedentary life? Who can cheer you on, what can you do to avoid failure?  One of my first blogs was on creating "SMART" Goals (you can find it here). Having a detailed plan will increase your success. 

What's my plan?

To try to get back into lifting weights 2 times a week, and continue walking at
least 3 times a week. I also want to focus more on stretching and mobility. So trying to get at least two 30 minute yoga or mobility classes into my schedule per week.  I will track the workouts in my planner and stick to the schedule. 

So the moral of the story is fitness funks happen.  We can finally travel, get social and leave our house. It's normal to not want to spend your new found freedom in a gym working out. I get it. BUT fitness is important to our health so finding alternatives is key!  Go for a run with a friend, get our and garden, enjoy the outside as much as possible.

September will be here soon and the gym will be waiting.  

Until next time , 
​Jess