CONGRATULATIONS, EVERYONE!!! You have survived the first and most difficult week of the fitness challenge! This week forced you to make a big adjustment to your schedule, and probably messed up your routines. You probably also experienced physical discomfort, whether it was sore muscles, blisters, fatigue. I am feeling it in my hamstrings as I write this.
Have you also started fighting your own thoughts yet? These head-games can take you out of the play if you let them. You get conveniently-timed “excuses” why you should skip a planned workout. Or you hear yourself recounting the “reasons” why today isn’t the best day to exercise. Of course I’m not talking about bronchitis – there are certainly valid reasons (illness being one) to not push yourself unreasonably. But part of accomplishing a long-term goal like this fitness challenge is working through the minor excuses and obstacles that you land in your way.
Remember, you had a routine before. It probably didn’t include regular exercise. Your poor old routine is just trying to re-establish itself – to get you back to “The Way We Were”, to quote Barbra Streisand. One of your fitness goals, I suggest, is to create AND ESTABLISH new routines. The creating is fairly easy. You just come up with a plan, and maybe even write it down. The establishing part takes time and a concerted effort because you literally have to change what you do on a daily basis. You probably change when you wake up and when you go to bed. You probably change what you eat. You for sure have to stop doing the something that you were doing in the time you now use to exercise.
Now that you are a week in, you’ve made your plan and started to execute it. You should be smack dab in the middle of the chaos and confusion of changing your routine. Don’t be shocked. You are right on track. The chaos will fade, and the new and improved you is starting to emerge.
Here we are… Day 8!! So far, for my plank challenge this month, I've completed a total of 40:07 of plank out of 150 minutes! I'm quite proud of that. Today was the first day of this challenge for me where I really didn't feel like working out. I was pretty much lazy until I saw dad go downstairs to do his workout. That was my only motivation. My motivation to keep going is lacking, and the fact that I need to do this everyday is going to seem more and more like a chore – I don't want to do it, but I need to because I'm committed to reaching (and hopefully exceeding) my goal.
During my plank workout today, the soreness in my arms from my first week of planking, plus the many pull-ups I did on the side of the diving board at cross-swim was getting to me. My brain was telling me "your arms are sore, your getting tired, and your shaking. This is getting hard and I want you to stop." But I forced myself to push through.
Here are some tips I've used to help myself stay focused and to keep pushing through when I hit that "wall" where I feel I can't push myself farther (feel free to use any and add to the list):
– go through the alphabet slowly (more than once if you have to)
– name all the colors that come to your mind (or even spell them out)
– mentally list off any items your are surrounded by
– sing a song in your head
– name all of the members in your family
– put on a movie to watch
Basically, just find something that works for you to keep your mind busy and occupied so your distracted from your workout – plus the time will go by faster! 🙂 Keep it up, everyone!! 😀
"When you feel like quitting, think about why you started." – http://www.inspiremyworkout.com
This is me. Have I got through? Mom
Yes – proof of concept is established. Way to go, Mom!
Good work, Kristi! Great tips for staying focused. I could have used a few of those today. Cost me some redos.