I know self-care is important. One of the things modern-day parenting pounds into us is that we have to look out for ourselves, to treat our spirits like fragile baby birds. Nurture. By listening to our inner hearts and tending to them we can be better parents, spouses, and friends. It’s true.
I am really good at treating my spirit like a baby bird, all the soothing and protecting, but that doesn’t always translate to feeling better about life. Baths are great; a good book is my happiness; meditating is also wonderful. But at some point I stopped to ask: while those things are relaxing to me, was I really getting that sense of self-care with those activities? Did I feel like I was caring for my body in the way that made me feel better, more energized to be a mom?
So I decided to spend one month flipping the idea of self-care upside down. Instead of doing less in an effort to tend to my spirit, what if I did MORE?
This is radical, I know. We all feel tugged in a million different directions. But please know I am a real, average mom. I do not do Crossfit or want to do a triathlon in my “spare time.” I drive two kids to their schools and all their activities and I work. I clean, cook, launder, and other Mom-things.
Yet I wanted to try this, to see this through. It would involve juggling and sacrifice, I knew. But I wanted to see if the ultimate pay-off of physical activity every day would be feeling more powerful about my life.
I made a commitment to myself to spend every day doing some sort of movement. I wanted to feel better about my body, like IÂ cared for it. I wanted more energy, and energy creates energy, it seemed.
So I started my new journey with a trial of Les Mills On Demand. While I had been a Les Mills instructor for a decade, I took a break. When I did, my workouts were all over the place. Not having a clear vision or routine meant I didn’t get to them. I scheduled over them. I wasn’t taking care of my body because, it seemed, other things were more important.
I stumbled on the Les Mills service accidentally but was excited to see nearly all of my favorite classes available. But I still wasn’t sure I would use it. After all, I have workout DVDs collecting dust on my shelf.
Regardless, I decided to follow their 6-week recommended exercise schedule, just to see what happened. I was looking for change and there is no better way to find it than to actually change something. As I am an overachiever, I went straight for the intense version.
After getting used to it, I decided I liked the program. So I took advantage of a Dick’s Sporting Goods sale and rewards points and bought standard plates (2 in 2.5 pounds, 2 in 5 pounds, and 2 in 10 pounds). Then I logged on to Amazon to buy a bar with clips (making sure it wasn’t weighted!). Amazon does sell plates if you prefer to use your Prime benefits. Or, you can invest in the fancy Les Mills Smart Bar set. (affiliate links)
I get tired, and I always have things to do, so I wasn’t sure how committed I would be to this idea of doing some sort of physical activity every day. But, for one month, I made it.
Here are my thoughts on this journey to exercise every day as a way of self-care:
This commitment requires early mornings.
With work during the day and kids at night, the practicality of this meant getting up early. That hurts. But, just like going off of caffeine, once I got through day four of an early rise, it was easier.
I love the flexibility of at-home workouts.
As a gym-rat, I am addicted to the energy of being in a place where everyone is devoted to fitness and pushing their limits. It is impossible to not be affected by that. But as a busy mom, sometimes I only have 30-minutes a day to devote to fitness.
I thought it would be hard to get motivated if I wasn’t putting gym classes into my routine, that I would slack, but it turns out I work out MORE when I set myself up for success and ease at home. I can jump in and do whatever I can with the time that I have instead of having to plan a drive and significant chunk of time.
For more tips on this, view our post How to Workout Without a Gym.
I love the flexibility of the Les Mills On Demand programs.
They offer a variety of styles in both 30-minute and 60-minute formats. Yet they are professional, entertaining, diverse and hard! (PS- this isn’t paid or sponsored in any way.)
I love that I don’t have to do an On Demand program.
If I don’t want to look at a screen, I lace up my shoes and jog. Once a week I pay money to attend a hot yoga class. Or I meet a friend and walk. It still counts.
Doing some sort of workout every day isn’t that hard once you make it a habit.
That is really what the recommended workout schedule forced me to do: make it a habit. Every day I now incorporate getting a workout in just the same way I do meal preparation or doing laundry. In my mind, it is a requirement to call the day successful and there isn’t any drama about convincing myself anymore. The program made it a habit. Sometimes it’s a quick yoga flow before bed using Lesley Fightmaster, but there is always some way to do movement of some sort.
I hate HIIT workouts.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). They are all the rage right now and they are so hard. I do not enjoy any moment of those 30-minutes.
My body is changing.
I am not buff, I don’t have a 6-pack of abs (probably because I like Tostitos and wine and I had two babies) and I didn’t lose 10 pounds. But I am stronger. I have more energy; I don’t crash at 3 pm every day. My runs are easier and longer and faster, even if I am not running for most of my workouts. What I want to do in my daily life is easier because of my commitment to working out. Family hiking feels good.
My mind is changing.
I love my body. No more self-loathing or wishing I weren’t squishy. I am still squishy, but I love my squishiness now. My squishy is part of who I am and it doesn’t stop me from jumping, running, kicking, dancing, pressing and pushing. By working out daily, I spend more time focusing on what I can do instead of what I can’t. I love that I am young and healthy enough to move through the world.
I want to be really clear: working out every day does not mean I am hitting a high state of anaerobic respiration every time I do something. But instead of sitting, I am forcing myself to move in some way.
Also, my inner heart still needs baths and massages and good books when it comes to self-care. But I have so much more energy to make time for those things and I love myself so much more when my self-care involves exercise. Is this sustainable for a year? I doubt it. I can’t imagine I will work out 365 days a year, and it isn’t my expectation.
But, ultimately, pushing myself to think differently about integrating fitness and movement into my life has been a welcome journey.
I have taken care of my Self.
BOLD: (defined)
not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring; not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; necessitating courage and daring; challenging; beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative
THE BOLD LIFE CHALLENGE:
I designed this challenge to push myself outside of my comfort zone. Adventure doesn’t have to be overseas, it can be in our own backyards.
I wanted to force myself to try new things, to learn to embrace my life, to take a situation where I was feeling lonely and force a new perspective. There is way too much fun, adventure, laughter and good people in the world for me to feel sad.
There is only one goal to this challenge: to live life BOLDLY. To live with courage, imagination, and to live outside conventional action. It is here life expands.