Delays!

To employ an oft used sports colloquial metaphor, sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Work will give you odd hours, family will come into town, or any number of odd circumstances that arise that can throw your schedule for a loop. Personally, I like to exercise on a set regimen. Or at least I try to. My morning routines consist of Tai Chi followed with an intense bodyweight workout. Every other day I like to go for a run. Unfortunately, that's not always an option. So I do what any good animal would do when confronted with a changing environment. I adapt!

This is a very important principle to take to heart. The second most dangerous time for someone's commitment to fitness after the first few days is after the first two weeks. After two weeks of solid effort, people are apt to relax, feel like they've earned a day off or two. This mentality is exceptionally dangerous when one of the aforementioned curve balls come your way. If work needs you to work some extra hours, then you figure that skipping a couple of days of exercise won't hurt. That kind of thinking is wrong!

Well, not wrong per se. Here's what I will say on the matter though. The best way to keep going is by building momentum. When I'm running, I try my hardest never to stop. Slow down, certainly. Slowing down to a jog can help me recover, catch my breath, and let me keep going on much longer. If I slow to a walk or stop altogether, than getting back up to a run is awfully difficult. And when I do finally get back up to speed, the first leg is the most difficult. But once I get past my initial windedness and aches, then the running starts to get a little easier.

This holds true for workouts. After skipping workouts for more than two days leaves me in an obviously more fatigued state. My workouts are harder than they previously were, I can't run as fast or as far, and I'm winded so much faster. This can easily be discouraging. And I have been discouraged before. I have started and stopped more fitness programs than I can count. And often after the first 2 weeks. I've even slowed down my commitment to this blog! But what I have to remember is that starting and stopping are all part of the journey. Every time we stop, no matter how long or short, hopefully we're that much farther down the path. Starting is hard, but it's much better than standing still.

So here's my advice. Wake up a little earlier of you can. Get your workout out of the WY in the morning before any of your obligations kick in. If that's not an option, on days when you can't get in a run or a full on workout, do something. Ten pushups are better than no pushups. If you have 2 minutes of free time while the coffee is brewing, see how many pushups you can do in two minutes straight. The answer might surprise you. I certainly was. Two minutes of straight pushups is a lot harder than I thought. But if you do that every day it becomes easier. Something, no matter how small it may seem, is better than nothing.