In my effort to be nicer to my body, I’ve cut way back on my running and am trying to have a more well-rounded approach to exercise. Here’s the reasoning:
In the last five or so years, there has been very little about my life I had control over. My life revolved around…work. My work, Chris’ work, my boss’ work. You name it, work has directed every decision we’ve made.
And my body has not responded well. Migraines, psoriasis, pulled hamstrings, heart palpitations (my favorite), sleeplessness - all physical manifestations of stress.
My coping mechanism became exercise. It’s the only thing I could control. I got dangerously close to the edge of a cliff before Chris and Mrs. JT pulled me back. It’s easy to get too caught up in counting calories when your days, nights, weekend and holidays do not belong to you.
I watched myself do it again with IVF. I ran. And then ran some more. I ate enough to maintain my trying-to-get-pregnant weight but still, I wasn’t doing my body any good. That last week before the stim meds, I ran every day and I about couldn’t walk. Bad, bad Robin.
Well, no more. Work is certainly still busy but I’m no longer bound like I have been in the past. Lots of reasons for that but they’re not important. What is important is that I now change my coping mechanism. I need to learn how to exercise to be healthy.
Not to punish my body.
That’s not to say that I’ll stop running entirely. Just fewer days, not so hard and quit putting pressure on myself to reach some ridiculous goal no one cares about but me. I want to go back to spinning a couple of days and then do a gentle workout on the elliptical too.
Break a sweat, yes. Break my body, no.
Yesterday, I decided to make good on my promise to change things up and went to my first spinning class in probably a year.
Today I can barely move.
But here’s to hoping the low impact of 60 minutes worth of hovers does Lulu and Rita a world of good.
And that my bum, legs and lower back will forgive me. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
In the last five or so years, there has been very little about my life I had control over. My life revolved around…work. My work, Chris’ work, my boss’ work. You name it, work has directed every decision we’ve made.
And my body has not responded well. Migraines, psoriasis, pulled hamstrings, heart palpitations (my favorite), sleeplessness - all physical manifestations of stress.
My coping mechanism became exercise. It’s the only thing I could control. I got dangerously close to the edge of a cliff before Chris and Mrs. JT pulled me back. It’s easy to get too caught up in counting calories when your days, nights, weekend and holidays do not belong to you.
I watched myself do it again with IVF. I ran. And then ran some more. I ate enough to maintain my trying-to-get-pregnant weight but still, I wasn’t doing my body any good. That last week before the stim meds, I ran every day and I about couldn’t walk. Bad, bad Robin.
Well, no more. Work is certainly still busy but I’m no longer bound like I have been in the past. Lots of reasons for that but they’re not important. What is important is that I now change my coping mechanism. I need to learn how to exercise to be healthy.
Not to punish my body.
That’s not to say that I’ll stop running entirely. Just fewer days, not so hard and quit putting pressure on myself to reach some ridiculous goal no one cares about but me. I want to go back to spinning a couple of days and then do a gentle workout on the elliptical too.
Break a sweat, yes. Break my body, no.
Yesterday, I decided to make good on my promise to change things up and went to my first spinning class in probably a year.
Today I can barely move.
But here’s to hoping the low impact of 60 minutes worth of hovers does Lulu and Rita a world of good.
And that my bum, legs and lower back will forgive me. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
All good! No one should hover an hour on a bike! Take a few days off to recover. The kinder, gentler you to your body is a good thing! Love, Mom :)
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