Commitment (6)

Dear Friend,

Do you have any exercise equipment at home? Do you use it?

I used to have an exercise bike. My old house was a tiny 525 square feet. In my cozy living room I had an exercise bike in the corner. I had bought the bike right after moving in. It was great!! I got a good deal on it. I had big plans of losing lots of weight and getting into shape.

I think I had racked up about 232 miles on it .... in 12 years.

The truth was I had good intentions. I used it everyday for the first couple of weeks then maybe a couple miles here or there. After a while I gave up all together and started hanging my coat on it and I put holiday decorations on it as a joke. I dusted it off before people came over so they would think I actually used it. I'd stare at it now and then with a pang of guilt while watching TV but it was never quite enough to get me off my butt and onto the seat.

I am someone who has a terrible time committing to myself. I can easily exhaust myself helping other people meet their goals while mine get swept under the carpet. When I decided to work on getting healthy I knew I needed to find a gym. I needed help. I needed the accountability of a community.

Finding the right gym was my first goal. I went through a few bad experiences and cancelled memberships before finding the right fit. Please know there is a right fit, friend, but it isn't the same for everyone! You may not like my gym and I may not like yours. I new immediately my gym was right for me because it actually had a staff of encouraging and motivating people who were educated in the health and wellness industry, either academically or through personal experience or both. I had found my accountability community.

I worked with a personal trainer to keep motivated and to learn how to navigate the equipment. I didn't know the first thing about working out. It takes about a month to form a habit. I wanted to make sure going to the gym became my new habit. My brain is resistant to change so I trained with my trainer for just over a year. It was FUN.

In that time I learned a lot about myself and what I could actually do. Not what my brain said I could do or liked. For example, I LOVE free weights. who knew? Not me. I was just as shocked as anyone. I love how strong I feel when I do chest presses and dead lifts. I was amazed to see how strong I actually was! I am not a competitive person but I love the sideways glances I get when I pick up a heavier dumb bell. It makes me proud of myself and all the work I've put into getting stronger. Admittedly, this area of the gym could use more of my attention but I've been a little distracted. You see, I've also discovered my love of cardio. I can't deny the improvement to my stamina because of it.

  

My gym has an amazing cardio staff too. We have such a good time getting rowdy in class (and by rowdy I mean clapping and cheering each other on). My favorite class is Fight class. Can you believe it, Friend? Fight class. I am not a violent person but something in that class brings out all the joy in me. Maybe it's the idea of round house kicking my stress or punching every pound of fat in the face! I repeat I'm not a violent person. I just can't stop smiling in class which doesn't make my jabs and hooks very intimidating but I feel fantastic.

Ultimately, isn't that the goal? Improving our health and how we feel? If we aren't feeling good it becomes nearly impossible to motivate ourselves to get fit. It is so important to find the fun in everything we do but especially when you work out. Yes, friend, I know that sounds weird. What's fun about 'no pain no gain', right? I mean I used to hate working out. Then I watched a healthy adult slowly lose the ability to walk and talk before passing away. That changed my perspective to, "I'm so happy I can work out." Life is short. I want to be able to enjoy every minute of it to the best of my ability.

Find a work out tribe and devote yourself to them, friend. Find a tribe that is positive and encouraging - there is no time for drama! These people will be your accountability community and the tribe you choose can make all the difference to your success. You can do it!

XO, Robin

P.S. If you want to learn more about health and wellness check out my Facebook page Oh my Quad!