Go hard AND go soft

Basically, do whatever you want to do.

There is the contingent of people who exercise who think that you should go all out. They're the NO EXCUSES, NO PAIN NO GAIN crowd who believe in going hard every time you work out in order to see any results. Just watch any commercial for Nike or Gatorade, and you'll see. 

This is not a small contingent. Maybe it's tied in to how our capitalistic society places value on how much and how well we can perform our jobs--it's as if to do anything less than your all is pure laziness. It's not just the super fit, either-- for a while, they even got ME believing that "being in last place is still better than being on the couch."

It's all bogus, of course. You are not inherently a better person (in terms of your humanity) for working out. And you are definitely not inherently a better person for always working out HARD. 

I'm going to let you in on a secret, and maybe you know this already:

The best workout...

                                    ... is one that you will actually DO.

It doesn't matter if it's the most high intensity High Intensity Interval Training or the gentlest yoga. What matters is if you enjoy it and if you'll actually do it.

And while we're at it, let's get rid of this dichotomy too--it's okay to love both the highest intensity interval training and the gentlest yoga. It's okay to make room for both in your schedule, and in fact, you probably should, because you're probably not going to get the best out of your body if you are doing ALL high intensity or doing ALL things-that-are-too-easy-for-your-body. (I don't want to say that gentle yoga is too easy because for some people, it's not. Only you can really know what's too easy for you.)

I've been working on creating a training schedule for myself, and it's been requiring a lot of soul searching: What do I want to do? Why am I putting things on my schedule that I might not actually want to do? Why aren't I planning out more rest time?

I'm 40 now, and especially since I just had a baby a few months ago, my body just isn't what it used to be. I used to get up at 4:30am and go running every morning, and when I was training for marathons and half marathons, I would go do double-digit distance runs on Sunday mornings. I used to go lift at the gym for two to two-and-a-half hours at a time. I used to do all these things together in the same week, with a day or two where I did a run in the morning and then lifted in the evening.

I can't do that anymore. And upon further consideration, I don't WANT to do that anymore. 

I've definitely decided that I want to focus on lifting, but right now, I don't want to spend any more than an hour MAXIMUM per workout, and honestly, I'd rather keep it closer to half an hour. I want to walk or run every now and then, but I just want to enjoy it and not follow a program. I want to make room for yoga. I want to go to Orangetheory. I don't want to do either of those more than once a week.

Why was I making elaborate schedules to try and squeeze all these things in, and then NOT following any of it? I was trying so hard to force myself into the role of HARDCORE ATHLETE and then ruining my own excitement for any of it. 

So I went back to the drawing table. I looked at my constraints--most days, I don't feel like leaving the house after I get home from work, and with a teenager, a toddler, and an infant, I never know what my bandwidth (or my childcare situation) will be like when I get home. 

But also, I want to be able to mix things up. Sometimes it is a treat to be able to leave the house for some me-time! Sometimes I am just NOT excited by the idea of setting up my iPad in my garage and following a video. (Sometimes that is all I want to do, but I don't want to be stuck doing that all the time.)

I think I have come up with a schedule that just might work. It's got a mix of going hard and going soft. It's got all the things that I love to do--short sessions of lifting at home most days, and then yoga and Orangetheory in-studio once a week each. It's got flexibility, which means there's a better chance that I'll stick to it. It's got a whole rest day!

And if I change my mind later about my goals? I can change my plan.

The best workout is one that you'll actually do. And I'm really excited to do this.