I've always been one of those people who's constantly stressed out or worried about something. If things happen to be going really smoothly, I will sometimes even find myself thinking "oh, something bad is bound to happen soon...things have been too good lately." It's definitely something I need to work on in all aspects of my life, but especially in fitness.
Last year I got sick with a parasite that went undiagnosed for just about six months. It was in the middle of my senior year of high school and my last year of dance classes, and it made it very difficult to do just about anything. I missed a bunch of school days, struggled to learn my senior solo for my recital, and was basically laid up in bed from February to when I started college in late August. The only physical activity I would do was a couple hours of dance a week (I even missed some of my classes) and I was basically living off of homemade veggie soup, crackers, toast, pretzels, and gatorade. I felt sick to my stomach nearly every single day and was riddled with anxiety about it. I was just plain miserable and felt so defeated.
Fastforward to the end of February this year, I happened to find fitnessblender in my recommended tab on YouTube. The first workout video I did was this one (https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/fat-burning-cardio-workout-37-minute-fitness-blender-cardio-workout-at-home), and I was so surprised when I was able to finish the whole thing (many pauses included)! Today, nearly five months later, I was able to complete a 25 minute HIIT workout with no extra pauses. I genuinely ENJOY working out and look forward to doing these videos, especially because it feels like you're being cheered on by a friend! I'm so thankful I managed to stumble into this community. Because of all of you (Kelli, Daniel, and Andrew included!) I have managed to completely turn my life around. I went from moping around the house, barely moving my body for nearly a year, to working out five days a week and loving it. I'm eating healthier than I ever have before and fully enjoying the food. There are definitely moments where I wish I was more flexible, my stomach was flatter, or I could lift more, but I know those things come with time, and nothing good will come out of rushing it.
I encourage you all to take a step back and look at where you started (even if you started today!). Think about all the workouts you've completed, all the weights you've lifted, all the squat jumps and burpees you've done. I'm constantly having to remind myself that it's okay to not have reached my goals yet; it's okay to still be a work in progress. We should respect ourselves enough to take breaks when we need them, substitute workouts when our bodies ask for something a little more low (or high) impact, eat when we're hungry, have that treat once in a while, and spend more time stretching out after particularly tough sessions. After all, we're only human, and stressing out over missing a workout or eating a little bit less healthy than normal does a lot more harm than good!
(Also, did any of you take advantage of the FB program sale today? I bought FB Abs to do after I finish Burn and Sweat, and I'm so excited! Thanks Kelli, Daniel, Andrew, and the rest of the FB team for the great opportunity--the programs are already such a great value and it's so generous of you guys to make them even more affordable!)
Appreciating where you are
I've always been one of those people who's constantly stressed out or worried about something. If things happen to be going really smoothly, I will sometimes even find myself thinking "oh, something bad is bound to happen soon...things have been too good lately." It's definitely something I need to work on in all aspects of my life, but especially in fitness.
Last year I got sick with a parasite that went undiagnosed for just about six months. It was in the middle of my senior year of high school and my last year of dance classes, and it made it very difficult to do just about anything. I missed a bunch of school days, struggled to learn my senior solo for my recital, and was basically laid up in bed from February to when I started college in late August. The only physical activity I would do was a couple hours of dance a week (I even missed some of my classes) and I was basically living off of homemade veggie soup, crackers, toast, pretzels, and gatorade. I felt sick to my stomach nearly every single day and was riddled with anxiety about it. I was just plain miserable and felt so defeated.
Fastforward to the end of February this year, I happened to find fitnessblender in my recommended tab on YouTube. The first workout video I did was this one (https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos/fat-burning-cardio-workout-37-minute-fitness-blender-cardio-workout-at-home), and I was so surprised when I was able to finish the whole thing (many pauses included)! Today, nearly five months later, I was able to complete a 25 minute HIIT workout with no extra pauses. I genuinely ENJOY working out and look forward to doing these videos, especially because it feels like you're being cheered on by a friend! I'm so thankful I managed to stumble into this community. Because of all of you (Kelli, Daniel, and Andrew included!) I have managed to completely turn my life around. I went from moping around the house, barely moving my body for nearly a year, to working out five days a week and loving it. I'm eating healthier than I ever have before and fully enjoying the food. There are definitely moments where I wish I was more flexible, my stomach was flatter, or I could lift more, but I know those things come with time, and nothing good will come out of rushing it.
I encourage you all to take a step back and look at where you started (even if you started today!). Think about all the workouts you've completed, all the weights you've lifted, all the squat jumps and burpees you've done. I'm constantly having to remind myself that it's okay to not have reached my goals yet; it's okay to still be a work in progress. We should respect ourselves enough to take breaks when we need them, substitute workouts when our bodies ask for something a little more low (or high) impact, eat when we're hungry, have that treat once in a while, and spend more time stretching out after particularly tough sessions. After all, we're only human, and stressing out over missing a workout or eating a little bit less healthy than normal does a lot more harm than good!
(Also, did any of you take advantage of the FB program sale today? I bought FB Abs to do after I finish Burn and Sweat, and I'm so excited! Thanks Kelli, Daniel, Andrew, and the rest of the FB team for the great opportunity--the programs are already such a great value and it's so generous of you guys to make them even more affordable!)
Hope you've all had a wonderful Monday!