A nasty cold/flu bug has put me off my game this past week, plus it’s been too cold for my normal walking commute, so I’m beginning to feel a little out of sorts, fitness-wise. It’s fascinating to see how easily I can develop inertia, how the gym gradually loses its familiar tug after work. I’m not really backsliding, I tell myself, because I shouldn’t go work out when I’m sneezing and coughing all over the equipment. Nor should I tax my system too much when I’m not getting enough sleep at night.
The pessimist in me, however, can see myself sliding into fitness neverland unless I pull myself up off the floor and get back to my routine. I did finally walk to work this morning after several sub-zero days off, and that did get my heart pumping a bit. But, I thought it was instructive that I forgot my workout gear.
Kelly James-Enger, writing in EL’s July/August 2005 issue shows some sympathy for folks like myself, who find themselves a little stymied and stuck. “No matter how motivated you are, you’ll still skid into obstacles from time to time,” she writes. “Plan now for how you’ll deal with conflicts in your routine, like business trips, sick kids or the American Idol finale. Aside from time constraints, some of the most pervasive problems are boredom and frustration.”
Her prescription is simple:
Shake up your routine — lift more with fewer reps, jump on a new piece of equipment, set new goals (do I even have any goals?), etc. It’s good advice, and now that my nose has stopped running, I think maybe it’s time for the rest of me to do the same.
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