My *realistic* fitness goals for February
Do you write out a long list of goals and intentions at the beginning of the year? For the first time I decided to give each month a theme to concentrate on. Breaking them down by month allows me to narrow my thinking and avoid feeling overwhelmed and burnt out when they inevitably fall to the wayside. Since February is focused on fitness, I thought I would share a bit of my fitness goals and intentions.
My goals are NOT
- Lose X amount of pounds I actually don’t own a scale. When I had one in my house I would let it determine my attitude and worth
- Exercise 7 days a week, twice a day This is so unrealistic for me
- A place to examine before and after photos Because being more or less toned does not make a better human
My goals ARE
- Realistic for me
- Buildable
- Flexbile
- Livable
- Enjoyable
Ok, so then what are they?
Simply put: recommit to working out.
I used to be so good about getting to Bar Method. I would be in the studio up to 5 (sometimes even 7!) times a week. Why so much? I love it! There is a very strong sense of community. The women (and men) are so encouraging, and everyone is in your corner.
Since the pandemic, and even a little before, my commitment to exercise had come to a grinding halt. I went months without it, and then would take a virtual class every few weeks.
Scale up
The first week in February I wanted to workout twice. I ended up just teaching myself classes both times, but I did it.
This second week I’m planning 3 workouts. Then, if it works into my schedule and my mind, I’ll scale up to 4 times a week. It doesn’t have to be Bar; I have a spin bike and the Peloton app at home, so any of their workouts would “count”.
Bottom line is that I want to get back into the routine. Get the endorphins more regularly, with hopes that it helps me to maintain my emotions and my energy.
Yes, ultimately I do hope to get back to my pre-COVID shape. I wish I could say that it wasn’t a little voice in the back of my head. But I’m also not putting a timeline on fitting back into my 2019 jeans. A lot has happened in the year. I might never have that exact same body. And even if I do, it took over a year to change; it won’t take a month to “go back”.
So while I am placing a lot of emphasis on increasing my workouts, I hope that the biggest increase is in my mental wellbeing. I need to continue positive self talk. I try to be so careful about not mentioning any insecurities in front of my kids, but shouldn’t that mean I shouldn’t mention them to myself?
I love Bar Method. I love the Peloton app. I love how I feel mentally and physically when I make the time for myself. So that, to me, is my biggest February fitness goal. Nothing radical. Nothing groundbreaking. Just a recommitment to myself.
