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Inside myself is a place where I live all alone - it is where I renew my springs that never dry up
Pearl Buck
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Annabel's Blog
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We all know that clearing space for physical fitness is essential to our mind-body health. But when we get busy or our life circumstances change, often the first thing that goes out the window is the time we put aside for fitness. This week Brigid Dineen of Moving Stillness Personal Fitness offers some fantastic ways to reconnect with and stay on track with your fitness plan. Reconnecting to Your Fitness Plan by Brigid Dineen Motivation appears and motivation dissipates. Free time in our schedules does the same. It’s only natural then, to disconnect from our fitness plan every so often. Sometimes we know exactly what caused the parting, and other times we’re not so sure how we went from exercising diligently to literally having to dust off the running shoes. Whatever the case may be, the time comes when we find ourselves ready and able to recommit and reconnect to our fitness plan. This is the best to time to find new goals and motivation, and plan for success. Planning for success means being specific. In my experience, the most impactful fitness goals are behavioural: challenging ourselves to 30 minutes of cardio five days a week, 50 push ups in a day, or holding a plank for one minute three times during the day. When the workout is the goal, our minds shift. We think of ourselves as strong and powerful beings with limitless potential, instead of looking in the mirror and seeing a person who could stand to lose a few pounds. That’s not to say that one should avoid aesthetic goals. The vision is important, and so do take the time to decide what fitness means to you. As much as we are not defined by our external appearance, for some people, aesthetic goals resonate deeply and can prove truly motivating. As long as they’re life-affirming aspirations rather than self-deprecating judgments, goals like fitting into a favourite pair of jeans or reducing the upper arm jiggle can be great sources of energy. Once we find our motivation, how do we put the plan together? There are certain recommendations for general fitness that we should bear in mind. A well-balanced fitness plan encompasses mind and body: strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and stress management. You might choose different activities for each category, or you may find a combination of a couple of activities that hit all of the marks. For general well-being, we should strive for two to four days of strength training per week, about 30 minutes (or more if you’re ambitious) each time. Cardiovascular training can be done every day if you’d like, but should be integrated four days per week at a minimum. Cardio is anything that gets your heart rate up. You might choose to run or walk briskly, ride your bike, or even take a dance class. Flexibility might manifest as straight-up stretching after a jog, or taking a yoga class. Because most of us sit at a desk during the day, it’s extremely beneficial to work stretching into your routine at work. Taking a 5-10 minute stretch break once or twice a day is a great way to maintain good posture and keep your muscles supple. The most surefire way to set ourselves up for success is to write down the plan. In the same way that we write down life goals to stay on track, writing down our fitness schedule and actually blocking off the time in our calendar is the first step towards making it work. Better yet, if we schedule personal goal-setting or re-evaluation sessions for ourselves every six to eight weeks, we’re essentially handing ourselves the opportunity to adjust our program before it gets boring, or before we lose touch again. It’s important to revisit the plan any time our circumstances change. For instance, if a new project at work encroaches on the time you have available for exercise, take the time to plan a new workout schedule that emphasizes short, intense workouts to maximize their effectiveness. Life is ever-changing, and so too should our wellness plan be. If we think of fitness as all-or-nothing, too often we end up with nothing. Enjoy the ebbs and flows of life, and bring your fitness plan along for the ride! Brigid Dineen runs Moving Stillness Personal Fitness. She is a certified personal trainer and yoga teacher working in the Toronto area. Providing private, small group and corporate fitness and yoga lessons, Brigid also teaches Prenatal classes and Level 1-2 yoga classes on Monday nights at Village Yoga. |
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Tuesday, 25 May 2010 19:29 |
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Achieving Goals and Reconnecting Back in January, I set out to rediscover my love of running. One of the goals associated with this was completing a race in my favourite distance, the half-marathon. Well, this past Sunday I ran the Mississauga half-marathon. It felt great. I fully enjoyed the race. (Click here for a full account) And I have definitely reconnected with my love of running. I’m aware that the exhilaration I’ve been feeling for having achieved what I set out to do is going to fade. And the question of, “what now?” will begin to surface. Whenever we realize a goal, there is a period of time afterwards when we coast on the energy and joy of our accomplishment. We savour the satisfaction of completing or achieving something. But what happens after this “high” starts to dwindle? In the running community there is a phenomena known as the post-race blues. To combat it, runners are encouraged to sign up for another race so we have something new to focus our energy on. These “blues” can occur whether we’re talking about the completion of a race or a project or any kind of goal. But by throwing ourselves into a new project or setting a new goal for the future right away, are we robbing ourselves of a chance to reflect on where we are right now? I fully believe in harnessing the energy of our achievements to propel us forward into new ventures or discoveries, but I also believe that the time following such accomplishments is a golden one. For me, it is an important time to slow down, to rest, to acknowledge what I have achieved, and to check in with myself. To recharge. To reconnect. After any major project, I try not to commit to anything big for a couple of weeks. I block off extra clear space in my calendar and make sure to put aside lots of time for solo ventures. Once I’ve had a chance to reconnect with how I’m feeling – physically, mentally, emotionally – the things that I want to do in the coming weeks, months or years naturally come into focus. And from this place of clarity, a goal or two usually emerge. So, while I’m tempted to tell you (in the middle of my post-race runner’s high) that I’m signing up for “___” half-marathon on “___” date in “___” location, I’m going to let myself breathe a little. And while I take this time to reconnect, I have a feeling a few other goals might just swirl to the surface. Do you clear space to recharge after completing a goal? Or do you throw yourself right into the next project? I’d love to hear your thoughts! |
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Tuesday, 18 May 2010 16:44 |
The Gift of Listening Fourteen years ago, my mum and I went on a mother/daughter yoga retreat to the fabulous Kripalu Centre in western Massachussetts. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was a defining moment in our adult relationship.
After the first yoga class of the weekend we were asked to sit and listen to each other, to let each other simply talk about ourselves and how we were feeling. The daughters went first. I talked about how happy I was to be there, how busy university had been getting and how glad I was to have time away in such a beautiful place. My mum listened easily and comfortably. Then it was time for the mothers to talk. My mum talked for a little bit and then became quiet. She wasn’t used to talking about herself. She was much more comfortable listening.
I realized that day that my mum had spent the majority of her life – as a mum, as a wife, as a daughter, as a sister, even in her work as a physical therapist – caring for other people, giving to other people, and listening to other people. From my adventurous childhood, through my teen angst and into early adulthood, she had always been there to listen to me. But how often had I been there to listen to her?
Growing up, I had a narrow vision of my mum – she was, well, a mother. She got us up in the morning, she helped us with homework, she made meals, she did laundry, she organized our household, she was a great partner to my dad, she kissed our cuts and bruises, she helped us make crafts, she drove us to our different sports, she soothed us when we were upset. But all of those things were about what she did for me, my brother and my dad.
From that day on, I started to really listen. And I began to view my mum as far more than a mother. She became someone with her own interests, her own hopes and goals, her own dreams. Although I had always felt close to her, from this point on our relationship turned into a real friendship. With both my brother and I at university and away from home, my mum had entered a completely new phase of life. She was reconnecting with and discovering parts of herself that she hadn’t made time for in the past. It was wonderful to watch and be a part of. She made a huge career change, she developed new friendships, and she and my father built a new life for themselves in a completely different city. She thrived.
Fourteen years later, I am a mother of two young children. I know that I will give them my all just as my own mum did. And I hope that as they grow older we are able to develop a friendship like the one I now have with my mum. When we talk these days – and we talk a lot! - there are rarely silences and, if there are, they are comfortable and natural. We celebrate each other and we share in each other’s challenges. But most of all, we listen to one another. And I am so thankful that a simple exercise allowed me to really hear my mum.
In honour of Mother’s day, I hope you can clear space to celebrate the mothers in your life. And may you give them the gift of truly listening. |
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Friday, 07 May 2010 17:52 |
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