Fitness Derailed--Attack the "Bumps in the Road"

See if this sounds familiar...You have set your sights, you are headed down the right path, you are taking care of your health and fitness. You are proactive, determined, you finally have it---your workouts are part of your regular routine and you have managed to create a healthy diet as well. Everything is going along smoothly, you are feeling great, gaining momentum, and BAM!!!---something knocks the wind out of your sails and derails your best efforts. You fine yourself stuck and unable to continue with your commitment. This can happen because of an illness, an injury, a vacation, or an unplanned life event.

I am in this place myself, right now as I write this. I recently faced what my husband refers to as "another bump in the road". The unplanned life event that has me derailed is his recent heart-attack (his second MI, a major event). After already having undergone open-heart surgery, valve replacements and stents to clear blocked blood vessels, his heart function already compromised, he was very fortunate to survive this episode.

I was unable to commit to my exercise routine as I was spending hours (sometimes days) in the hospital, tired and stressed when I came home. My focus could not be on myself at the time (although exercise would have been wonderful to cope with the stress). So how do you get back after you are derailed? This is what I am struggling with.

It is very hard to understand how it can take a long time to achieve a level of fitness and how quickly it can be lost (or at least feel compromised). In the old days when I taught 2 or 3 aerobic classes a day, I was young and in great shape. I was always surprised, if I was gone for a week or two, how challenged and sore I was when I returned (full force, of course) to the routine. With the loss of momentum, as well, the longer you wait, the tougher it is to get back at it. It is just as tough mentally as it is physically. So here I am, the momentum halted, pounds creeping back on.

Well.... I have always thought and (okay, I admit I have even said it to myself) "When you're up you're up and when you're down GET UP!"  It just isn't always that simple. But I do know the first step is the most important. I know I can do it, I've done it before, I can do it again. I find myself once again facing the starting blocks (let's say re-facing the starting blocks)  I tell myself-- if you don't know what to do or where to start--Just Start--move!

What would I say to a friend or someone who asked me for advice in getting back their motivation? I would say, give yourself some time to cope or heal, then jump in. Sometimes you can't wait for the motivation, you have to count on the actions to inspire the motivation. Here are some strategies that I believe to be helpful to attack the "bumps in the road" and get back on track:

1. Remember your "why" Remember what your health and fitness mean to you in the first place. Why is it important to you? Do you want to feel better? Look better? Live longer? do more? Why do you have a goal (or do you?). If you don't have a goal,

make one. AND if you have been making an effort to improve your health and fitness, recognize what you have done and give yourself credit for making it to this point. DON'T GIVE UP!  

It is never too late to pick up and start again.                                

Many reasons for me--                                                                         

1. Wanting to lead by example

2. Wanting to feel as good as I can as long as I can, feel younger  

3. Needing to be in good health as a wife and mother, to take care of those who need me, and to handle the stress as it can show up unexpectedly

2. Make a decision---decide what you will do to get started and like NIKE says, "Just do it!" --My decision is now. To start tomorrow with my workout and nutrition plan, to get back on track.

3. Make a plan--- Failing to plan is planning to fail.  My plan is to begin with a 3-day Shakeology cleanse. I will then begin my program by an early morning walk,  followed by a beachbody workout and Shakeology. My plan is to workout in the morning to eliminate the chance that something else can interrupt or override my fitness routine. I plan to workout 8 out of every 10 days.

4. Do something small to get started TODAY! --Take a 20 minute walk TODAY; Drink 8oz. of water, 6 times a day--TODAY! As I am writing this the day is coming to a close, so the one thing I will do today is to set my clothes and shoes next to the bed so they will be handy to put on right away to head out for the morning walk tomorrow.

5. Make a date with yourself--Set an official start date and stick to it. Write it on the calendar. Schedule the time as if it were a doctor's appointment and don't let anything get in the way. My date is tomorrow, which happens to be the day my youngest child turns 21! I owe it to myself and my family to do this.

6. Enlist a partner--Share your intentions, your commitment, with a trusted friend who can encourage you, work alongside you, or hold you accountable. For some people this is the ONLY thing that works.

Life is a journey. Fitness is a journey too. There are bound to be "bumps in the road", setbacks along the way. If we just keep putting one foot in front of the other we will reach our destination. 

Again, it comes down to choices...

Choose to be Healthy and Happy! 

<authors note>;

I recently reread this and had forgotten the timing of this post. As I wrote and published this post, I had no idea that the next day I was planning would be the day, as I was taking that walk, that my husband would suffer a stroke on the golf course. Two days later his life came to an end. I'm only adding this now to this post to emphasize that you never know what tomorrow will bring--so if there is something that you are putting off--DON'T !