Welcome to the final episode of 2020! It's been a long, painful, traumatic year on a lot of levels, so this episode is all about the top lessons that I’ve learned in this most unusual year. I think it’s important to reflect, even if the year was not what we hoped it would be. I could go on for years about it, but here are my top 3!
We discuss:
- How Creativity and Adaptability is the Name of the Game
- Why Self-care is no Longer a Buzz word, it is a priority
- Why Exercise is More Important Than Ever
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Here are some highlights:
Creativity and Adaptability is the Name of the Game
This really fits on a lot of levels in life, in work, in fitness and training in athleticism: creativity and adaptability is truly the name of the game. The more adaptable you are, the more creative you're able to be, and the more creatively you’re able to look at your life and everything in it, the easier it has likely been for you to navigate the craziness that is going on this year.
For example, in the beginning of the pandemic, back in March, when most gyms had to close, I found that the gyms that quickly moved to streaming workouts were able to be more successful more quickly than those that panicked and didn't offer anything to their members. Those are the gyms where the members quit. The gyms that quickly offered streaming options were able to bridge that gap and buy themselves time to figure out what things were going to look like in the long term.
And on the flip side, as a customer, if you were a gym member and you were able to adapt to streaming workouts, the better it likely was for you as well. You didn't have to figure out something new, you could continue training even if it was at home, which I know is different, but creativity and adaptability is the name of the game, right? So it's all about not staying stuck in previous ways of thinking when it comes to all of the aspects of your life.
My husband and I have been training in our apartment garage since March.We basically set up our own little home gym in our apartment garage, and we are likely known as the weirdos of our apartment complex. People probably think we're super weird, but we don't care, we go out there at the crack of dawn and it's cold, but we lift weights in our garage and we get it done.
What have you done to get it done this year?
Have you had to be creative?
The more creative and the more adaptable you have been, the more successful you've likely been in achieving goals and getting your training done this year.
Self-care is No longer a Buzz Word, It’s a Priority
This year has forced this on many of us, when perhaps previously, we have not made this priority.
I had an episode that was called “Giving Yourself Grace and Getting Back to You,” and in that episode, I mentioned that we are all working through a collective trauma. A year-long collective trauma, and as such, the need to take care of yourself and put yourself first has moved from being an afterthought to a priority.
What does this mean? And how does this look?
Well, it could mean taking a day off from training unexpectedly, which I have done a bunch of times. My husband actually took a full week off of training because he needed it to take care of himself, and that's okay. And you can forgive yourself. You don't have to feel guilty about it. You could just do it. You do what you need to do to take care of you. That can be taking extra naps, getting some sleep, or just letting yourself have a good cry.
There’s never been a greater need to ensure that you're taking your care of yourself in all ways. I'm talking physically, mentally and emotionally. So yes, I'm talking about fitness, whether it means getting extra exercise or taking a step back, whether it means just taking care of your mind, your body, your soul, do what you need to do, and take those moments because this is huge when it comes to walking through this trauma that will likely continue in some way, shape or form in 2021.
Exercise is More Important Than Ever
So yes, being fit, it helps fortify your immune system, of course, it doesn't replace masking and social distancing, but when used in coordination, it will help keep you protected and help you better fight off illness if you do get sick. Everybody's circumstance is different, of course but we are all at risk, and that is the reality. I have found that the more I prioritize exercise, the less sick I get, and even when I do get sick in some way, it doesn't knock me out like perhaps it used to.
It helps, and every little bit helps right now, but I wanna talk beyond physical health because exercise helps with mental and emotional health as well. A huge component to mental health is physical movement.
What do you need to change to put exercise and taking care of yourself first on your priority list and make it simple for you to do?
I love sharing tips about this, and my biggest tip is schedule it into your day just like any other priority. Use a written planner and write down your workouts just like you would write down an a doctor's appointment, a Zoom call, kids, home school things that you know you have to do in your day, no matter what. Write down your workouts in there too, because you know what, that’s the thing you have to do no matter what. Putting yourself first is something you have to do no matter what, so the more you schedule in your day instead of treating it like an afterthought, the more likely you will be to get it done.
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