Hello again! So earlier this month I challenged us all to embrace May as ACSM’s Exercise is Medicine month by becoming healthier. “Becoming healthier” is intentionally a vague description, as we are all at different points in our journey. Your challenge will be different from mine, and mine will be different from someone else’s. I don’t know about you, but I feel like this month has flown by! As we bring May to a close, it’s a good time to slow down, reflect, and learn what we can from this experience.
On paper, goals have a tendency to be very black and white. Completing the task is success. Not completing it is failure. That perspective doesn’t do much for motivation or learning, and I want to encourage you to change your way of thinking if you fall into a similar trap. In real life, we need to learn to live in shades of gray (and no, I definitely definitely am not talking about that dern book!). My personal challenge was to do something for my health every day this month. I’ve given myself that goal before, and haven’t yet gotten to the point of structured exercise every day. What’s different for me this time is my outlook and my definition of success.
In real life, even the best laid plans will inevitably change.In real life, we can’t predict all the ways that events can play out.In real life, we can’t control our outside influences.
In short, in real life it’s more about learning to understand your internal influences and make the best that you can out of real life! For instance, my original goal was to do something for my health every day. In theory that sounds like structured exercise each day. But in real life, with a new home and a new business and a new marriage all rolled into one year, not to mention that the lives of family and friends have not been put on hold until it’s convenient for me, I needed to be flexible with my understanding of success. Some days I didn’t have an exercise program to go through, but I was tilling the garden instead. Some days I didn’t do the workout I had intended, but I painted the living room all day. Often I was too exhausted to feel like putting forth my usual effort, but I foam rolled or did my nails or read a book instead. And through this month, this is what I’ve come to learn:
All of those things improve my health.
Tilling the garden, by hand, is a very hard physical task (thank you, neighbor who watched me sweating for two hours and then offered me the use of your automatic tiller. You are a God-send!). Even though I didn’t keep track of sets and reps or what my heart rate was, I know that I was giving my all and my body reaped the benefit of that labor. Spending that time outside in the sunshine is also good for my mood and my hormones. Finishing the paint job in the living room let me reclaim my living space, which is very good for my mental health. Just ask the hubs how I feel about being surrounded by mess and clutter for any prolonged period of time. Foam rolling, reading, and doing my nails are all part of relaxation; good for my muscles, and good for lowering my stress.
Having good health or seeking good health is about a lot more than seeing how much you can sweat in a month. It’s about being kind to yourself in a helpful way (if you haven’t read my blog about Our Twisted View of Healthy, you should. I mean, I liked reading it.). It’s about prioritizing what you need to be well and to live well. Sometimes that means organizing the space you live in. Sometimes that means knowing your chores will wait for you, but your friend who is visiting from out of town can only be seen now. Sometimes that means stretching and breathing instead of going for that five mile run. Sometimes that means pushing your muscles in your workout to see what you are capable of. Sometimes that means using those ten minutes to move instead of sleep more. Our bodies, our minds, and our lives are incredibly intricate and complex things. It stands to reason, then, that our approach to health in these areas should be just as thought out.
Was I perfect at goal-completion this month? On paper, definitely not. But in practice I know that I’ve learned a valuable lesson that will serve me throughout life. I know that it’s impossible for me to be without flaws and that there will always be areas in which I could improve. But I also know that giving dedicated thought to life’s challenges goes a long way to help me live more enlightened. I know that trying my best teaches me that I’m worth the effort and that I should live in a way I can be proud of. And I know that every moment comes another opportunity for me to live the life I seek. Our constant opportunity for redemption is definitely a blessing we can’t do without.
How did you do this month? What did you learn about your path and what it is you seek from life? How will you move forward from here? If this month has run away from you and you’re feeling a missed opportunity, remember that this moment you are in right now is your opportunity. What will you make of it?
I’ll be at the Rockingham County Fair this Saturday for the On A Mission 5k, and I am definitely on a mission to live this life well. Won’t you join me?
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