When fitness goes too far.
When fitness goes too far.
I don’t know about you, but fitness has consistently evolved into different meanings throughout my life. Originally, I got into fitness to try and get the picture perfect abs I saw as I scrolled through my Instagram feed. As my interest in fitness grew, so did my following of more fitness influencers on social media. I began going to the gym and doing cardio and ab exercises. I started with aiming to get there 3 times per week. 3 times per week grew into 5 days a week. I had to get in my 25 minutes of running and 10 minutes of ab exercises. 5 days a week soon turned into 7 days a week, and off days were no longer in my weekly routine. Because back then, off days were a sign of regression in my progress, and we could NOT have that. The thing is, fitness was no longer a goal in my life, and it was a habit. Sounds great, right?
1st warning sign: feeling a compulsion to workout. It got to the point where if I didn’t make it to the gym, I felt bad about myself. I felt like I was weak and not driven enough. If you are going to the gym out of pure compulsion and not choice, it may be time to reevaluate your relationship with exercise. Are you choosing to go to the gym because it brings positivity and energy into your life? Or are you going to the gym because you feel negatively about yourself and want to change your body?
This compulsion was raddled when I was told by my doctor I could no longer exercise. If I were to exercise, I was at risk for going into cardiac arrest. Taking an intentional break from exercise was not only the hardest thing I have had to do, but the most uncomfortable. The thought of my body changing and losing the control I had over it with working out, was scary. I spent days crying in my bed, avoiding mirrors, and praying. Praying that somehow, I would see the light at the end of the tunnel. So, I ask you this, are you okay with not working out for an unknown period of time? Or does this thought bring you anxiety? If the answer is no, you are not okay with taking time off from exercise, it may be time to give yourself that break your body probably needs.
2nd warning sign: your workouts have to be a certain amount of time and a certain intensity, or they are not enough. When I was working out, I had to get a certain amount of time on the treadmill and spinning bike for my workout to “count”. If I didn’t get the specific time in, that meant I had to come back to the gym later if I was able to. If I wasn’t able to come back for a second workout, I spent the rest of the day disappointed with myself for not doing enough. The reality is friends, any amount of exercise you can get in for the day is good. And if you don’t get the workout in? That’s okay too! Nowadays, sometimes all I have time for is a 20 minutes of exercise and those have been some of my best 20 minutes of movement.
I used to believe I needed to break an intense sweat for a workout to “count”. In turn, doing such intense exercise 6-7 days a week leads my body to feel starving at all minutes of the day. Then, I did weight training and Pilates. The second I realized I actually enjoyed these other forms of movement and felt equally as challenged, I realized it didn’t matter the type of movement I chose. Instead, these forms of exercise, especially Pilates, lead me feeling so energized and ready to tackle the day. And guess what? I didn’t gain weight, I would even argue I looked stronger than ever. So, that being said, if you are feeling like you have to do cardio every single day, you don’t. You don’t have to make yourself drip with sweat and then feel exhausted the rest of the day if you don’t want to. Now don’t get me wrong, I genuinely have learned I love to run! But, I don’t feel like I need to run every day or feel bad about taking extended time off from cardio. So, I challenge you to think about what forms of movement bring you energy and make your days better. If you feel like you need a certain intensity for a workout to count, then maybe it’s time to challenge that belief and try something new.
3rd warning sign: rest days feel like you’re ruining your progress. Dang, saying that out loud now even makes me sad. I remember for years, I had an intense fear around taking days off from any form of exercise. Taking a day off from exercise felt as if I was ruining all my progress in 1 day. Oh the irony, friends. Rest days are SO vital for making progress with our goals with movement. During rest days, we are giving our muscles time to repair and build. If we are not giving our muscles time to repair and rebuild, we are not going to see the progress we are striving for. That being said, progress is SO much more than appearance changes! Progress is being able to lift a heavier weight, get an extra rep in, or even shave a couple seconds off of your mile time. If you are not giving yourself time to adequately repair and build a stronger foundation, you are not going to move forward. This is your sign to take the day off, you deserve it.
Lastly, I challenge you to redefine the way you describe exercise, fitness, and working out. Look at them as movement. Movement is so versatile and important for overall health. Movement does not have a specific look, intensity, or time allotment. Instead, movement is simply that, moving your body in a way that feels good to you. Sometimes movement for the day is a long run or hour gym session. Other times, movement is simply walking to and from your car for work. All movement is valid, and most importantly, enough.
