Exercise parallels with moving, a few recs & a YouTube Workout
Ahoy ragamuffins,
I know it's been a while since I've been in your inbox and before I go into some thoughts about moving (of course related to exercise) I wanted to say thank you: 1.) for allowing me to BE in your inbox AND 2.) for the grace you extended in the last 2 months while our family moved cross country.
and now for ALL THE MOVEMENT MUSINGS...
When you think of the words ‘coming back’ what comes to mind?
In Mid-July movers came to our house (in Eastern Germany) and packed up all of our things (in order to move to Western Germany)
I have calculated it out and in my life, I have moved homes/locations 25 times. Surprisingly, a lot of it was prior to becoming an army spouse, but this last move reminded me of some things that I would love to share with you all that might help you out in your "exercise for life" journey.
1.) Some things never get easier.
Sure, I’ve moved over two dozen times in my life and there are things I’ve learned a long the way, but leaving a community- saying goodbye’s to people you love (even if we all say “it’s not goodbye it’s see you later” as if this softens the blow?) never gets easier.
I relate this to exercise b/c so many things (as we continue to do them) do in fact GET easier. From lifting weights, to walking daily to walking into a new group class...
BUT I also want to acknowledge that there may be some aspects of your fitness journey that never get easier. Sometimes letting go of the mindset of 'never stop improving' can be liberating.
So, with this information, what are we going to do next?
Does it help you knowing that some things (may?) always suck?
I’m not sure this is the encouraging speech you want to hear (or that I EVER want to face) but for me, it does help serve as a reminder that not EVERYTHING gets easier over time.
Aspects of it yes, but not everything.
2.) Give yourself grace (and sometimes more than you think you need)
When I first started moving regularly with the Army, I would give myself a timeline of 1 month to ‘get back into a routine’
Now that I’m more seasoned, I give myself 6 months.
3 months on the front end (starting to pack up the house, saying my good byes, buying teachers gifts etc) and 3 months on the back end (moving into the new house, unpacking ALL the boxes, finding new dentist/doctors/friends)
That mindset shift has helped me so much.
We have been in our new home for a little over 6 weeks, and reminding myself (when I get frustrated why things aren’t clicking yet) that I still have about 2 more months to ‘get into a routine’ helps me exhale.
This relates to ‘coming back’ from a season of non-routine exercise.
Maybe there's recently been a death in the family, or maybe you're picking up the pieces from a hurricane (sending ALL my love to those back in the states right now) When I had my appendix removed in the beginning of 2023, someone told me "it took me 6 months before I started to feel 'normal' again helped me re-align my "I'll be back up and running in a month" mindset.
Sometimes, the pressure to get back into the swing of things can get discouraging, so giving yourself MORE TIME than you think you need can make a big difference.
3.)Acknowledge the sadness.
Moving with a kiddo is a whole different ballgame than moving alone.
When I see her face looking distantly out the car window and I ask "what’s up?” and she responds: “I miss my old friends”
I keep my response of “yeah, but think about all the new friends you will make, or have made.” in check and give her a moment to FEEL the sadness of it all.
I will not force her (or myself) to ‘be happy’
Fitness reframes such as:
"BE THANKFUL YOU HAVE the ability to GO to the gym."
OR “Instead of saying: 'I have to XYZ', try saying "I get to XYZ"
While these can be helpful reminders sometimes, if said in the wrong moment, they can make you want to punch a pillow 17 times, or scream in your car after hearing them.
YES, we GET TO work out and move-
AND…AND it’s okay to be sad/mopey sometimes.
Remember that not feeling hyped to workout every day is normal. Sometimes we have seasons that last days and sometimes they last week and months. Our hope always is that we create an workout routine that can adjust to sadness, anger or grieving (if you're choosing to move on those days)
Mention(s): here are some few of my favorite things (and humans)...
BOOK: Four Thousand Weeks (Time Management for Mortals) By Oliver Burkeman.
I read this book about 2 months ago, and not only do I plan to buy it, I also plan to re-read it every year (I thought it was THAT GOOD)
It's also NOT WHAT YOU THINK.
It's not filled with life hacks or 10 ways to optimize your life BETTER...it's filled with quotes like these...
“Productivity is a trap. Becoming more efficient just makes you more rushed, and trying to clear the decks simply makes them fill up again faster. Nobody in the history of humanity has ever achieved “work-life balance,” whatever that might be, and you certainly won’t get there by copying the “six things successful people do before 7:00 a.m.” The day will never arrive when you finally have everything under control—when the flood of emails has been contained; when your to-do lists have stopped getting longer; when you’re meeting all your obligations at work and in your home life; when nobody’s angry with you for missing a deadline or dropping the ball; and when the fully optimized person you’ve become can turn, at long last, to the things life is really supposed to be about. Let’s start by admitting defeat: none of this is ever going to happen. But you know what? That’s excellent news.”
“In order to most fully inhabit the only life you ever get, you have to refrain from using every spare hour for personal growth.”
RESOURCE FOR NON-DIET MOVEMENT: Barb @nondiet_trainer
I first 'met' Barb, owner of the Non-diet trainer on a web call in 2020 about pricing, and since then we're become fast virtual friends.
She in located in Nashville TN and offers in-person 1:1 training and online group programs. Her online program BEGIN, has helped so many women & queer folks to learn what to do when they walk into a gym. Giving them the tools to 'have a plan that gives you flexibility and options' The next group starts in March of 2025, so if that sounds interesting to you, I suggest getting on the waitlist now
MOVIE: Young Woman & the Sea (offered on Disney+)
Our family partakes in weekly Friday movie nights (ie. mom & dad are exhausted) and pizza and popcorn do a wonderful job of calming us all done at weeks end
We watched this one about 4 weeks ago, and we all enjoyed it. (ie. my husbands' phone didn't come out once) HAHA!
If you like stories about sport & adversity, this one is right up your alley. I also thought the relationship between her and her sister was something to write home about. I love watching (and hearing) about love stories that aren't 'romantic' I don't think they get the attention they deserve. I'd love to know if you've seen it or what you thought!
and lastly, you're MOVEMENT...
Movement(s): 20 MINUTE Upper Body STACKABLE on YouTUBE!
Hopefully, by now- you all know that I have a non-diet movement channel with over 600+ follow along workouts-
but DID YOU KNOW THAT I ALSO HAVE A YOUTUBE channel?
If you'd like to access *some* of the workouts from the channel- FOR FREE, consider becoming a SUBSCRIBER to my YouTube Channel!
Click on the photo to access this specific workout.
TAKE ME TO YOUR FREE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
if you've made it this far in the email- THANK YOU b/c I know this was a little longer than what I normally do. ;)
in movement & curiosity,
Jamie
