04 February 2023

Maybe not the why, but the how

 Last post I was struggling to find the why. Why am I working out? Why do I want to be healthy? Why do I need to take care of myself? Yes, those seem like obvious questions until you have to tag an activity to them. Then you find that the obvious just doesn't cut it. You need the truth for you. Anyway, I came up with a why - sort of. My why is to have a healthy mind & body. Working out and eating right keeps your mind sharp well into old age. And I did kind of determine that my mind and my mental capacities were the most important to me. So I just put my foot down and said, okay, this is it. I'm going to figure this out if it freaking kills me. Spoiler alert - it didn't. So I got up Monday morning and got ready for work. I was ready almost 30 minutes before I had to leave. Hmmmm....  I came home Monday, walked Mavy, worked out, and ate dinner all in rapid succession. Hmmmm..... I got up Tuesday and got ready for work and I was again almost 30 minutes early. I like getting to school before I need to be there, but there is not reason I need to be there that early. Hmmm..... Came home from work, walked Mavy, worked out, and ate dinner all in rapid succession. Wait a minute!! Something can be done here. With all the time I have left over in the morning, I could fit a short workout in. I sit on my phone for 20-30 minutes killing time. Why not spend that time working out?  Well, Wednesday was the big test. I don't have a first period on Wednesdays so if I'm a little late it won't matter at all. Got up Wednesday, meditated, and jumped in the headset for a short 15 minute workout. Got done, showered, got ready for work, and was still ready at my regular time. Now mind you I was not rushing in any way. So that was good. Thursday I got up, meditated, and jumped into the headset for a 20 minute workout. Still was ready in plenty of time. The best part about this was that my energy was through the roof all day. I had as much energy for my 6th chemistry class as I did for my first. It was awesome. Both days I came home from work, walked Mavy and was good. Yesterday, Friday, we had a meeting in Queen Creek, so I got up, meditated, worked out, showered, walked Mavy, and then headed out. It's fabulous. I really enjoy working out in the mornings. It gets me fired up and really sets the tone for the day. I guess all those years of morning workouts have just made me a morning workout person. So yesterday was my 5th day in a row in the headset. That has not happened in months and months and months. I know that I need rest days. And I know that today will be very active, we are getting the new patio set up, so I am thinking of not working out this morning. I will again tomorrow though. I'm thinking 5-6 days a week should be good. I know myself and I know that once I get into the routine I will want to do more. So at this moment I'm just focusing on 15 - 20 minutes in the headset every morning. When I want more I will figure it out. I also know that in a short time I will want to start lifting weights. I'm good to wait for that to come, when it does I will figure it out. 

One of the things that is a side benefit of morning workouts, at least for me, is the feeling that I get of being a rock start all day long. I don't want to eat junk because I got up and worked out in the morning. That feeling follows me all day long, right up to dinner and bedtime. It's like starting the day with a win that big, sets me up to want wins all day long. 

And again, the energy levels. They are literally through the roof. And I've just started. What's going to happen after a few weeks or a few months of this? 

So bottom line, I don't know if I really and truly found my why. Yes, the health of my mind is super important to me and whenever I feel it starting to slip I get a little concerned. So that is really important to me. But finding a way to fit working out into my life without a lot of changes has really helped. I know that I can do something even if I'm not 100% committed to it if I can make it part of my routine. Making it part of the routine in many ways helps me to commit to it. So I feel like I've found an answer and will continue to workout in the mornings until I determine something else might be better. 

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