Adjusting to the Gym
Updated: Aug 6
Last week I decided to take advantage of my gym membership. It has been a year since I last worked out at a gym. I am self-satisfied with returning to the gym and looking forward to regularly making exercise part of my daily routine again. Mentally I am prepared, but physically my body says: What are you doing? Around this time of year, I work on my summer body. April is the month when I put a lot of effort into the gym. This time was different from what I was used to; my body wasn't as ready as it should be. I gave myself a pep talk before I began, "Ebony, it is crunch time!" I had thirteen months of eating whatever I wanted. I blame quarantine for my excessive weight gain. I tried jogging as much as I could during the quarantine to stay as active as possible. Now it was time to let go of excuses and get to work.
My brief workout made me appreciate the simple things I once took for granted. In other words, it was social interaction. Social interaction is needed to maintain an optimistic mood. Working in the house was cool: but there were too many distractions. One of the benefits is that you feel less alone. Your gym mates are your cheerleaders because you share common interests and goals; to lose weight and feel great. This saying sounds like a commercial, but it's true. I want to look cute in summer styles. It's time to say goodbye to that yummy tummy I inherited during quarantine. While I worked out, I checked the clock numerous times. Instead of focusing on cardio and losing weight, I prayed for the workout to be over. Every minute felt like a struggle. It was difficult for me to complete my exercise. I was thinking of excuses to leave without feeling guilty. During that moment, I realized how significantly I set myself up because I didn't have a plan. I took a deep breath and kept pushing forward. Negative thoughts entered my mind. Where was my motivation? Was it gone? Did the pandemic affect my motivation?
Before the pandemic, I attended three gyms. What a waste of money that was. My logic at the time was that each gym served a purpose. Spending $250 a month didn't bother me. The reason it didn't bother me was that my needs were met. The gyms I attended were the YMCA, Planet Fitness, and Yoga Works. Planet Fitness was local, inexpensive, and open 24 hours a day. I am a night person, and late-night gym sessions were convenient. My day starts early because of teaching and mommy duties. When I come home from work: my time is used cooking, unwinding, and having some me-time. The YMCA was a convenient place; for me and my son to work out together. The Ymca was a place to get him out of the house and stay active. Staying active is a struggle for most kids. We both enjoyed Mommy and me classes and swimming. We participated in various workout classes. My son was the best workout partner, personal trainer, and coach. The Ymca is fun and a great way to spend quality time with my son. The YMCA helped me maintain my weight. When I looked back at pictures of myself: I noticed that I was in the best shape. We enjoyed the YMCA and all of the activities and classes it had to offer. I highly recommend the Ymca for families looking for activities to do together. My son enjoyed child watch. Child watch allows children to play board games, draw, solve puzzles, and interact with children their age. While my son attended Child Watch, I was in spin or total body sculpt classes. I was a member of Yoga Works. Yoga Works was my peace. It allowed me to unwind and mentally prepare my mind, body, and soul for the week. It was expensive but worth it. The ambiance was breathtaking. Yoga works mentally for me. The members were older than me. I was very impressed with how physically fit they were. Their endurance and strength amaze me. Yoga Works no longer has in-person classes due to the pandemic.
After my workout, I took out a piece of paper and thought about what worked for me in the past, and this is what I came up with.
Setting some goals, what do I want to work on? Think, how can I reach these goals? Are my goals realistic and practical?
Having an idea of What body image I am looking for? What is my ideal weight?
How can I get the best results?
How can I make my workout fun? ( Exercising shouldn't feel like torture. I love music. Also, I love hanging out with my friends. I should incorporate the two.
Understanding there are no shortcuts, results do not happen overnight. Uphold the baby steps that I am taking, staying optimistic. Eventually, I am going to see results. Remember Rome wasn't built in one day.
Scheduling a day and time to exercise and holding myself accountable. Sticking to it and not putting off what I can do today for tomorrow.
I have three months to achieve my goal. I will keep you posted on my journey.
