“Fitness is not about being better than someone else. It’s about being better than you used to be.” Unknown
Many people live their lives in seasons. Sometimes that is seasons of life and other times it is seasons of the year. Traditional seasons based on the weather can influence when people enjoy time outside and when they stay inside. For me, as a teacher, the seasons that influence my life are when I am working and time during breaks. These two seasons heavily influence how I live my life, but especially my exercise habit.
After signing up for the Disney World Half marathon last spring, I was more motivated than normal to exercise this summer. I built a strong routine of running 3 times a week and cross training the other two days. In order to run outside in the summer, I had to set my alarm for early so I could beat the heat. This wasn’t that bad though, I could take a nap mid morning or early afternoon. I was able to relax after getting my run in and my day progressed from there.
Summer is now over for me though. I began work from summer this past Monday. Work brings challenges that summer did not. Not only do I have to be at work 8 hours each weekday, but I also have a long “to do” list to accomplish so I feel prepared to teach my 6th graders. This list also brings stress. While I realize exercise helps decrease stress, feeling prepared also decreases stress for me, which requires time. This past week, the time I found for my to do list came at the expense of my exercise time. This will not be sustainable.
Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to explore the best times to work out. Many people swear by working out in the morning so nothing can replace that time. I plan on working out a few mornings at 5:30am and then going to work to see how I feel. The other time I am going to explore is when I get home from work. Personally, I would rather go into work early and leave at the end of my contract time, which makes morning exercise more challenging. The challenge, however, with working out in the evening is being tired and not wanting to. Over the next few weeks, I want to establish a workout plan I can stick too. I’ll keep you updated on my exploration.
When do you workout? What are your workout tips?