By It’s only the 1st day and I already feel like this. How are the next 13 days going to play out?
Being confined to do absolutely nothing but stay in your house, is a little hard for the active and highly mobile person to handle. If there was sickness or an injury, this wouldn’t seem so bad. But I actually feel like I’m dying a slow death on the inside. I miss that one place that changes the trajectory of life. The place I start my day fresh and with a clean slate every single morning — no matter how I’m feeling. The gym. Yes, it’s sweaty, sometimes it smells, and possibly highly germ-filled place, but it’s my so-called “Zone for my daily therapeutic session” Science says that exercise can help boost your mood, whether you’re depressed, having a blue day or feeling demotivated by life. Exercise is very important for medical and physical health. It stimulates parts of the brain that aren’t responsive when you’re feeling depressed. This explains my endless craving for those feel-good brain chemicals I’m suddenly lacking at the moment! Exercising also distracts you from your pain, worries, and that session alone can boost your confidence levels from -10 to 10/10.
Good things come to those who sweat. — Unknown
I second that! There is nothing better than getting a good sweat out of your system. It’s a cleanse from the inside out — shedding old worries, fear and any other toxins that were apparent the day beforehand. We all need a mighty good sweat sometimes. It feels like you’ve achieved something challenging, and activated your body just that little bit more. And not just any sweat mind you, it has to be the one that comes from lifting “heavy shit” off the floor and back down again — over and over until you can’t feel your muscles anymore. Runners may get a “high” from their session, and people like myself experience the “lifters high” especially after achieving the best personal weight or progressing through one more rep that we couldn’t do yesterday. These are the very things I miss so much — even after just one day. I suppose it doesn’t help with the negative pandemic updates every single day. Regular exercise helps balance your bodies stress level hormones, like adrenaline. Adrenaline plays a crucial role in your fight or flight response, but too much can damage your health. Too much negativity on the news can damage your health as well! So can missing your friends, family, and being in charge of motivating scenery — rather than your home 24/7. No wonder many of us experience a sense of boredom and even sadness in missing our happy place. I miss the presence and engagement of others who are doing a similar activity. It’s a nice sense of healthy motivation and competition. Working out at home isn’t the same. It’s just me and my dog staring intensely. Yes, it’s convenient and safe, but there is something about the gym that makes it all the more appealing. My home gym consists of a few weights situated in my living room.It just doesn’t have the same vibe as my gym — even though I can cook, tidy up and fold some of our clothes in between sets. To be honest, I didn’t really want to do that multi-tasking thing when lifting — I’d rather just focus on — myself. I plug in my iPod and let the music push out those hard repetitions — and I forget the troubles of yesterday. Now, the troubles, worries and fears keep layering themselves on me, one after the other. Maybe I haven’t given myself enough of a chance to get used to this — after all, it won’t be for long — or will it?
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — Albus Dumbledore
My one light is the experience walking provides, both mentally and physically. When I’m outdoors, fresh air, sunshine and even rain, I feel that part of me has slowed down — thinking and mulling over everything ceases for those moments. Instead of music, I put in a good book to listen to, that fills me with confidence in my hopes, dreams and ignites that motivation back in me once again.
“The only journey is the journey within.” — Rainer Maria Rilke
The journey I choose to take has changed me physically, and mentally. I get the best of both worlds. Time will suddenly pass, and I will be right back where I left off a few weeks ago. Will it be challenging to get back into it — yes, but I do like proving to myself time and time again, that I can and I will do it — even at age 42. I crave for that muscle soreness back again — and the burning sensation of lifting one too many reps beyond my previous comfort zone. That’s what I can’t wait to experience yet again — all in due time. What did I learn, and will keep learning from this? That once you get hold of the bar, the bar takes hold of you for life — and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time.I love it. Being away from it just proves to me time and time again, that I was made for this — and it’s now part of my genetic make-up, & will be, right until the very end. Unfortunate are those who haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing the bar — and full-filled are they who have found a sweet spot in their heart for something that constantly challenges their mind, body and soul. To all of you I say, this is where I know I’ve finally come home & a home I’m always welcomed into with open arms.