Several months ago I got sucked into a blog called Fit2Fat2Fit. It's the journey of a guy who let himself fall out of shape only to work to get back into shape. He is a professional personal trainer and would always have clients tell them, "You don't understand what it's like. You've been fit your whole life." These people felt that this buff and fit trainer just couldn't relate to their problems of being overweight and out of shape, and their struggle with trying to lose the weight. And there is some big validity to this. How could he really relate to their struggles? The only way to understand how something feels it to put yourself in those same exact shoes. And as a result this guy spent several months purposefully letting himself get, not only completely out of shape, but he also went out of his way to practice a terrible diet and gain tons of weight. Boy, that is work dedication!
This month it dawned on me that I'm sort of in the same position, not by choice mind you. I've blogged in the past about my misery of having a neck injury and how it's completely put me out of commission for the past 6 months. I haven't been able to ride a bike, lift weights, or worse yet, do any yoga and as a result I've fallen into the worse shape of the past 2 decades. Actually, aside from those 4 years in college I don't ever remember being out of shape and it's killing me that I totally lost all my strength.
But the good news is that I'm ready to start trying. This week marks my first attempts at working out again. Although P90X is out of the question for this year (for fear of blowing it and re-injuring myself) I am starting to lift weights again. I am trying really hard not to focus on the numbers. I look at the light weights that used to be my warm-up and now I struggle to do my regular sets with them. I have to put the numbers out of my head and just focus on the end result - getting my strength back. I'm in a gym and I now know what it feels like for folks that are trying to get into shape for the first time. I haven't attempted a yoga class yet, but when I do I will experience what my students must have felt going through my classes for the past couple of years. I found it so hard to build "beginner" classes. Everything felt so easy to me. How could I relate to what it felt like for the people attending my class that weren't at the same fitness level? Now I'm in those shoes and boy will I struggle. Maybe I should build some new classes now - real beginner ones.
I think all-in-all this is a good experience - to know what it feels like to start from scratch. I have to admit, it's no picnic, but it can be done. I WILL get back to where I was. It may take me twice as long, but I will get there. I have a picture of myself taken on my 40th birthday (after my first completion of P90X) and that picture will serve as my inspiration. I'm hoping to take more pictures on my next birthday (in July) and compare the pictures. The pressure is on!
No comments:
Post a Comment