“I want to be able to do what I used to do.” This is a common statement I hear from clients looking to bring physical activity back into their lives. It makes sense, in some ways, to align ourselves with the only point of reference we have with activity. What I have come to know, however, is that as time goes by, our activities may need to change depending on what is going on not only in our life, but with our bodies as well. We may get injured, or experience degeneration effects of aging or there can be a life event like having a new baby that requires an adaptation of our activities.
When I work with someone who hasn’t been active in many years, I do find that they want to return to what they “used to do” as that is the only activity they can relate to. This approach limits the options in your change process. Change means going forward. Although you may not be able to see how new activities can fit who are right now, you are in a wonderful place of opportunity. How can you get more active without looking back?
I had a client who used to compete in marathons. What she loved about training was the discipline and focus involved in planning her workouts, scheduling them into her day and having each workout accomplish a certain objective. Fifteen years later found her sidelined with injuries preventing a high volume training regimen. Her body changed, her life changed and so did her workout schedule. In fact, when I met her, she had an office job and never exercised. She remarked that it was too painful to try and exercise; she wound up feeling more depressed after a workout because of her pain so she chose not to feel the pain by not working out.
What she had to learn to do was reframe what exercise could mean for her. She had the opportunity to figure out how to live an active life without overdoing it; instead of black and white thinking, she had to explore living in the grey area. Her all or none thinking served her well when training for marathons but when faced with a different way of getting active, she felt unsure of how to go forward. But as she was no longer satisfied with sedentary living, she had to figure out how to live more actively without feeling pain. Since running was no longer an option, she gradually began a walking to walk. She joined a women’s walking group and found that she loved talking and moving. Then she joined a gym where she learned how to life weights without aggravating her joint issues. Over time, she learned how to be active in a whole different way. She even began to appreciate not having to worry about times, split times or intensity and instead enjoyed the social part of being active. In other words, she found an active life that fit her new way of being.
Where are you in your activity season of life? If you feel stuck and can no longer do what you used to do, how can you look at your situation as a path to greater opportunity? Step out of your box and try something different. We all go through changes that require adaptation and resilience. The key is to figure out how to adapt our activities with what we can do looking forward. You never know where it will take you.