photo credit: Lotus Carroll via photopin cc
I used to breathe a sigh of relief when school started each year. Finally, I could focus on myself: a structured work and exercise schedule without having to navigate childcare options. Invariably, though, I found myself spinning my wheels in an empty house. Frankly, it was hard to get going again. I found that with the welcome silence in the house, it was hard to motivate myself to get active regularly. If you find yourself in the same boat, I will share the three things that helped me re-discover my own active life.
Do something early in the day. Once I dropped my kids off at school, I went for a walk, went to the gym or took a class. I had to learn that if I went back home, Mr. Distraction would take over my thoughts and I would never get around to a workout.
Find a group of like-minded people. When I was new to this community, I researched offerings of the local recreation departments. Having spent years teaching fitness classes through recreation departments, I knew that I could find a “tribe” of pals to work out with. Plus, you don’t have to sign your life away with rec classes. I like that! The particular class I joined was called, “Racy Ladies.” Catchy, right? This was a running/walking group that met three times per week in the morning. There were new people trickling in all the time so that it was easy to connect with other newbies. Routes were posted and you could choose what trail or route to suit your fancy. As I have always proclaimed, it is empowering to walk/run with other women.
Forget perfection. Accept that, even with the kids gone at school, life is still messy and disorganized. Go with the flow of being in the moment even if it means letting certain things remain unfinished. Use regular physical activity as your compass to give you that sense of personal direction and provide a window to your spirit. What I learned is that as long as I got my work out in for the day, I felt better about myself and that was enough.
Enjoy your freedom!