I tolerate dislike hate loathe exercising.
I have told my students many times over the years that the reasons we have horses and cars is because I am not meant to run. They think I am joking when I say this. They are incorrect.
My husband, being in the Army, is more tolerant of exercise. Oh, who am I kidding? The man loves it. The idea of picking up and putting down heavy things makes him smile (sadistically according to his gym buddies). He could talk for hours about different exercises and their benefits….and do NOT get him started talking about how much weight he picked up and put down in his most recent gym session.
I would rather teach the last week of school in a kindergarten classroom full of cupcake inhaling children than go to the gym.
Yet, several times over the years I have participated in the random exercise session for self-care. I will admit, it DOES make me feel better afterward. Not during….oh no, not during. I am the single most hateful, angry, spoiled brat during the exercise session….but afterward….yes, I do feel better. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS MY ADMITTING THIS TO BE LEAKED TO MY HUSBAND. He will try to get me to pick up and put down heavy things WITH HIM, and I do not know if our marriage can handle that. Constant moving, changing jobs, buying and selling houses, two children, mountains of diapers and laundry….no biggy……gym buddies? Not a chance. Everyone has their limits. And my horrible attitude while exercising may be his.
But, burn out is setting in. I have to do something different if I want different results.
I have tried essential oils, calming breaths, hot showers, coffee, no coffee, coffee again because that was a horrible idea, chocolate, drinking more water, drinking less soda, scheduling my time better, making to do lists, ripping up to do lists, and quilting. Yes, quilting….it was surprisingly relaxing…..except when the sewing machine was ruining my fabric….then not so much with the relaxation. All this in an effort to exercise self-care.
Anyway, I have tried lots of stuff. Some worked for a little while, some not at all. I mean, honestly, WHY would I think that giving up coffee would be a good idea?? Yet, despite my attempts, nothing has worked for longer than a few days. So, in one of our many conversations about the load on teachers, my husband reminded me how exercising has, in the past, made me feel better. As much as I hate to admit it, he is right. So….dun dun dun….I have come up with a trial run to help me avoid burnout. I am going to get up every weekday morning and *gag, sputter, choke on the word* exercise.
But the thing is….I work an hour away from my house, and teachers have to be in the building by 6:45 am….oh, and I have two kids to get to daycare every morning….so back all that up, I am up at 4:30 every morning…..or I was, before I decided to exercise in the mornings before work. 3:45 is my new wake-up call….and yes, I HATE it. Why not exercise at night? Well….as soon as we get home its dinner and bed for the baby, then the “big kid hour” for my 4 year old. He’s in bed about 7, which means I then have about two hours to get my mommy and teacher chores done if I want to not be a zombie the next day….also, I am not a night-owl….
The one thing I hate more than exercise is how foggy my brain gets when I am really tired.
So, this week (it’s only Tuesday, so I won’t be applying for any awards quite yet), I have gotten up at 3:45 and done my exercises. As much as I hate to admit it….I do feel better….sore….but more positive….tired…but was more awake throughout the day….embarrassed that I struggled to hold my arms up to write on the board today…but proud that I did that many pushups.
So….my husband was right….at least so far….the exercising does make me feel better. But more importantly than the current extra endorphins running through my veins, is the commitment I have made to take care of myself.
This is the one thing that I do just for me. Perhaps, just doing something for me is all I really needed for self-care.
Since data and progress monitoring ARE my jam (as opposed to exercise), I thought I would share some of my stats from my exercise this morning. I didn’t count everything….mostly because I couldn’t breathe, but also because it is all timed intervals and all I could think of was when would it end. BUT….here are a few of my stats. I have committed myself to do this for 1 month, so hopefully at the end of this 30 day journey I will feel better and be able to see my own progress. That’s worth something, right?
- 5 minutes of terrible jump roping (I’m going to need to work on this)
- 21 Push-ups total
- 30 jumping lunges
- 12 Burpees
Great post! Your husband sounds cool.
He is cool 🙂 Thanks for the comment!