As you probably have realised by know, I have gone a bit quiet recently. This isn’t because I don’t have anything to say. Rather, life has gone a bit awry and schedules have been taxing. And thanks to all this, I feel like I have genuinely fallen off the fitness wagon. This hasn’t really happened to me before. Of course I am still going to the gym and weight-training –that’s never going to change. But I am just not doing it at the frequency that I am used to.
In the past, even when I have been absolutely bone tired, I have mustered the energy to plow through it and get my workout done. However, over the last few weeks it just hasn’t been possible. Or is it that I haven’t made it possible?
Given this is a bit of a first for me, and I am human after all, I think it’s time to discuss how to get back on the wagon. The even bigger question is: how does one get back on it when Christmas is just around the corner, and there are parties galore and treats a-plenty?
Well, here is my plan of attack for the next few weeks. I promise I will adopt these, even through the indulgent festive season.
Make the most of your time off work, and the slower pace of the holiday season. Reset your schedule and prep it for the New Year. Your gym may be closed for a few days, but should be open for most of it.
Recalibrate slowly: if you have been having more staggered gym sessions like I have of late, don’t go right back to the heaviest possible weight set lifted or pushed. Dial it back a little or you’ll face DOMS DOMS DOMS DOMS DOMS!
Balance the naughty with the nice: whilst this is the time of year for indulgence, make sure you still get plenty of protein and veg in, and reset the basic cornerstones of your diet. You can’t go wrong with turkey and veg (just make sure the former isn’t smothered with butter, and the latter isn’t JUST roast potatoes)
Enjoy the peace and quiet of the gym floor to get back on track. Remember that January brings a flurry of gym newbies so you will likely be hard-pressed at the start of the year to enjoy free and ready access to all the equipment.
Try some classes which you might not regularly get to during worktime. Who knows, you might find a new class that strikes your fancy during this quiet period.
Stock up on your Zs: When we are working, we often don’t get enough sleep, which impacts overall physical performance. Use this season to bank some much-needed sleep and reset yourself in a way.
I’m hoping this will help me reset my fitness homeostasis during the festive period, and I hope it inspires you too. I will make sure not to fall off the wagon in terms of writing this blog, so do expect some new posts from me on my new year’s resolution and my feelings about hitting vs. pushing 40.