Creating change...

Yesterday, I had three pitching lessons.  

And then I died.

My feet hurt from standing, I was dehydrated and my throat was scratchy from instructing.  And don't even get me started talking about my shoulder...

For a moment, I was confused...I used to do this all the time.  And I mean ALL THE TIME!  At one point, I carried 20 lessons a week, on top of work and practice and working out...WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME NOW?

And then the realization hit me that that life was over two years in the past and that even though I had spent so much time being accustomed to that routine, now my body was molded to this one.

Isn't it amazing how hard our bodies fight to stay in neutral?  Given the choice, I would much rather jog than sprint, cruise than speed, keep things the way they've always been rather than mix it up.  And I guess sometimes that can be good but other times, we need to rock the boat in order to create change.  Especially because our mind seems to stay linked to the past in that we always believe that we can somehow currently do what we USED to be able to do without exception.

Most of us can relate to this as far as body image.  I think we all WANT to look like an image in our head, however, we may not WANT to change very much about our convenient lifestyle (and by convenient, I mean simply what we know).  And before you argue that striving towards a perfect body image is unrealistic, I think it all depends on your mindset.  I don't think you should ever stop STRIVING for perfection in the healthy areas of your life:  eating well, working out, learning as much as you can, building your spiritual growth, fostering your close personal relationships (as long as you keep a healthy perspective of forgiveness when perfection isn't achieved).  I think it would be much more dangerous to become stagnant in those areas.

But back to our convenient lifestyles...I am as bad at this as anyone else.  Given the choice, I could eat pretty much the same thing every day.  I would be happy just doing my same workout day in and day out.  And I would give into temptation with my huge sweet tooth for whatever I craved and made for dessert that day.  

And I would never see the body changes that I desire.  

When you look at that scenario, they don't seem like huge fixes, do they?  Plan different meals, plan different workouts, plan either healthy desserts or don't make them at all...

Either way, I have to  have a PLAN.  

So let me ask you today...what do you want and what is your plan?  I guess I could open up a huge bucket of worms with that one, but fitness specific, what small changes can you make to help achieve your goal?  

• If you're a walker, maybe it means adding a couple jogging intervals to your routes.

• If you're an endurance trainer, maybe you want to mix in some weights or plyometrics.

• If you're a junk food junkie, perhaps it means just getting a sandwich and no fries or drink the next time through the drive through.  

• If you're inactive, what is your first step to get moving?

• If you already are active, when was the last time you mixed things up?

I admire my husband for many reasons, but especially because he is continually looking to change up his workout plan and make it better.  He is a true student and is always reading, or looking for videos on You Tube or Body Rock (which I linked to off the FB page - she is super challenging), and basically looking for new ideas.  You would think that someone in as fantastic shape as he is would be tempted to cruise, but I've never known him to be that way...and maybe that's what pushes me to keep up and work these ideas on the forefront of my mind. 

We also have to remember that true change takes time and we have to be forgiving for our backtracks and conscious of falling back into what was once comfortable.  I have caught myself drifting back to my favorite running routine far too often these past few weeks.  I've been too busy to plan for the gym and it's just so easy because it's already memorized and I know I can live through it...need I also mention that I also have a couple pairs of shorts that I have recently been unable to button?? ha!

It's also going to take time for me to get back into working shape, which is funny for a stay at home mom to say...especially when I feel like I'm on the run all the time. 

So go ahead and plan your goals and your steps...even if you just know the first one.  Well, because we all have to start somewhere!