sedean

Guardian female
Posts: 6

Reclaiming my fitness

I've been using Darebee off and on for a few years but I'm wanting to start using it much more consistently. I used to be quite fit and somewhat strong but have lost most of it over the last several years. I have a hard time sticking with routines and am hoping that checking in here will help me stay consistent.

This morning I completed day 3 of the first thing water challenge and also did Neck Reset.

Tomorrow, I will start the Recovery program.

My mantra is "slow is smooth and smooth is fast".

Thanks in advance for support offered! 💛💪
 
I have not started Recovery yet. It's hard for me to stick with an everyday routine. I guess I'm worried that if I don't do the program everyday then I shouldn't say that I completed the program. I'm not sure why I'm hung up on this. If I go through the program to the end without doing it everyday, I'll be better off than where I started. 🤷‍♀️

Anyone have thoughts or insights?
 
Yeah, I'd try not to get too hung up on doing your program every day.
It is a good way to get into the habit of working out, but it could backfire if you're forcing yourself to exercise or getting stressed about trying to fit it into your day.

Perhaps set a weekly goal of doing like 3 or 4 days and then build up from there instead?
 
I used to get very hung up about working out every day too (well, every second day in my case, I used to alternate between workouts and rest days). I don't think there's anything I can say that will convince you to not worry about it because I don't think I could have been convinced in the past, it's just something I had to learn from experience.

Something that helped me loosen the reins a little though was changing it from "no missing a workout" to "can't skip workouts two days a row". That way if it got too late to do my workout and I hadn't done it yet the consequences weren't so drastic. Rather than just giving up on the entire streak because of a missed day, it became "okay do it tomorrow instead, set an alarm so you don't forget".

My way of getting around the need to have a streak nowadays is just to lower the bar ridiculously low. I feel like I've shown up for the day even if I just do the EotD, which takes like 30 seconds, or my physio exercises.

Another idea! (Sorry this is becoming an awfully long reply.) Do you have a rule against finishing the program regardless of days off and THEN starting again with an attempt to do it every day? So rather than going back to the start of the program whenever you miss a day, you can say "alright this run-through is stuffed, let's finish it off and then try again" and each time you finish the program and start again you could try and beat your consecutive days record? And the fact you've got to finish the program before you can start again ups the stakes a bit.

This idea's a bit counter-intuitive, because it seems like raising the pressure/consequences of missing a workout is going in the complete opposite direction - making the streak a bigger deal when logically you know it shouldn't be a big deal at all - but what ends up happening is 1. you are actively practicing not being a perfectionist every time you finish the program imperfectly and 2. as you said, you'll be better off than when you started!

I don't know if any of this is helpful or it's just rambling - this is what I would've told me from five years ago.
 
Hi! Welcome to the hive! I'm sending you hugs and support. Beginnings can be difficult but I believe in you! Don't put too much pressure on you, especially at the start. I think that of course you can count finishing the program if you had some breaks. In the end what counts is making progress and sticking to the end, not perfection!

I've also recently started my journey of reclaiming my health after a years of struggling with it. I've started with Foundation Light and I was very challengingly at the beginning, but know it's much easier (even if excercises are harder for me) and I start to enjoy it more :)

Good luck! Fingers crossed and you can do it! 💪