Revving up!

So, I am feeling pretty great!

My every-other-weekday workout routine, with the addition of a multivitamin (which my 2.5 year old helps remind me to take), has me feeling pretty great. Better than I have in a long time.

My Old Routine 

I have not had a regular workout routine since the days of eighth-grade athletics. Seriously.

In the fall/winter time I had band: pushing and pulling and lifting and maneuvering the marimba/vibes/timpani/other various instruments as we loaded up for marching competitions or football games or out to the practice field.

For a few years, while working in my former job, I was on my feet walking around and lifting/loading bulky items for 4 to 8 hours a day several days a week. A consistent routine though, has been neglected for a long while.

Since being able to stay home with our son, whatever energy the workout of work may have provided dropped off. I felt I never had energy anymore, and my anxieties really began to get at me (worse than they already had). It got to the point where I had to go to the doctor for pharmaceutical help, and since (neglecting the past week or so) I've had a handful of days where I felt "normal," which is amazing because I hadn't felt that way in many years. I know at the age of 25, that doesn't seem like a claim I should be able to make, but it is. Between my horrendous headaches (started in high school, but since have been a lot better after having the baby) and pain from my sciatica nerve, plus the emotional roller-coaster I seem to constantly ride, I wasn't sure I would ever feel normal again.

My New Routine

This "5-4-3-2-1 Workout," is great because I don't feel overwhelmed with the amount of "to-do" and now I can do almost the whole thing (15 minutes doesn't seem like much-but it is for me). Since I can almost do the whole thing, I'm planning on either adding or alternating something else, which I haven't located quite yet, for a little change in pace. I will likely keep it short, since I work out while my son attacks me with hugs or trying to climb up on me as I do the push-ups/dips and the like.

I've also been trying to eat a bit better, as previously mentioned, and I'm certain that helps too. The hardest thing for me is drinking [enough] water.

So What has Changed?

My energy. I can now go through a whole day of classes, and come home and still have the ability to get up and cook dinner, wash the dishes, and be involved in the evening. Used to I would come home and become useless. I also feel up to doing things, even those I don't necessarily want to do but need to do, going places, and talking to people.

My outlook. I think this couples with my renewed energy. I feel markedly more optimistic and opportunistic than I did before, and things don't seem quite as bad as they used too (not that they're bad at all, really, but even the smallest things could seem like mountains).

My body. No, not visibly, but I can feel changes like wanting to run or stretch or be active. I feel stronger/more confident when trying to do physical things (although it could just be all in my head, too). Of course this, too, is intertwined with my energy/outlook changes.

What Now?

Like I said, I'm not sure yet. A purely cardio workout? Some core-building exercises? Another variation of the fifteen-minute workout? These are the things I'm considering, no doubt you will know about my decision before too long.

Journey on!
Julia