As I work my way through my old posts as part of Nuketown’s migration project, I struck by how many times I tried and failed to maintain an exercise routine. I had a few good runs, but all of them ended prematurely. I’d settle into a routine, lose some weight, and then falter (usually because winter had set in).
2016 was different: I actually created a routine and stuck to it. As a result my weight was steady at 210 lbs for much of the year. I’ve bounced a few pounds north and south of that number, but I haven’t come anywhere near 225 in six months.
The key difference in 2016 was having a plan, sticking to that plan as much as possible, and not beating myself up when I fell short. The hashtag I’ve used for my efforts is #keepmoving, and to me that’s the key — don’t stop. Don’t give up. Keep moving, even if it’s only a half-mile walk in the sleet and freezing rain. Keep moving even if you’d like nothing more than to curl up on the couch and read a book Keep moving even if you’re still sore from coaching baseball for 1.5 hours the day before.
Keep. Moving.
A big part of this has been to change things up when things need to be changed up. For the first nine months of this year, I walked in the morning, ran at lunch time, and chilled in the evening. For the last three months I’ve mixed things up by going to a personal trainer with my wife and learning new exercise routines. I’ve aggressively defended time on my calendar to ensure I <em>can</em> work out during the day, which makes up for the fact that I’ve lacked the willpower to get out of bed when dark mornings returned this November and December.
The exercise regime has helped me power through life’s doldrums and frustrations, and I have to say I’m really enjoying the extra energy and jeans with a 36″ waist. My hope for 2017 is to keep the train rolling, maybe losing a few more pounds, getting my mile time under 8 minutes, and returning to the pool.
And, you know … keep moving.