I went on a little vacation last week expecting to find a nice health club that was advertised on the website. First morning there, I wake up nice and early and have a great breakfast to get me ready for my planned workout. I walked to the health club and was horrified by what I saw. The leg extension machine shook when you sat down on it, there were only a few dumbbells to be found, there were barbells but no weights to properly attach them. I could have just walked out at that point disappointed and gone on with the rest of my day and this would be a very short story. I did something else.
I went back to the basics. I set my interval timer and got in a great circuit training workout just using my body weight. It wasn’t what I had planned but sometimes we just have to improvise and move on and are able to work with what you have. This extends to everything in your life, it isn’t only limited to your workouts. There are going to be many times when the conditions we face are not perfect to us but our ability to recover and keep going gives us the true strength we need to push on. Carry this attitude and excuses will be past behavior to never be repeated again.
This also transferred to the food arrangements at the resort where I stayed. Being all inclusive, there were piles and an array of unhealthy dishes to choose from. Sure, I could have talked myself into the guilty pleasures they had to offer but I stayed to my normal eating habits and chose the dishes that were closest to them, only indulging a couple times. The old me would have made excuses like, “there wasn’t anything healthy to eat” or “it is my holiday, I am allowed to indulge”. But in the end, I had to ask myself the ultimate question, “Will I be happy and feel good if I stuff my face to the max?” After all, what pleasure is that giving you after all? We must define our expectations we have of our behaviors and stick to it and settle for nothing less.
aprimaveratraining 