Where did my body go?!
When I was 16, I had a rock-hard six-pack; now I’m almost thirty and I definitely do not. Growing up has many ways of humbling us. For example, when the same set of stairs you have been absent-mindedly completing your whole life suddenly takes the wind out of you. If I’m being honest, this was the wake-up call for me.
When Jess and I made the decision to embark on the journey that is Life in the AVL, we knew this meant making some pretty big commitments. Not only were we committing to each other, but also to the never-ending pursuit of personal growth. From the beginning, we knew that the only way to truly create the community of passionate creatives we so desire, was to approach every article, post, video, etc, with realness. So it seems my judgement day has come. It’s time for me to “get real” about my own struggle for self-betterment.
As I said, there came a time when a simple set of stairs completely defeated me. Sure, I made it to the top. And yes, I could have kept walking without any trouble. But I didn’t. Instead, I sat down on that top step and soaked it in. I checked in with my body, I’m ashamed to say it had been the first time in a long time, and found that I had become weak.
Now, you have to understand, this has not always been the story. I was extremely athletic in my youth. I loved sports passionately and filled my time with them as much as possible. I even went on to play softball in college. My entire life, I had been fit without trying, without even thinking about it. But sitting on the stairs that day I realized the glory days were over; and my jokes about being “washed up” were jokes no more. This was the first time in my life that I felt my age.
Next, I did what almost all of us do, and looked in the mirror. No, not metaphorically. I mean I actually looked in my bedroom mirror and observed my body. I tried to judge how I felt about my size, shape, muscles, skin, hair, etc. Honestly, I wasn’t disappointed. I realized that I love my body, at least the way it looks. For me, this was a learning moment.
The fact is, I have more confidence in my body now than I have at any point in my life. I’m proud of every inch of it, from the scars I earned through various sports ventures, right down to the soft curves it took me full maturity to achieve. My positive body image clearly wasn’t what brought me to rest on the top step with exhaustion. The truth is, though I looked alright, I wasn’t physically fit.
Over the course of the last couple of years, life had a way of interrupting my good intentions. There are only so many hours in the day, and I (like everyone else in the world) have obligations that take major priority. Whether it’s career, family, social demands – the things that drive us also sap a lot of our energy, focus and time. And another thing (sorry but I’m going to be the one to say it), after spending the first 25 years of my life constantly in a gym, I was BORED with working out.
I let all this sink in. I was making excuses. Each point was valid and absolutely the truth, but they are excuses none-the-less. In the end I was left with only one question: What am I going to do about it?
Many of my friends will tell you that I’m fairly accurately self-diagnosed with Napoleon syndrome. I’m small, only 5’2, and accepting that I would face my entire life looking up at the world was a pretty rough challenge for me. What was my compensation? Be strong, be tough. And suddenly I wasn’t either of those things. I had let every day life romance me into routine complacency. Enough is enough.
A couple of weeks ago, I bit the bullet and accepted a friend’s invitation to try something I’ve never done before. I found myself the next day sweating more than I had in my life in a hot yoga class, where the instructor was amazingly gentle while she made you beg for death. After it was over I realized that it had been the best hour and a half I had suffered through in a long time. I felt amazing, I had actually had fun (seriously!), and I walked out feeling proud about how I had pushed through and survived the class.
The idea was sprung and the stage was set. Jess and I put our heads together and drew up a battle plan. For the next month, we’re going to be talking fitness. We want to introduce ourselves (and our friends) to new ways of getting active. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be exploring all Asheville has to offer those looking to skip the boring, and get down to healthy. We will share a few ideas you might have had before, as well as a few you have probably never even considered.
Along the way, I will be focusing on incorporating some of the activities we will talk about into my own life. I’m giving up my excuses, and taking my body back. My goal is this: by the end of this series, I won’t just be a little stronger, I’ll also have more energy throughout the day and feel better overall. I ask you to bare witness as I declare that my days of being defeated by stairs are done! I’m tired of being tired.
You can join us on this next adventure by showing us #howdoyousweat. Be sure to tag Life in the AVL on Facebook and Instagram as well for a chance to be featured!