I want to know something.
Are there people in the world who really look forward to their workouts? I feel like maybe I used to be this person. In another very distant life? But I can’t exactly remember.
In this current life I’m living?
Y’all, I worked out twice this week. But I had to drag myself kicking and screaming. Along with the normal fatigue and general “I am not in the mood for this,” I’m in the thick of first-trimester pregnancy nausea. Even the mere thought of chicken broth makes me gag. See, right there. I just gagged.
Stop thinking about chicken broth, Jessica!!!!
Seriously, back to the point. Guess what I discovered about the horrible, no-good, I’m-going-to-hate-this workout???
It wasn’t as bad as I thought!!!
Day 1: I rode on the exercise bike at my sister’s house for 23 minutes. (Thanks, Julie.) I didn’t bike Everest or anything, but that is a whole three minutes longer than I even planned! I would have even gone longer, but I had to go wipe poop off someone’s bottom.
Day 3: I did Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred, which sounds way more impressive than it was. Instead of weights (which I didn’t have), I used these:
Don’t laugh. That globe actually has a good amount of heft in the downward portion. Mental note: Get some seven two pound weights soon.
So here’s your lesson for today:
It’s possible the thing you’re dreading isn’t quite so bad.
It’s true in little things (like workouts or cleaning the shower or mopping the floor…why in the world don’t I do that more?) and even in big ones (like scary moments with our children.)
I think this is sort of a fact of life, that we imagine things to be worse sometimes than they are.
But also, now I’m going to get totally super-spiritual and tell you there is actually a higher reason that I haven’t thrown up during my workouts this week and didn’t collapse mid-jumping jack.
It’s I John 5:14.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
I know this isn’t a guarantee of anything our little hearts wish for. But I feel grateful that God answers our prayers, and gives us strength, especially if we’re asking to do His will, like try to keep some sense of physical endurance so we can chase after two abundantly energetic toddler boys.
I know it sounds silly, but have you asked him for help in these hard things?
If you’re doing the workouts, how’s it going in week 1?
Want to read more?
Have you taken a Personal Retreat & Planning Day for the New Year? (everyone needs this!)
Exhausted being a mom? You might enjoy Motherhood Is Not For Slackers (Here’s that pat on the back you’ve been needing.)
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I didn’t start my 3 workouts for this week until yesterday. The weather has been bad, my husband was sick which left me picking up his slack, we’re dealing with cracked water pipes…excuses just piled up. Mostly, I just didn’t want to make the effort to exercise. This post helped me yesterday evening. I thought, “it really won’t be that hard.” So my 2 year old and I marched around the house singing “the ants go marching on” until my husband said he couldn’t handle another verse. We added in some stretching and made my 20 minute goal. As an added bonus, she went to bed easily and slept well all night since she was so worn out, although I’m sure not taking a nap helped with that too. Thank you for the encouragement.
I think going to bed by 10 was being extremely optimistic. Our toddler has decided that not only am I not getting to bed by 10, but I’m going to be up any time between 3 and 6 to just be up. At least I was able to get all of my walking in and did 6 days of Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred level 1. If I’m lucky, I may get to sleep before 11 next week!