Movement in the Midst of Crisis
In times of stress, self care is often the first thing to go. The collective stress of the world is weighing on all of us right now. Real talk: I’m not doing most of the things “they” say you “should.” I stay up late and sleep in, work from the couch in my pajamas all day, and spend way too much time looking at screens. For me, trying to stick to my previous routine is just pretending. The whole world is in crisis! Putting on work clothes feels like denying that fact. This is our new normal, at least for now. I’m not trying to make it fit into the old box.
Some days are really hard for me. I am riding the same emotional rollercoaster as everyone else! What keeps me sane? I have a few tricks, but my main focus is making movement a part of every day. Here are some things I’m doing that are working for me:
Scheduling my movement for the week. I write down when and how I’m going to move during the next week, in a realistic and easily measurable way. I track this in the Notes app on my phone, adding a check or an X to note if I did what I had planned, if I changed course, or if I skipped it entirely. Factors I consider include:
The weather, to see when I will be able to get outside for a run. The forecast changes often, so I revise the plan as needed.
My work schedule, to see which days I can move during my lunch hour or when I might need to work late and skip an evening workout.
My social calendar, though sparse, to make sure I schedule some movement earlier in the day when I’m having a virtual happy hour with friends.
The checks and X marks from the previous week, to identify patterns and set myself up for success. I noticed that I tend to skip scheduled movement on Wednesdays, so now I schedule something small that I can swap for a rest day without throwing off the rest of the schedule.
Taking advantage of being home on my lunch break. When I was working in an office, I used to spend my lunch break driving somewhere to get takeout and driving back to the office to eat at my desk. Now, I try to make sure I have something prepared to eat during my afternoon meetings so that I can take the whole hour to go for a run or do a strength workout – and still have time for a quick shower. I block off this time on my calendar and log out of the IM software so colleagues know I’m not available.
Allowing flexibility with the schedule. Sometimes my lunch workout plans are squashed by an impromptu meeting or urgent deadline. The weather may not be what I expected, or maybe I’m just not in the mood for what I had planned. Instead of skipping movement entirely, I try to reschedule to a different time of day or choose another activity that feels more appropriate for that moment.
Setting short term goals. As soon as my spring half marathons were canceled, I dropped my running mileage. After training so hard for races that were abruptly canceled, I was feeling a little bitter and burnt out. I cut myself some slack for a week or two, then got back to “training” in a new way. I calculated that I’ll need to run 12 miles per week to meet my monthly and annual mileage goals. This is a manageable amount for my body and my work schedule, and is also enough to maintain my fitness level. Tracking my mileage each week motivates me to keep lacing up my running shoes to work towards that goal. It will also give me a strong foundation to kick off another training cycle when the time comes.
Mixing it up. I’ve been a runner for a while, and have been mixing in HIIT and strength training (mostly through Orangetheory) for over a year, so when the gyms started to close, I was determined to keep varying my workouts from home. I already had a TRX and was lucky to get 10, 12, and 15lb dumbbells from Target, but bodyweight workouts are a great option if you don’t have a lot of equipment. I love the workouts in the Nike Training Club app (the premium version is free, for now) and the Orangetheory at Home workouts use objects you can find around the house to add some resistance to your workouts if you don’t have weights. In addition to running, I try to do at least one longer (1 hour) strength training session and shorter (20-45 min) workouts throughout the week, often using a shorter run as a warm up for a shorter workout.
Practicing yoga. With so much spare time on my hands, I found myself wishing I could exercise more, but I also knew that my body couldn’t take more pounding on the pavement or heavy lifting than I was already doing. I gradually returned to a home yoga practice to fill that gap. It’s been a long time since I practiced at home regularly, but it’s becoming a part of my routine again. Yoga allows me to move my body in a mindful way, without the pressure of going longer, harder, faster, stronger. Some days I do a simple, gentle sequence and other times I focus on applying strength training principles to yoga poses in a stronger, more challenging practice. Practicing more regularly also helps to keep me in tune with the parts of my body that might need a little more love and attention on any given day, and my practice often serves as a moving meditation to help manage the mental and emotional stress I’m feeling.
Embracing rest. It’s been so tempting for me to do a hard workout every day (sometimes twice!) and while there are days when that approach feels right, most of the time I have to remind myself that rest and recovery are part of the training too. Yin yoga is a great option if you want to stay active on your recovery days. Try throwing your legs up the wall or you can even do a few yin yoga poses in your bed!
I have been consistently active for years now, so it’s no big deal for me to double up on workouts and push myself. If you weren’t very active before, don’t start off by running 5 miles or scheduling two hard workouts in a day. Try to maintain your prior level of activity, and once you’re able to do that, incrementally increase it. This may not be the time to take on a huge new goal, like running a marathon when you haven’t gone for a run in years. If you want to start running, try following a proven program like Couch to 5k. And if you’re not maintaining your activity levels, cut yourself some slack. Instead of feeling guilty and blaming the current circumstances, find somewhere you can make a small change and start there.
How are you fitting movement into your new normal? What’s working for you, and what isn’t working? How can I support you?
