I absolutely love the summer Olympics for the midyear boost it gives people. How many of you remember wanting to be a gymnast, ballerina, astronaut, or some other lofty goal? Like the Olympics reignite that child-like dream within all of us, and inspire us to be just a little bit better.
On my walk this morning I noticed SO many more people out on the trail: women jogging. Guys biking. Friends walking together. People walking their dogs. Young, old, and everything in between. I’d guess there were twice the normal amount of people out for 6am.
I’ve learned so far:
- They fall down, they get up. They get injured during the training season, they rest, take care of themselves, and get right back to it. They fall down during a performance, they literally shake it off, smile, and get right back to the competition.
I’m prone to injuries. It’s not my training style, it’s that my body is…. frail-ish. I’ve never been healthy. But I’m not letting my injuries or illnesses stop me from getting my daily movement in. This month my goal is go to for a walk for 30+ mins every day. Next month I hope my knee is well enough I can start jogging again. If not… doesn’t matter. I’m still going to do what I can. And this doesn’t include my daily yoga, or regular trips to the gym on my days off. - Plant based is not for athletes! This one has had me ROLLIN since it was first brought to light. Paris officials tried to push a plant-based agenda for the environment. They didn’t install AC in the athlete dorms for the environment. And the athletes REVOLTED! You just can’t operate at peak performance without adequate nutrition, and that’s been readily shown by the athletes going off-campus to get their nutrition/food needs met, and in some cases, flying in the foods they need! They brought in portable AC units so they can get restful sleep and recover during this strenuous competition.
- Consistency & discipline. There’s no way to get to this level of competition without being consistent and disciplined. This one is a huge reminder for me, because I’m terrible at consistency and discipline. And the two DO go hand in hand. I bet you’re consistent in brushing your teeth and showering every day, aren’t ya? But eating mindfully and healthy food, despite a changing schedule, dealing with the chaos life throws at you every day, and especially the emotional roller coaster you can go on (helllloooo my fellow perimenopausal women, I’m talking to you!)
Discipline kicks in where consistency might fall short. Discipline gets you up to go to the gym early in the morning when you would rather sleep in in your warm, comfy bed. Discipline kicks in when you have a healthy meal prepped at home, but ALL you want is to grab some fast food on your way home from a bad day at work.
I don’t ever aspire to go to the olympics. I DO aspire to sponsor one… I’d LOVE to sponsor a female oly lifter one year. But I DO want to be my best self. And for me, that means not missing a day of working out – even if it IS just a 30 minute walk. That means not going completely off track with my food. I feel my best when I avoid processed foods and focus on whole, animal-based foods with minimal fruits/veggies. I haven’t even touched on mindset here, but that’s key too…. Probably the most important key. But that’s a post for another day, I guess.
Essentially Health & Wellness 