Embrace the Discomfort

Every day that I walk to and wait for the train to work, I look forward to the few (sometimes more) glorious minutes of sitting cross legged on the storage box of the train platform. As silly as it sounds, yes, I take a certain pleasure in releasing my backpack and propping myself on top of the box. Not just to sit, but because the box slopes downward, sitting cross legged results in a fantastic hip stretch (you've gotta appreciate the simple things in life, right??). As I sat this morning, the train taking much longer than usual, a thought occurred to me. The first moments of the stretch are the most uncomfortable. The muscles are tight and they cling to the limited range of motion they've become accustomed to. Usually, during the stretch portion of a class and while training clients, I instruct individuals to "breathe through the resistance," "sink into the stretch deeper with each exhale." In general, we neglect our stretches, and set ourselves up for potential injury--as the smaller range of motion and less flexible we are, the more likely we are to hurt ourselves.

About ten minutes passed this morning while I sat on top of that box. And while other commuters checked their CTA apps and anxiously peered over the rail as if the train would magically appear, I too felt myself becoming anxious. Then I realized...how much more comfortable I was sitting cross legged. How my hips had opened up and my lower body tension had significantly decreased in the 10+ minutes I had been waiting.

Maybe it was the post-workout high from my strength session at Hard Pressed this morning. Or the after-effect of the Dunkin Donuts coffee I had consumed an hour before that caused my mind to wander. Aren't the first moments of a difficult situation typically the most uncomfortable? How many of us actually approach these difficult situations with the intention of improving them and making progress? Or do we avoid them as much as we avoid the yoga mat? Like stretching the body, the mind (and the heart) tend to give up at the first sign of resistance, tightness, and discomfort. We cling to the familiar, to the daily range of motion we have created. What would happen if we confronted that discomfort...then "breathed through the resistance," and "sunk deeper with each exhale"? Perhaps the tension would release, and our minds and hearts would open.

Resist the discomfort or embrace it. Which will you do?

Beyond the Fitness Bubble

In high school, I weighed 45 pounds more than I do now. I could go an entire day without saying a word, sometimes wondering what my own voice sounded like. Years later, among red solo cups at a college house party, a former classmate commented "you went to my high school?!" And although a graduating class of 250 is neither large nor extremely small, I shifted my gaze downward at that moment, embracing the introvert I've always been. While in high school, I was inactive, ate too much, was discouraged by the amount of weight I gained and the fact that I was not "athletic." The tennis coach ordered a double X t-shirt for me in the Fall of 1997. I weighed approximately 210 pounds at the age of 16 and felt invisible--not just to others, but to myself. My happiness and health were not a priority.

When deciding what to study in college, I pursued my new found passion for fitness. My mom had given me a membership to Women's Workout World as a birthday gift and I was hooked on the rush of adrenaline and the drop in my weight. Ever since then, I have been intrigued by the body's ability to heal itself and even to excel--with proper nutrition, activity, and REST. This was definitely a life changing breakthrough. Had I continued in the direction I was heading, I can only imagine where I would have wound up. Currently, I am a full time fitness instructor and personal trainer.

Growth is key! If we are not moving forward, we will become mediocre. To grow as a person or company, we must surround ourselves with people and circumstances that challenge us--physically and mentally. I like to think of it as "cross training" for the mind. I've recently kayaked the Illinois River, attended a martial arts class, traveled to Salt Lake City, visited Dallas and went stand up paddle boarding, and (most surprisingly to me) shot a 45 and M1 Garand at a shooting range in Indiana! If you repeatedly do the same exercises, in the same order, lifting the same amount of weight, you will plateau! Such is life. If you go to the same job, go out with the same friends, attend the same social gatherings, you will plateau! Be gentle on yourself--there's no need to go from jogging along the Lake Front to signing up for the Iron Man. Add 30 seconds of jumping jacks between your strength sets. Find a random group on meetup.com and participate in an activity you've never done, with people you've never met--I did!

You may be wondering if I plan to earn a black belt in karate, kayak the Rio Grande, or start a gun collection. The answer is no (unless we're referring to a pair of biceps!). I've tried that and having multiple hobbies/pastimes results in overcommitment. How can you truly enjoy yourself (and bring joy to others) when you're constantly stretching time, bending over backwards, and dropping down sets of dollar bills? My intention is to experience new things daily. Perhaps this will lead to another breakthrough in my life--finding opportunity and experience in uncharted territory, on a tennis court while staying at a resort in Jamaica! Maybe not. Take each moment for what it is. After all, there really is no "bubble" except the one we create in our own mind. And if you're having trouble breaking through...figure out where you are, where you want to be, what it takes to get there, AIM...and then TAKE A SHOT.