Getting Back Into It

I looked at my last blog post from November 2012. At the time, I was trying to get back into the exercise routine after having had rotator cuff surgery. But it was too soon. At least for me it was. New morning school schedules for the kids, a heavy workload and a shoulder that wasn't quite ready for working out resulted in less than desirable results and I fell off the workout wagon...again.

But I knew I'd be back. And now, I'm back. With a vengeance. And it feels great.

P90X...Again
I started this round of P90X in July 2013, a little over a year after I'd had rotator cuff surgery. As with other rounds I've done, I didn't know if I'd be able to maintain the routine or the consistency I had in the past. But I knew that if I completed 3 or 4 weeks of the program and did it consistently, it would become a habit again and I would look forward to doing it everyday. I was right. Now, I look forward to doing it every day.

I knew I could maintain the routine during the summer months. The kids weren't in school and the only schedule I had to worry about, was my own. I was concerned that once summer was over, I wouldn't be able to maintain the routine. I need to leave the house around 7:00 a.m. to get my daughter to school on time. To get a full workout in, eat breakfast, feed the dogs, make coffee, iron my clothes, shower, shave, etc., I need to get up at 5:00 a.m. Since I'm not a "morning person," the idea of getting out of bed, in the dark, at 5:00 a.m. has never been appealing to me. For me, I have to be very motivated and minimize all the excuses that go through my head when the alarm clock goes off at 5:00 a.m.

Preparation - The Night Before
I prepare for my morning workouts the night before. This is very important for me to maintain my routine. It minimizes excuses and when I wake up in the morning and realize how much I prepared the night before, it motivates me to get out of bed in the morning.

If getting up early sounds impossible, here's what works for me:

1. When the alarm goes off, I remind myself how I've never regretted getting up to workout. This is important. Consider how many times you've finished a workout and thought to yourself, "I'm so glad I did that workout. I feel much better now than before I did the workout." Then consider how many times you've thought to yourself after completing a workout, "I wish I wouldn't have done that workout. I should have stayed in bed (or watched TV or...)." If you're like me, you've always felt better having done a workout and you've never wished you would have done something else in place of working out. Reminding myself of this gets me out of bed  every morning.
2. I get the clothes I'm going to workout in ready the night before. I select the clothes I'm going to work out in and lay them out the night before. In the morning, I don't have to look for clothes I'm going to wear when I work out.
3. I know what workout I'm going to do. The night before, I'll check where I am in the program and will mentally prepare, knowing what I'm going to focus on in the morning. Sometimes I'll take out the DVD(s) that I'm going to use in the morning, so they're ready when I'm ready. 
4. I get the clothes I'm going to wear to work ready. At night, I decide what I'm going to wear the next day. Since I iron my own shirts, I'll do that at night, too. I'll have all my clothes out and ready, so when I finish my shower, I can quickly get dressed for work.
5. I program the coffee maker. We're coffee drinkers, so the night before, I'll program the coffee maker to make coffee while I'm working out. If not coffee, you could mentally prepare for what you're going to have for breakfast the next day, with the goal of reducing what you need to do the next morning. 

The main thing is to consider your own routine, determine what you can prepare and do the night before and it'll take the burden (and excuses) out of the equation. That's it. It's easy enough and once it becomes habit to prepare the night before, over time, you won't even think about it anymore. All this will make getting up, working out and getting ready for your day that much easier. 

Staying in the Routine
This past August, we went on a week-long camping vacation. I knew I wouldn't be doing any of the workouts during that week and I was concerned I'd get out of the habit of working out again. Before we went on vacation, I mentally prepared for the week, knowing I would be out of the routine. I reminded myself I would return to my routine when I got back home, not giving myself the option to get out of the habit. When I returned home and got back into my routine, I repeated the week I had done prior to the vacation and picked up the program from where I left off. I made sure that the day I got back from vacation, I got up early in the morning and picked up where I left off. This approach worked great for me and reinforced the idea that when I'm home, I workout in the mornings.

90 vs 120 Days
I fully expect this round of P90X will take 120 days instead of 90 to complete. And that's fine with me. I'm seeing and feeling the results and that's what's most important to me. I think the idea that there's a point when you're "done" is flawed. I'll never be done. The idea that there's an "end" is great for those who are just starting out. It's a timeframe people can work towards. At the end of 90 days, you will  see (and feel) real results.  But the fact is, once you hit 90 days, you won't want to stop. Once you realize the way you look and feel at that moment is a result of exercising everyday, you'll want to continue with the progress you've made.

I'm now in the middle of Week 9 of P90X. I still have several weeks to go before I finish this round and I'm already planning what I will do once I complete P90X. I'll move to P90X2 and I'm looking forward to working through and struggling and making progress with the new program. Knowing I have a lot to still look forward to, seeing and feeling results everyday and preparing for my morning workouts keeps me motivated and inspired to keep doing more.