The Fitness Journey

As part of my goal setting slash lifestyle changes I have planned for this year, getting fit and losing the love handles is the most clichéd one. Every year, everyone wants to “get rid of the Christmas fat” and “finally get my summer body” even though we’re half way through summer and that ship is pulling up the anchor and getting ready to set sail.

Yet we still rage against our desires, and do the physical thing, and deny ourselves cake and start with great gusto and wear the yoga pants. For the sum total of about 3 weeks. Then getting up to go to gym has lost its luster. Its no longer exciting. It has become a chore, yet another thing to do every day.

But look around you. There are people who go to gym, who have been going for years, and who enjoy it! What is this witchcraft? How do they do it? You see, they have made the lifestyle change where gym is a part of their life. For better or worse. And it is this lifestyle change I am looking to make.

For this week and the week after it, I have been given the opportunity to take the late shift at work. That means starting later in the morning and ending later. Its great as it gives me the chance to get into the gym before work, and the earlier I get to gym, the longer I am forced to stay there before work starts. I am appealing to my laziness of not wanting to drive back home to ensure I actually work out for at least an hour. Thats a Kyle Life Hack right there.

In addition to gym in the mornings, I have also found the joy in going for jogs after 10 pm.

Now that may sound strange, but hear me out. It cooler. Its quiet. No other, better, runners to look at you judgingly. And you get to catch Pokémon. Also, my Fitbit sleep graph shows how much better I am sleeping at night because of this dual exercise routine.

I have made going to gym in the morning easy by prepping the night before. My work clothes are packed in my little gym bag, my gym gear is out and ready. Its easy to put on the clothes and walk out the door with all my stuff after breakfast. And since gym on the way to work, its not even out of my way. Its about as easy as an easy thing can be. At gym is another story completely.

By making it easy, I have taken the choice out of it. By taking the choice away, I have taken away the chance to say no. I am putting the popcorn in the shed, so to speak. By going for runs at night, I am getting another 20 minutes to my thoughts at the end of the day. Running is easy, mentally that is. And allows me to think about all sorts of stuff. After all, there is nothing I can do, so why should I think about work, or my To-Do list, or other such nonsence.

Now it comes down to why. Why am I doing this? Why do such physical activity twice a day? Isn’t that excessive? You see, I believe that as a man, I have been called to protect. Protect my family, my friends, my tribe, me. In the case of an emergency, my physical and mental strength will not only have to be enough for me, but will have to be enough for my wife (and maybe future kidlets). In the case of things going wrong, they will look to me as the man of the house. And I need to be able to step up.

I have been slack with it lately. My current waist-line can attest to that. Its too easy to fire up the Xbox and eat cake. Its hard to get out and do things. And I suppose, doing something hard is always more rewarding than if it was easy. So I am doing hard things now, and my muscles are sore and tired, but should the need arise, I hope to be there – physically and mentally – for those that need me.

As I read recently – rest begets rest. If you stay still long enough, you will never move. I want to be an active person.
And that involves making the choice to be active.