The Kind of Day I Love!
Yesterday I was able to arrange my schedule in such a way that I could do a lot of physical activities. I went ice skating, went for a long walk, and spent two hours at the gym in the evening, where I did cardio for twenty minutes and lifted for the remainder.
I feel so good after a day like that, I wish I could do it every day! I am self-employed, which is good because I have some flexibility in my schedule, but bad during times when I have deadlines or it gets extremely busy and I am working long hours for many days at a time to get the work done.
I have been able to get to the gym four of the last five days, which is something I’ve only done a couple of times before. I got lucky this week, all of the stars aligned to make it possible. I was supposed to be working out of town, but the job was pushed back one week. I would normally skip Thursdays because I always go to the gym Friday evening, but there was a blizzard forecasted for Friday (as I look out my home office window, it’s snowing heavily and the wind is starting to pick up. We won’t be able to get out of our driveway until sometime Saturday when out snow clearing guy comes with his tractor and plough) so I decided to go Thursday. Usually lifting weights four days out of five wouldn’t be feasible for me since there’s not enough recovery time, but I’m just coming off a two week ‘rest’ period, where I eased up greatly on arms, chest and back due to a sprained wrist. So I felt strong and fresh every time I went to the gym this week.
Days like yesterday and weeks like this one are a rarity for me, especially during my busy season during the winter and spring months. I envy those whose circumstances allow them to workout any day they want, and to do other activities every day. The ’high’ I get from a workout lasts for two days. By the time the third day comes, I am itching to get back to the gym. My body feels tense and my stress level rises. If I know I can go later in the day, I make it through. If I can’t go because of work or travel, my frustration rises and my mood darkens. I’m like two different people, a happy person when I workout, and a stressed dark moody person when I’m denied. Thankfully, the times when I’m denied my workouts are far fewer than they used to be, and I am always planning ahead to ensure I can get my workouts in whenever possible, no matter what is going on in my life. I guess one solution is to learn how to workout better at home, using body exercises only. This may help relieve some stress, but I can’t see it ever replacing my gym workouts that I love. It’s now Friday morning, my next gym visit will be Sunday, and I’m already looking forward to it!
