Blogging, biking and balance

Posted byGingerfunkPosted inLearning, LoveTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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So here I am. At the gym.  Really don’t want to be, but since I’m on week 3 of the new year, I know I need to.  I started to fall off a bit.  Most likely it was because I am that “all or nothing” gal.  I get all Gung ho and burn myself right out.  Sometimes I forget to balance things out.  That is what I really need to work on.  So many things I want to start doing so I try to do them all.  Here is a summary of my workouts so far.

Week 1 – I exercised 7 days (gym or walked)
Week 2 – I was at the gym 4 days
Week 3 – I was at the gym 2 days out of 4

All weekend I felt exhausted and lazy.  I also feel like I’m coming down with a cold. I’m pretty sure that it’s because I haven’t been drinking enough water.  I’ve been eating healthy and I’m down 5 lbs so far.  I even had my first skinny day.  You know those days when you just feel skinny, even if you don’t look any more skinny than you were the day before?  Yet when you over do it or try to do everything at once it can sometimes backfire.
Story of my life.  Almost 38 and I’ve still yet to learn balance.  Some lady actually caught me journaling in the sauna this weekend  *embarrassing*. She said it was great that I could do that. I told her I think it’s because sometimes I don’t know how to slow down.  I’m always trying to multitask. I literally have to tell myself it’s OK to do nothing.  I find myself trying to fit everything in.  I mean even now I’m on the elliptical typing this. Obviously I’m not moving too fast but I’m moving.   As an Aries, I often forget that sometimes slow and steady wins the race.  I have to remind myself to breathe, to close my eyes, slow down my mind and feel life.  Stop wishing it away.  Stop plowing through.   It’s actually like the exercise.    Did you know that you actually burn fat at a slower level than cardio? While cardio is good for your heart, the rate your body burns fat is actually slower.  Even your body needs to slow down to get ahead sometimes.   Some days your body needs rest.  Time to heal.  Time to take a deep breath and get it together so you can move ahead.
I can hear the spin class going on next door. Last week I completed a spin class for the first time in years.  Spinning is no joke.  I have a love hate relationship with it but I think I did it as more of a challenge to myself.  To prove to myself I could do it.  I did.  It was definitely not fun at first but then you challenge yourself to push through.   It felt good to know I could do it.  This week, however, I’m lucky I even got here.  I really only came for the sauna.  And right now I’m only on the bike so I can finish this blog.
Now that I look back at the fact that I have made it to the gym two out of four days, that pretty darn good.  I’ll take 50%.
Over all it has been a good week, and hey, I made it! Maybe my body starting to feel sick is a reminder to slow down.  I’m in this for the long haul.  Stop rushing and enjoy the moment.

*photo credit – I do not own rights to photo it was found on the Internet

Published by Gingerfunk

Healing in progress... One woman's journey through healing by sharing stories and connecting

22 thoughts on “Blogging, biking and balance”

      1. It’s difficult to slow down but we need to. Some people can’t even relax on a vacation, even then they pack every moment with stuff. It really is OK to do nothing. I grew up in a very Type A family. It took me a while but I learned to be productive, ok I am still an overachiever, but I learned how to rest and relax after my Father died from an early heart attack.

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      2. Yes, I used to go to the beach and be in the water thinking of all the things I should be doing. This past summer was the first time I startebyd telling myself I had all winter to clean etc. I started enjoying the waves and the sun and sand. Now that winter is here I am ready to hibernate. Guess I’m a true New Englander!

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  2. I’m impressed for three reasons: 1) you can journal in the sauna, 2) you can blog while riding a bike, and 3) that you’ve actually taken spin classes. Oh, and I was just reading something about balance being bullsh*t:) Thanks for this fun post!

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  4. I 100% relate to this post. Even down to the gym days, LOL. I haven’t been yet this week. On vacation through Monday, then with a sick baby yesterday, today was all because of me, LOL. Anyway, I push myself constantly, relaxing is very hard for me. Part of the reason that I love the gym so much is because it is time for just me, so then I try to fit SO MUCH in. I listen to music that I like and read, all while on the arc trainer. Why, why do we feel the need to push ourselves so much? Good Luck learning to tone it down and if you find the secret, please let me know!!

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  5. In Hong Kong, “slowing down” is a foreign concept to most people. I myself used to be like that… like the time when I rushed my studies just to be able to enter the university much earlier. While I don’t regret that very much, I still sometimes think that I could have enjoyed my childhood more if I had slowed down a bit. Fortunately, I’ve learned the valuable lesson of slowing down now.

    Anyway, I just recently read on a medical journal that you burn a lot more calories for doing excercise slowly than doing quick intense excercises that “burn fats faster” since you can maintain the intensity of your exercise longer and therefore in the long run, you would burn more calories.

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      1. If you are doing it wrong, then perhaps. A 100 lb person generally burns 400 cal more or less during an 8 hour sleep and about 550 calories by running 6 miles in an hour.

        If you can’t maintain the intensity of your workout long enough due to exhaustion, you would burn less cal even if you exercised “for an hour” or so.

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  6. Multitasking is definitely something I have to learn to balance as well. I do so many things at once. It’s not like I can’t handle them, but if I were to prioritize them better I would probably accomplish more. I’m going to keep multitasking tho. as you said. I have to find that balance.

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    1. Yes, I think we all tend to multi task in this day and age. Sometimes we need to learn how to focus on one thing or take time to slow down. I think that’s what makes me thankful for snow this weekend. An excuse to slow down lol

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  7. I feel you with the all or nothingness. I’m very similar. I am just now learning how to take my time with things and do things in steps. I am able to relax though. Sometimes too good at it. lol

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  8. I also need to remember myself of slowing down. I want to do everything, to learn everything. I’m an Aries, as you. We have fire in our bodies and in our souls, it is not our nature to slow down. But if we want to, we can turn it our nature. 🙂

    Loved to read this.

    Have the best day ever,

    Nícia ❤

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