All relationships come with ebbs, flows, iterations, and change. Our relationship to our bodies is no different. Over the years, my relationship to my body, fitness, and health has seen many seasons. Today, I’m sharing 5 things I swore I’d do forever and ever that I no longer do in this season of my life.
1. Take Pre-Workout
In my early 20s, I got into a serious pre-workout habit, sometimes double scooping before a workout. One day, while at CrossFit, I thought “what if I’m not actually a beast and it’s just the pre-workout?”
Now, pre-workout doesn’t accidentally make someone a beast, but I had the thought and decided to do an experiment to see how much of my drive and performance was coming from me and how much of it was being boosted by various pre-workout concoctions.
I slowly began using less and less of it.
I quickly realized just how tired I was and how much fatigue I had been masking by hopping myself up on pre-workout and caffeiene before each and every workout.
These days, I don’t drink anything except water (maybe a Nuun tablet) before a workout.
I have a much closer connection to my body this way and am able to feel where my energy level is at each day and I adjust my workouts accordingly.
2. Drink Protein Shakes Daily
In my 20s, my lifestyle was much different than it is today. I almost never ate meals sitting down, was always on the move, and had maybe 10-15 minutes at best to scarf a lunch down.
Because of this, I relied heavily on protein shakes.
These days, because I have the luxury of having access to my entire kitchen all day long, I no longer prioritize protein shakes and powdered protein.
In fact, I no longer prioritize protein at all.
I mean, I eat a protein source at 90% of my meals, but instead of obsessing over how many grams of protein I’m getting at each meal, I just… eat a protein source.
If there’s any macronutrient I am focused on- it’s carbs. Carbs are our primarily fuel source after all!
3. Prioritize High Intensity Exercise
I used to prioritize high intensity above everything else. So much so that I almost never went on walks because they were “too easy” and thus a “waste of time.”
These days, I follow a much more organic approach to my exercise and movement routine. Because of this, I’ve found my body ‘craves’ a high intensity workout about ~once per week, usually less.
I spend a majority of my time engaged with moderate or low intensity exercise and movement, and I’ve baked movement into nearly every day of my life.
Whether it’s going for a walk around the neighborhood, taking Mack to the trail in the woods, gardening, kayaking, going on runs- I spend more time moving about my day even when I’m not exercising.
When I lift, I stay pretty moderate there as well.
My body feels so much better. I have more control over my energy levels and recovery, don’t need to muster up nearly as much energy to get a workout in, my periods are less painful, I sleep better, my mood is more stable. It’s an overall win-win.
4. Workout 6 Days a Week
These days, I aim to get an official workout in 2-4 days per week. That’s it!
Turns out there are so many lovely ways to spend your time when you’re not trying to stick to a “perfect lifting schedule.”
My goal is to become a 90-year old woman who walks, runs, and can still do pushups. If I get to the gym only 2 days a week until then, I’ll have accumulated thousands of workouts! I’m well on my way to being a strong, capable, and independent old woman 💅🏼 #grannygang
5. Rely on a Fitness Watch
My Apple watch stopped working last year, just weeks before a 10K. Instead of rushing to buy a new one, I experimented lifting and running (and living) without one.
At first it was tough. I was so distracted on my runs asking myself questions like:
- Am I going fast enough?
- How far have I gone?
- Can I slow down?
- Did I hit my step goal yet?
After a few weeks, my mind quieted down and I was able to just… run.
When you’re not being inundated with data from a watch, you can actually tune into your body. The coolest part? Your body has information for you!
When I’m tired, I slow down.
When I’m feeling good, I speed up.
I’ve been running and racing “blind” for over a year now. While I know I’ll buy a running watch again in the future, I’m just soaking up how easy and fun it’s been to move, run, and lift without a robotic dictator on my wrist.
You can listen to the podcast episode on this here: