If you’re giving yourself too much grace, we’re here to let you know, the grace period is over.

I’m sure like many of you, my fitness journey has been bumpy. I grew up in an active and healthy family. My dad is a former college athlete who hunts, fishes, gardens, and cooks. My mom is a former aerobics instructor who obsesses over nutrition. Although I had strong role models and good habits growing up, I, unfortunately, didn’t inherit my mom’s petite figure or my dad’s chicken legs, which means a rigorous fitness routine is necessary for me to stay healthy.  

A few times in my life I’ve had to give up exercising due to the need for recovery from injury, illness or surgery. A more recent example is that I gave up exercising regularly to start a small business with my husband. We started an adventure that was all-consuming. I told myself I’d focus on that and when it settled down I’d get back to my routine. Three years and 15 pounds later, the grace period has to come to an end.  

At Grace in the Race, we appreciate the breaks we give ourselves. But at some point, we have to realize the reprieve is meant to be temporary. In order for us to reach our goals, we need to actively work on them. So, a few months ago, as I talked to Rachel about her fitness goals and successes, I became motivated to do better and focus on my own again. I have recently reevaluated them and I’m ready to share them with you!

When I first started planning my new fitness routine, I had a few things to consider:

• Where am I going to work out?
• What kind of workouts am I going to do?
• When am I going to work out?
• What’s the workout plan?

Here’s a look at where I was four months ago compared with where I am now related to the above considerations:

Where am I going to work out?

September:  I’ve belonged to so many gyms, I’ve lost count. I’ve worked out with trainers and I’ve done allllll the group fitness classes. In the past, I’ve really enjoyed working out with friends I’ve met at the gym. It was not only a place to exercise but to socialize as well.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of time right now, PLUS, we have a beautiful workout room in our home with a treadmill and lots of other equipment. I was worried about working out at home because of all the distractions. With my busy schedule interfering with me getting to the gym, however, I decided to give it a try.  

January: I cancelled my gym membership and have no regrets! I LOVE my gym at home. Sometimes I do get distracted, but I’m getting better each week with designating a specific time to work out and I save so much time not having to travel back and forth to the gym.  

What kind of workouts am I going to do?

September: Deciding to work out at home was a bit of a problem because we only had a treadmill for cardio. I’m not a fan. With the money I’d be saving without a gym membership, I hesitantly rationalized purchasing a spin bike (one of my favorite forms of cardio) and a boxing bag (my other favorite form of cardio). I had my husband hang the bag in the basement and I put the bike together myself!  

January: I love my spin bike. It’s not fancy—no computer monitor or video subscription, but it’s a solid machine. The boxing bag is in the basement and I have to say that I don’t love going down there to work out. I bought the bag for pretty cheap from a gym that was moving, so I don’t regret it, but I do wish it was more convenient.  I’m holding out hope that I’ll get down there more often to mix things up.  

When am I going to work out?

September:  I flat out said I would not get up early to work out like Rachel (she gets up at 5am Monday thru Friday to work out and swears it gets easier with time but I wasn’t buying it).  I’ve tried that in the past and I fizzle out after a while.  I like my sleep too much.  I need my sleep too much.  So, instead, I would look at my calendar each week and schedule my exercise each day at a different time based on what else I had going on. Some days I could work out at my preferred 8:30 am, and some days I would schedule it in at 4:00 pm or later.  

January: I have not been consistent with the flexible workout schedule…it’s too hard to squeeze workouts into my already busy day.  4:00 or later became impossible…something always came up. It was time to suck it up and set that alarm for 5:00 a.m. It hasn’t been terrible, I’ll leave it at that. I hope I can keep up the new schedule, especially now that I’m going to bed earlier.

What’s the workout plan?

September: Oh, this was so easy for me… I am a planner. I immediately planned the ultimate week of intense, detailed, well-rounded workouts. I made sure the plan included 5 days of cardio, 3 days of strength, some mobility, yoga . . .and then with the plan all complete -crickets – not much happened, except the days I planned to bike. I had an arsenal of excuses for why I couldn’t work out and yet, I would get angry at myself because I hadn’t successfully completed ‘the plan’. 

January: I thought about it.  I had the equipment I liked, I was excited to get going, and I accepted the early morning wake-up. It turns out though, I didn’t like doing all the exercises in the plan. I don’t really love weightlifting. I didn’t always love going down to the cold dark basement to box. I felt tied down being committed to doing Yoga on Sundays. Now, I know it’s best to do all these things, but I had to establish a routine to just workout first.

So, I ditched the old plan and I gave myself some grace.

I decided that it didn’t matter what workout I did, as long as I got up and moved my body for at least 30 minutes. If that meant spinning every day, then I got on that bike every day. One day soon I’ll reevaluate the plan and add in the missing elements of a more well-rounded workout routine. But for now, I’m just happy I to be doing something!

If you’re looking to implement a new workout routine, remember, Grace in the Race utilizes a strategy called PACE. Here’s is PACE defined and how it applies to exercise:

• P = Perseverance: (n) persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success
• A = Attitude: (n) a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.
• C = Consistency: (n) consistency in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy or fairness
• E = Effort (n) a vigorous or determined attempt

Perseverance and Exercise:  Make the choice to be a person who works out.  Call yourself an athlete! Persevere by using the plan below to decide what workout you will do and when you will do it.

Attitude and Exercise: Remind yourself you don’t HAVE to work out, you GET to work out. If you have a body that can move, be grateful for that!

Consistency and Exercise:  As Marie Forleo says, “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently”. Enough said.

Effort and Exercise:  The effort you put into your exercise routine is directly related to your results. There’s NO EXCUSE here. Put in the effort. 

When you decide on your PACE, you must have grace.  Remember, GracePace is grace in action at YOUR pace! Exercise can be addicting, and once you feel all the endorphins, you must be smart about recovery from intense workouts and recovery from injuries. You may think you can work out 7 days a week, but the experts recommend taking at least one day off a week to allow your body to recover and rebuild. Build up to the right plan for you and balance intensity with recovery.

I’m excited to continue my new workout routine and happy I’ve realized that what didn’t work before, might be right for me now that I have a new mindset. I am confident that if I continue doing the workouts I enjoy, I will establish the habit of exercise and then add more diverse workouts to my plan. I’m giving myself the grace of not doing everything perfectly, I’m just doing something regularly.

So, what kind of workout do you love? Are you doing it consistently?  What have you found that works in maintaining a routine?  What doesn’t work?  Do you get up early to ensure it gets done???

GracePace: grace in action at your pace

If you don’t have a routine you love, and you want to make a plan, ponder these questions:

• Where am I going to work out?
• What kind of workouts am I going to do (that I love . . . or that I’m willing to learn to appreciate for the way they make me feel)?
• When am I going to work out?
• What’s the workout plan?