Exclusive Offer 50% Off One Month Of Unlimited Classes
The Lifestyle
Embracing Your Body in Times of Stress and Uncertainty
March 1, 2021
Have you struggled with maintaining a workout routine? Or maybe you’re struggling to maintain any sort of routine these days. Are you experiencing additional anxiety because of how your body has responded to the stress and continual shifts in routine? Reinecke, a Bar Method member and the blogger behind Beautifully Broken Journey shares advice on how you can choose your thoughts and appreciate your body for all it’s doing to carry you through “unprecedented times.”
It’s no secret that the last year has been challenging with the Covid-19 pandemic. Our lives as we knew them were essentially turned upside down and we have had to learn to embrace change in almost every area of our lives.
The routines, schedules and plans that used to be our “normal” are no longer. I realized early on during quarantine that I had a choice to make. I could complain about the unfortunate events we were living in, or I could shift my perspective and do my best to remain positive and find the silver lining. This has not been easy every day, but every day I try to find something positive.
I know it’s been hard to find a silver lining.
I know this pandemic has been a painful experience, and it has forever changed us.
But I firmly believe that we become stronger in our darkest days. When we allow ourselves the opportunity for growth, when we are faced with a challenge that we can rise from, that is where we build strength.
We are taught this in our Bar Method classes as our legs are shaking during a challenging set of diamond thigh, or when we just want to get out of arabesque because we don’t believe we can hold on for a moment longer…but then we do. Because we make the choice to do so.
Our minds are powerful. Our minds have the power to make or break us and when we commit to something in our mind, I believe we can make it happen.
I also believe if the negative voices in our minds become louder and louder, they can talk us out of anything.
Maybe during this last year, you haven’t found time to work out as often as you once did.
Maybe your body composition has changed because you aren’t as active as you were before.
Maybe the stress of daily life has prevented you from the normal healthy routines that make you feel your best.
I want to encourage you to give yourself grace. You were not created to be a perfect human being who is always “on point.” We are living through an extremely challenging year where stress is at an all-time high and many of us are still figuring out how to handle it all. We are navigating our “new normal” and finding new routines that allow us to make our health a priority while also managing the mountain of responsibilities that have been placed on our shoulders during this pandemic.
If your workouts are less than usual, or non-existent, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, ask yourself a few questions:
- Is there anything I can do to adjust my current situation to create time for my Bar Method workout?
- How many times a week is realistic and attainable for me to begin moving my body again? (This may look different than before the pandemic)
Our bodies are meant to change. Our lives are as well. We must be adaptable human beings, or we will always feel like we are failing when life doesn’t continually look the exact same. Allow yourself forgiveness for the way you needed to take care of yourself in this last year. You did the very best you could to navigate difficult waters.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be a certain fitness level or size to take Bar Method classes, and since it is low impact, it is perfect for anyone easing back into their workout routine.
Our lives may never look the way they did before, but remember your attitude is a choice. We can choose to embrace the period of time we are living in and make the most of it or use it as an excuse to not take care of ourselves.
I know the choice I’m making. What about you?
About the Author
