In the spring of 2020 I began a daily physical fitness routine in an effort to lower stress and manage other pervading issues that were impacting my quality of life. I never would have believed you if you told me that three years later I would be obsessed with working out. I am excited to share my story with you, as well as tips, tricks and techniques that I have developed throughout the course of my journey. I hope you will not only read my words, but also join me in action along the way!
As an adult my relationship to exercise had been tepid at best prior to recent times. In my youth I had dreams of being a jock. I participated in baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis and wrestling, having varied success and enjoyment of each athletic endeavor (I was a very good wrestler up until I broke my foot and never hit the mat again!). In high school and college, I developed an eating disorder, which I now understand was a result of my mental health related issues. I was really underweight. Bone thin. It made me very self-conscious and further contributed to my anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
With my mental health declining, I did two things that made a tangible difference. I attended weekly psychotherapy sessions and hit the gym. My mind and body were beginning to heal, and I felt a lot more tethered to myself and the world around me.
I should have continued my therapy and gym routine, but you know how life goes…However, when the pandemic hit, my OCD and anxiety regressed. You see, one of my major OCD thoughts and fears is contamination, so balancing the irrational thoughts and rituals that are associated with OCD and mitigating the real risks of exposure to a widespread pathogen was, and still is a hellish affair.
With my newfound reclusiveness and health related fears, I dusted off the exercise bike I never used in the five years it has been in my basement, and started to do thirty minute interval training sessions. After a month, I found myself approaching the highest settings for each of the bike’s training programs and going for as much as an hour at a time at a moderate to high intensity. I was also making very good playlists for each day that I was working out, which obviously made it more enjoyable, although I can honestly say I was in love at first pedal.
In early 2022, I went to visit my in-laws in West Virginia. Not being able to bring along my stationary bike which had become an essential daily routine for me, I needed to find something else to do in order to continue my workouts. So I chose running.
The thing is, I have always hated running. I tried everything I could do in my power to get out of doing the mile run in high school, and when that didn’t work, I just walked the damn thing. I used to callously make fun of the runners I’d see religiously running down the block with their short athletic shorts and loud neon shoes. So for me to decide to start running on a whim at age thirty-eight was a total shock to myself. Fifteen year old Adam would have been completely floored to see me lacing up my neon blue running shoes!
My wife’s parents live along the Ohio River, on the border of West Virginia and Ohio. It proved to be the perfect scenic route for becoming a runner. I told myself that “it is fine if you don’t like this, it is only temporary until you get back to your bike”. I resolved to do a short stint around their suburban neighborhood or perhaps a few laps around the local high school track. I ended up making my way across the bridge into Ohio, running along a beautifully curated trail along the river, and literally getting lost. Despite not knowing where I was, I never stopped running. I ended up logging six and a half miles on my first run. I had a new exercise obsession!
Back at home, I found a great route that got me into trail running. I was running between seven and eight miles a day on average, with my active rest days involving a short session on the stationary bike. All was going well. I felt great, but I noticed I was not building enough muscle mass to fill out my new athletic physique. That is when I began to research and discover the world of exercise science. I learned how to create a balanced routine that targets all areas of my body while focusing on cardio, strength training and mobility. And that is where I am today. I am especially into the world of calisthenics, and I have a goal to accomplish a muscle up by spring/summer 2024! You will likely see me discussing and documenting my progress with that in future newsletter posts.
While pandemic related OCD thoughts have upended my life, the silver lining is that it has led me to work harder on my mind and body than I have ever done before. I still have a ways to go, especially with my mental health, but I love myself and know it is a worthwhile task. Be good to yourself. Be good to others. Don't be hard on yourself and practice self love each and every day. The hope is that each of us will obtain an equilibrium of good health, happiness and success in whatever endeavors and experiences are meaningful to you.