Why I Restarted My Fitness Journey

They always say that balance is key to a healthy lifestyle, and in 2022 one of my resolutions was to really maintain a healthier balance between work, life, health and socialising. Yes, I am aware that nearly everyone on the planet says this every year, but after catching myself slipping into bad habits at the latter end of last year I truly did want to make a change to my lifestyle.

Although I grew up actively enjoying swimming and tennis as a child, as I matured my love for sport lessened and lessened until the thought of doing any exercise just quite frankly made me feel sick. I was one of those with a gym membership they never used in first year and, despite seeing progress from the Cloe Ting two-week shred in lockdown 1, I struggled to maintain any fitness gains I made.

Cue 2021, a year which was a real rollercoaster for me. With the world under lock and key, I threw myself into work and extracurriculars as there was just nothing else to do. As the summer rolled around and I could socialise freely without the pressures of graduation or University work looming in the background, I did go to the gym over the summer, but this didn’t last for long.

The latter end of 2021 was really not the best time for me and looking back on it now, I do feel as if I lost myself. My diet and sleep schedule were appalling, and I drained my social battery as a distraction from personal issues I was facing as exercise was the last thing I wanted to do. My productivity levels were shocking as I simply just deteriorated. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in me getting quite ill from time to time as my body just wasn’t able to function with the lifestyle I was living.

Over the Christmas break I realised that, with balance, I can do everything I want if I adopt a new mindset. Extracurriculars, planning for the future, University work, socialising and fitness/ health are the five key areas I wanted to make a priority in my life. It’s now the end of January and I’ve got the gym gear back out and have made myself a routine involving regular exercise. If anything, starting the day with a workout makes me more productive – I type this as I have just come back from a Pilates class and spontaneously written this article! In a broader sense, waking up early and making the most of the day to allow my brain to switch off in the evenings so that I can socialise with friends and family has been helpful. Of course with it being my final year of University I can’t afford to do this every evening, but not driving myself insane with work has helped. Even just feeling happier and more confident in how I look and feel in myself overall has done wonders for my mental health.

For anyone reading this who may be in a slump or unmotivated to regain the balance in their life, taking small steps is all you need to do to achieve your bigger goal. My steps are still quite small as I prefer classes rather than facing the intimidating gym on my own – but I realise that this is okay as everyone achieves their goals at their own pace. And who knows where this journey will take me – maybe I’ll be going 5 times a week by the end of the year or maybe I’ll be starting again from square one. But that is okay – as long as you in yourself are determined to build a healthy lifestyle at your own pace, don’t listen to what others may think.