Heyyyy!
Those who have been following me for a long time know that I started out as a fitness blogger (damn I don’t like that word – well, let’s say I wrote about fitness). But a lot of things have changed in my life, and sport is as important to me as I would want to. I’ve always said that anyone who wants to do sports always finds time for sports, and everything else is just excuses.
But now I’m figuring out for myself that sometimes I really can’t. When you come home from work in the evening completely exhausted, there’s just no time, no mood, no energy left for the gym. When suddenly you have a boyfriend you want to spend all your free time with, when suddenly you have a dog and it tears your heart out to leave it alone for two hours.
So it all got so bad that after participating in Eco-Challenge, I stopped exercising. I got into a full-time job with fixed working hours, and suddenly my life changed. I also suddenly completely understood all those who have always envied my freedom. The possibility that I can run to the gym at noon, work out, jump into the sauna for 20 minutes, and then get back to work. Even if it means closing the laptop until around 10 p.m. The fact that I worked a lot more than most people is a small disadvantage compared to that huge advantage called freedom.
Freedom is incredibly important if you want to follow your dreams. I’d hate to sound like some spoiled millennial (though I may be one), but that freedom and flexibility gave me the opportunity to experience a different way of life. So I know there’s another way even though a lot of people say there isn’t.
I came to know both lifestyles – the freelancer and the full-time worker. I don’t have to think about which one suited me better. That freedom is something that makes me happy. When I have the freedom, I’m actually more productive & efficient.
But that’s not what I wanted to write about. Back to sports and fitness.
I’ve been an employee for a year, and I haven’t been to a gym in a year, and I miss it too much. This corona time doesn’t make it very easy, because even if I wanted to, I can’t go to the gym. And like I really want to. I’m at a stage where I feel like I need a change. Both professional and lifestyle. I need to move regularly again because I am extremely uncomfortable sitting in an office for 10 hours. Most of the time I just accept it, but there are days when I just can’t and go out for a run. Without a goal, without any vision that I could start moving again and lose those extra pounds. Because it’s all too clear to me that this is a one-off and I’m not going to keep running regularly. I’m always certain that there will be something more important to do rather than going for a run. I’m going to be sitting on my ass behind a computer for another week. So it’s kind of like running without a goal. Running just like that.
But when you think about it, running without a goal really shows how much I miss physical activity. I used to go to the gym with a purpose. I used to run with a purpose. I climb mountains with a purpose. There’s always a goal I want to achieve. Lose weight, get stronger, build more muscle, increase lung capacity, climb to the top, feel good. But these running sessions of mine don’t have any purpose. The only reason is lack of exercise. And that’s pretty sad.
But instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to change my life again. This isn’t me and I don’t feel like myself at all. And I’m sure there’s plenty of people like me out there. Maybe they stopped exercising for different reasons than I did – whether it’s a closed gym, an accident or losing their job. The result is the same. Zero movement.
Now that I’ve finally figured out what it is that makes me not feel like myself, I can do something about it. I’m just an active person who needs physical activity to feel good. Ironically, the phrase “you don’t appreciate what you have until you lose it” is being reaffirmed.
I’ve lost the freedom in my life, and I’m just starting to appreciate it. I’ve lost my chance to work-out, and I’m just starting to appreciate it.
And the conclusion? Cherish what you have 🙂 Every day.
E.
