To Sweat or Not to Sweat?

To Sweat or Not to Sweat, that is the question. Inspired by Hamlet's speech about life and death, the concept of fitness and exercise has become akin to living or not living during this pandemic. I recently read an article from The Financial Times called "The extra mile: How Covid-19 transformed exercise" that made me feel both inspired and depressed.

On the positive side, the author noted that the majority of their coworkers reported increase activity throughout the pandemic.  These individuals found a sense of comradery with their friends, families and coworkers through virtual team workouts or fitness challenges between teams.  That being said, these coworkers were those that were working remotely and did not have children. The author went on to acknowledge that those individuals that do have small children at home might actually be exercising less because they no longer have the time or energy to do so.  Unless these individuals can hire a nanny or babysitter, a cost-prohibitive option for many, they won't be able to benefit from being home like others have.  Some individuals have been lucky enough to be able to purchase high-tech gadgets for their homes during this time.  I, for instance, have been part gifted a Peloton from my parents as a birthday gift so that I may have access to a sustainable form of exercise that I can do during recovery from my back surgery.  Many, however, are unable to afford such equipment.  In addition to that, many individuals from the service industry that are now furloughed often got most of their daily activity at those jobs that are now on pause.

For those that have increased their exercise during this pandemic, the perceived benefits that are being gained have shifted. Whereas exercise used to be thought of in mostly physical terms such as weight loss or muscle gain, individuals are now having their eyes opened to the psychological benefits that exist. Some have started to refer to their exercise time as 'mentally refreshing', since it allows for a break from the mundane of remote work and staying home. One of the author's coworkers was quoted saying 'In the old days you’d be worried about taking 10 seconds off of a mile, now you’re just happy to be able to go outside.'  That source also spoke to how goals of race times against the backdrop of the pandemic seem very secondary to just moving at all.  Exercise has become sort of an escape for individuals who feel otherwise stuck in their own space at the moment.  

On the darker side of things, some people have found it very challenging to stay motivated for their physical fitness.  As we have been forced to embrace zoom meetings and working from home, some have found exercise to be the last thing that they want to do during their non-work hours.  Especially as the winter months roll in, the idea of going into whatever small at-home gym space one might have is somewhat depressing.  It might have been different during the rest of the year when it was more comfortable to go outside and move, but with the freezing temperatures settling in, it's possible that the mood has changed.  Personally, I use my Peloton in the basement and there are certainly days where I don't want to go be in that unfinished space that is often chillier than the rest of my house.

It seems that each day I wake up and need to make a decision.  Am I going to push through whatever feelings I have that might stop me from persevering on my recovery and exercise journey?  Or, am I needing to recognize that it might serve my mental health to take a rest day and allow myself to be frustrated with how hard consistency is?  Some days I go back an forth on these and get angry at myself for putting so much effort into even deciding.  Today, as I sit here writing this, I have a plan to get on the bike after a team call I have for my internship, but before I got pick up one of the kids I nanny.  It's built into my schedule.  I find that this helps me personally set myself up for success, building a time into my day that is specifically for exercise.  I also feel a good amount of pain in my lower spine as I sit here.  Today, I don't think it's bad enough to deter me from getting on the bike, but this is another consideration that I have to spend time on.

Sometimes, however, all my scheduled plans go out the window and I have to adapt on the fly.  We all have those days and they can really drain the energy out of you.  You're human.  I'm human.  I wish I was a robot often for situations like this, but alas, we've got to do what we can with the cards we've been dealt.

Today, I will sweat.

-Vicky