Great bikram class tonight! I only had to sit down once (during the Balancing Stick asana), and I was even smiling during the floor postures! The teacher who I once thought was "terrible" turned out to be "challenging" today. Now I'm showered, extra bendy, and happily fed by the salad Boyfriend made for me. Delicious.
Today, while doing a crossword puzzle before my yoga class, I ran across this clue:
We all take baby ones at first. (Five letters)
Answer: Steps
So very true, and it remains true in a metaphorical sense for every new thing we try. Every time we try to develop a skill, or a new dietary lifestyle, or a new sport, we take teeny, tiny baby steps forward. I have found this to be especially true as I continue to learn and grow in my bikram yoga classes. Each class, I get a little stronger, a little more competent, a little more flexible, and a little more able to endure the heat and sweat and thirst. We're not talking leaps and bounds, here. I'm still unable to completely lock my knee in many of the postures. I'm still not always able to perform every posture in a 90 minute class without needing an "ohmigoshiamgoingtopassout" break on my mat. But almost every time I find myself in the hot room, I experience that wonderful motivator - progress.
When it comes to fitness, everyone - from elite athletes to the Joe Shloe couch potato starting an exercise program for the very first time - increases his or her fitness level over time, not all at once. It could mean swimming a couple of extra laps in the pool, or increasing your walking or running distance. It could be simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or choosing the salad over the fries at the restaurant. There are multiple "right" directions to take. It all depends on the areas of our life and health that we choose to focus on and improve upon.
So how do we measure our baby steps? While I believe that there's no one right answer to this question, I do think that there are specific ways of tracking our progress that are more or less helpful than others. It's important that we as individuals prioritize those things that we want most from our fitness journey. Let me be clear - this is a judgment-free zone. I don't care if your first priority of a fit lifestyle is to run a marathon, to join the military, or to look good in a leopard-print bikini. Be honest with yourself. As long as you're headed towards *HEALTH*, your motivations can be complex and varied or very specific.
Measuring those steps towards our personal goals makes the journey more rewarding. One thing should be clear - GUILT should never, ever, ever enter into our measurements of progress. Personal fitness is rarely a moral issue. You are not a "good" person because you choose fitness and exercise, any more than a person is "bad" because they don't. (My philosophy about what makes a person good or bad is not for this blog. Suffice it to say, be nice to each other and care about the world. Boom.) Instead, think of your personal progress in fitness as a means to an end.
My personal markers of progress made in my fitness journey include:
- Running longer distances
- Running the same distances in a shorter time
- Feeling better during my runs (less winded, less stiff)
- Stretching further in my yoga classes
- Feeling slightly better in the bikram studio each time
- Staying slim and healthy
- Running a new race
- Trying a new healthy recipe or food
- Learning a new sport/skill (such as disc golf or weight training)
....and on and on. Giving myself permission to have multiple goals and challenges makes it nearly impossible NOT to progress in some area each time I work out. Which makes me feel good about me. :) Baby steps are still steps in the right direction, no matter how many times we wobble or fall. Your baby steps are always something to celebrate - so go out and make some progress!
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