How to get your groove back

For this blog post, I looked up the word “groove” - it has many definitions and the two I cherry-picked are “being in top form” and a “memorable or exciting experience”.

Apply this to life in general - isn’t that what we all wish? A life where we are in top form with a series of memorable and exciting experiences?

However, the reality is that life is more like a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, sometimes it can feel that we have lost our groove. I do not mean existential crisis levels, since that would require something stronger than this blog post, just perhaps a feeling that things have flat-lined, you know like on an ECG monitor.

In this blog post, I am going to draw on personal experience and talk about three ways to get your groove back.

#1 Exercise

I know you have probably heard a zillion times about the benefits of exercise. However, the reason you have heard this a zillion times is because it is true. Exercise, any exercise, is incredibly good for you physiologically and psychologically.

I have a little story to support this - at work last summer my boss started a running club. A number of people joined with a lot of them doing any sort of regular exercise for the first time. Even a 20 minute run or walk made them so much more relaxed and happy. Towards the end of summer, some people who had never exercised before actually became regular runners because of how good it made them feel. How incredible is that?

I can quote you multiple statistics on the benefits of exercise but as they say - the proof is in the pudding. You have to experience the benefits first-hand. In fact I think if everyone worked out regularly, the world would be a happier place and a lot of the drug companies would go out of business.

 

#2: Seek a new experience outside your comfort zone

A couple of years ago, I was turning 30. I know it sounds overtly dramatic but it was the one thing that really hit me. I guess it is an age milestone and an opportunity for everyone to evaluate their life and perhaps be critical about it.

My husband surprised me on my 30^th birthday with a fabulous birthday experience - skydiving from 10000 feet! It definitely took me out of my comfort zone and I felt absolutely fantastic after. I certainly don not think drastic measures need to be taken to experience something out of your comfort zone. It could be simple things like trying new food, taking a new route to work and so forth. The bottom line is that you have to kick your daily routine out the window on a regular basis.

 

#3: Focus on personal growth

There is an old saying – People don’t grow old, when they stop growing they become old.

I think one of the best feelings in the world is to see yourself improve and grow every year. On the flip side, there is nothing worse than feeling stagnant. How do you fix this? Again nothing dramatic required. For example - Last year, my husband and I realised we had been in NYC for over 4 years and had not really experienced all the cultural aspects that the city has to offer. We decided to call 2012 the “year of culture” and focussed on seeing more museums and attending more cultural events. It was as simple as that.

I think seeking personal growth is a life high - the simple fact that you are doing something to improve yourself little by little every day. And why not? The opportunities are endless and there is so much you can do!

The best way to get your groove back is by knocking your life out of its little groove. You have only one life so don't let the small stages where it flat lines bother you because you can so easily get your groove back!

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An Introduction to Strength training

[Disclaimer:  Consult your doctor before starting any new exercise.]

Strength training is defined as the use of resistance to induce muscular contraction to build endurance and strength.

A good strength training plan requires three steps:

1.       Fitness objectives

2.       Choosing the exercises

3.       Monitoring your progress

Fitness objective

Fitness objective will be typically based on increasing endurance or increasing strength, which is dictated by the sports or activities you are involved in. 

For example, if you are a long-distance runner, your fitness objective will be to increase endurance. Conversely, if you are a body-builder your fitness objective will be to increase strength.

Endurance is defined by your ability to perform muscular action for a prolonged period of time.

Strength is defined by your ability to perform muscular action against force.

Once you have decided on your fitness objective, the next step is choosing the right exercises.

Choosing the exercises

The exercises you choose should aim at a full body workout with a focus on specific areas. For example, I run and therefore try to focus on exercises for my lower body that build endurance.

You could also want to focus on a part of your body purely for aesthetics. For example, a lot of men focus on their upper body because they want a physique that looks visibly muscular. 

So what does a strength training exercise look like? Let’s use the example of a bicep curl using a dumbbell as resistance. The weight of the dumbbell would depend on your fitness level, start with a weight that lets you ensure good form i.e. performing the exercise correctly.

 

If you are aiming for endurance, do 20 - 25 repetitions twice or in 2 sets.

If you are aiming for strength, do 8 -12 repetitions thrice or in 3 sets.

An exercise focused on endurance will involve more repetitions done in fewer sets and lighter weights versus an exercise focused on strength will involve fewer repetitions done in more sets and heavier weights.

Monitoring your progress

Once you have a plan in place, ensure you monitor your progress as follows:

Always keep good form otherwise all that time exercising is useless – consult a personal trainer if you are not sure.

Challenge the muscle by periodically increasing the weight as you become stronger.

Listen to your body – you know best how your body feels when you feel good. If you are exercising and feel something is wrong - stop, see your doctor or take a break.

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