discoveries

 {via}

Yesterday, for the first time in the 3+ weeks I've been going to the gym, I discovered the art of listening to my body. I had been concerned, because the week prior I really had not been very sore after my workouts, and I use DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) - annoying as it is - to gauge how hard I've pushed myself and feel how much damage I've inflicted on my muscles and, therefore, which muscles will grow in healing. Thus I was feeling like I had done very little work even while the exercises themselves had me at a point of exhausted weakness, "I can't even lift 5 lbs, I'll have to lift 3..." mindset. What I discovered last night - when I forced myself to go no lower than 7.5 lbs in my reps - was that I require breaks to refresh my muscles in certain exercises. (I guess maybe everyone does? Maybe I should have been cycling this whole time?) After completing 2 sets of an exercise, and feeling completely incapable of doing anymore, I moved on to my next selected exercise, intending to return to finish the previous set. Upon returning, my body had so much more energy! I was completely capable of finishing that set in good form. It really was an incredible thing to realize, just the amount of energy push that resting the previous part and focusing on another body part could do for me. And it reminded me, this is why I'm getting myself back into a healthy routine; to learn my body again, to learn to listen and to hear what my physical self needs. With the strength and tone I'm striving for, needs to come understanding and knowledge of my physical body. I'd lost touch with myself for so long, and this time of personal focus from the inside out has happened organically, and I think at exactly the time when such inner reflection and hard work was needed. So this was an unintended, and exciting discovery. And with that, we've made it to the middle of the week!