Do you ever experience a day where you’re just powering through everything?
Every little thing is going your way and you feel unstoppable, smart, and victorious.
You’re killing it at work, you’re knocking out chores at home, and you’re having a ball with everything you’re doing.
It’s one of those days where you take multiple wins and say to yourself “this is the life”.
That’s the feeling I have on my workout days.
Not to say I don’t experience that on my off-workout days in the week, but when I workout I notice this feeling especially more.
The wins are sweeter, the morning is brighter, and you cherish everything you’re blessed with in life.
Now, it’s probably the endorphins talking and influencing my experience. But so what?
I deserve to feel good.
Especially in a world where this is already so much hardship, challenges, and many elements out of your control that can bring your world down.
It’s important to make yourself happy and fitness is one of the keys to being happy.
The Morning Ritual
My partner and I go to the gym three times a week: Wednesday through Friday.
We wake up at 5:00am.
I know that sounds nuts, but hear me out.
We give ourselves an hour to slowly wake up. I turn on my nightside lamp, go to the bathroom, and on the way back to my room I turn on our electric kettle.
I have a tea station where I have a variety of teas placed in a lazy susan inside a beautiful blue glass cabinet. And I have my favorite tea mugs next to the kettle ready to be turned over and pour tea into.
I take out a green tea bag, place it in the mug, and wrap the string around the handle.
And as soon as I see little bubbles surface up to the top of the water I turn off the kettle and pour the water slowly into the mug and start to see the water turn green.
I walk back to the room and place our teas on our nightsides.
I sit up in bed, put my pillow behind my lower back, put the blanket over my legs, and take a few breaths.
I look around my room. I scan at all my belongings, I admire my surroundings, and appreciate this moment to myself before the day begins.
It’s such a simple act, but it’s pure bliss.
I meditate a little bit and let myself gradually wake up.
I sip my green tea slowly and just enjoy the warmth that enters my stomach and I can feel the caffeine perk me up and let it breathe energy into me.
By the time I look at the clock it’s almost 6am and I’m ready to go to the gym!
This morning routine is so simple, yet it boosts my mood significantly.
Carving out this time for myself is a powerful act of self-care, essential for maintaining balance and ensuring a positive mindset throughout the rest of my day.
Your paradigm shapes your perspective and how you view the world directly influences the choices you make throughout the day. So, why not set yourself up for success with a positive mindset and make every choice count?
After all, your perception of the world is your reality. You can choose how to react to the stimuli around you and how you’re going to feel the rest of the time. Might as well make it a positive one!
Having a morning routine before you go to the gym gives you the time and space to wake up slowly, greet the day, and become more alert.
And your transition to the gym will be a lot more enjoyable if you take an hour to yourself.
The Benefits of a Structured Weekly Schedule
Our gym schedule is as follows:
- Week 1
- Wednesday – Push Day
- Chest
- Triceps
- Shoulders
- Thursday – Cardio Day
- Pick one:
- Standing bike
- Treadmill
- Stair master
- Pick one:
- Friday – Leg Day
- Barbell squat
- Calf machine
- Hamstring curl machine
- Leg extension machine
- Abductor machine
- Wednesday – Push Day
- Week 2
- Wednesday – Cardio Day
- Pick one:
- Standing bike
- Treadmill
- Stair master
- Pick one:
- Thursday – Back and Biceps
- Pull up machine or bent over row with barbell
- Lower back machine
- Seated cable row
- Bicep curl machine
- Friday – Cardio Day & Abs
- Pick one:
- Standing bike
- Treadmill
- Stair master
- Ab twist machine
- Crunch machine
- Ball leg raise
- Pick one:
- Wednesday – Cardio Day
What’s great with this schedule is we alternate each week. We hit all our muscle groups and get our cardio in.
We do 3 sets of 10 reps on each machine and gradually increase the weight on each set by what we’re comfortable with.
There’s a learning curve with using all these machines, mastering the form, and getting comfortable with the movements. But give yourself the grace that you won’t be perfect on executing everything.
It’s ok that it will take time to learn how to get used to these machines.
This is not a race, fitness is a lifestyle that you will carry out the rest of your life.
With time you will barely think about what you’re doing in the gym when you consistently go.
Eventually there’s no thinking: your muscle memory will do the work for you. When you do this enough times it becomes second nature and it’s a seamless flow.
As soon as we hit the gym my partner and I are very efficient with our time.
One of the tactics that help is not bringing earphones.
By not bringing earphones: we’re paying attention to each other.
We are in sync with each of our turns to go on the same machine. By the time I’m off the machine from my first set, my partner will take her turn and I get a break.
When she’s done with her set, I have my energy replenished and I go harder on the second set.
And so on, until we’re done with the 3rd set and we move on to the next machine.
We’re usually done in about 45 mins on our lifting days and about 30 mins on our cardio days.
And what’s great with this system is we get the gym out of the way first thing in the morning!
I don’t need to worry about going to the gym at night.
Now that’s a game-changer.
I come home, relax, and spend time doing other activities that I enjoy.
How Exercise Improves Sleep & Other Qualities
I’m not going to pretend I have a PhD in sleep science, but I will share with you my experiences from this workout schedule.
There was a recent period in my life where my sleep was going out of whack.
I would wake up each morning feeling as though I didn’t get enough sleep.
I developed anxiety about how many hours of sleep I was getting and how that would determine the outcome of my day and my mood.
I couldn’t figure out the cause. I still don’t know the cause to this day.
All I know is that it was a terrible experience because not having enough sleep and having to deal with what life throws you on a daily basis was overwhelming.
Sleep is sacred to me because it helps me function and helps me handle the demands of the day.
But once my partner helped me implement this workout schedule, I noticed my sleep improving.
I felt naturally tired around 9:00pm and would go to bed earlier than I ever have before. Before, I was staying up around 10pm – 11pm and sometimes I would be up until midnight.
But the consistency of waking up at 5:00am helped my body adjust to the new schedule and I felt more rested.
And because I was so tired at night I was less likely to go on my devices and endlessly scroll on my apps to entertain myself with mindless noise on the internet.
I was reaping so many benefits I didn’t know were possible.
My mental health was better because I was reducing my exposure to technology and my sleep cycle was more stable.
Every time I scroll on my apps and don’t do anything intentional, I feel like my brain becomes numb is getting swirled around in a smoothie.
Feeling naturally tired encouraged me to spend time on hobbies that are way more meaningful like reading.
And I lowkey read to get even more sleepy!
Another observation is throughout the day, surprisingly my energy level is stable and possibly higher than normal if I hadn’t worked out.
I think what also helps is I avoid coffee.
I always drink a hot cup of green tea after my lunch because food comas can happen. And it’s just the right amount of caffeine I need to keep me going if I experience a little tiredness.
Overall, I was experiencing less crashes and feeling pumped to be alive and doing what I do best.
Regular Gym Sessions Enhance Workplace Performance
My attitude going into the office is much more positive.
As a Data Engineer, my job is like playing sudoku all day. Constant problem-solving.
And I love it. I feel like I’m getting paid for a hobby I already enjoy doing.
Going to the gym enhances this experience because of the superpower I develop after my workout
I’m able to problem solve better. I take my time through issues, do my investigations more thoroughly, and find creative or resourceful ways to solve my problems.
My mind and body feel sharper.
There’s this calmness, stillness, and tranquility I feel after finishing the gym and sitting in my office chair.
I have clarity, my mind is open and willing to bend and form to help me with my tasks. And my focus is pure.
If that’s not an aspect of happiness, I don’t know what is. All I know is I’m in my element.
I feel present.
I can see I’m more productive and because my mind and emotions are positive, I can tell I’m able to learn new Data Engineering concepts/tooling and retain long-term information.
I share my energy with everyone around me.
I treat everyone with kindness, empathy, and help my clients with the fullness of my heart to make them happy.
I can imagine this being harder to do organically if I were in a bad mood or had an unstable mind.
Conclusion
A morning ritual of self-care is so important to keep the good vibes coming.
Spend an hour devoted to yourself before going to the gym and I guarantee you are going to love yourself. And that infectious energy will naturally flow out of you and transfer to those around you.
Have a consistent gym system or schedule. You don’t need to exactly follow the schedule I outlined, but what’s more important is you get started, stay consistent, and treat the gym as a life style.
You are taking care of your body and mind for the rest of your life: the gym is one of your vessels for accomplishing that.
Keep this up and your sleep is going to be consistent, full, and you’re going to wake up rejuvenated and feel ready to tackle anything that comes your way.
That sounds amazing right?
And you are going to be a beast at work.
I know you’re already killing it at your job, but once you hit the gym you’re going to develop superpowers that make you progress in your job even further.
You’ll notice more patience with challenges, faster learning and retention, and you’ll have the flexibility and calmness to accomplish your hopes and dreams.
