It all started way back in February 2016. Prior to then, I was working out three to five times a week. My routine varied, but it typically involved a mix of cardio and strength training with a little yoga sprinkled in. At the time, I had also just taken up boxing to further diversify. Despite my high level of activity, I was feeling increasingly unmotivated to hit the gym.
I remember taking two rest days in a row around Valentine's Day and feeling so guilty about it. I told myself, "It's a holiday weekend! Take it easy. Eat the chocolate. Drink the mimosas. You'll be fine."
And yes, I was fine, but I didn't want to be just fine. I wanted to be excited to work out. I wanted to challenge myself and progress. I wanted to feel like I was accomplishing something, rather than just going through the motions of my routine. So I got this idea: What if I challenged myself to work out every single day? It seemed impossible, and that’s precisely why I wanted to try it.
So that's how it started. Initially it was, "I'll work out every day until the end of February." When that happened, I set my sights on one month. Two months. Three months. And then...well, here we are, approximately 21 months later. My daily workouts are a mix of weightlifting, indoor cycling, yoga, boxing, and cardio sessions on machines like the StairMaster. Note: There’s nothing wrong with taking rest days; in fact, they’re essential for letting your muscles recover and get stronger. Rest days don't have to mean you're completely inactive, though—I take active rest days, meaning, I still move but in a really low-intensity way by doing things like yoga or going for a walk.
I've learned a lot along the way, and I hope that no matter where you are in your fitness journey, you'll find these lessons below helpful too.
Let's just get the obvious out of the way: There have been a lot of sucky moments. When my alarm goes off at 6 a.m., it’s miserable—still. I virtually sleepwalk to the gym and wonder how I even made it there, and that’s if I even wake up. While I prefer to work out in the mornings so I can have my evenings free, lately this has been a huge struggle for me. So I’ll hit the snooze button one too many times, and all of a sudden it’s 8 o’clock and I’ve got to book it to the office. This means that when I get off work, despite wanting nothing more than to hit happy hour, I have to make time for the gym.
Whenever I find myself teetering on the line between going for it and giving up, I always remind myself that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Over time, I've gotten really good at prioritizing my days—if I’d rather sleep in, I work out later. But if having plans after work is important, then I know I have to fit in my workout in the morning or over lunch.
This lesson is one that I’m actively learning to implement. Although I'm not particularly competitive with others, I’m extremely competitive with the woman in the mirror. I set wildly ambitious expectations, and if I don't meet them, I immediately write myself off as a failure.
The reality is that at some point or another, you'll be in the middle of a run, a lift, or a set of godforsaken burpees, and you'll really really want to stop. And maybe you do. Maybe you take a minute to step back and breathe. Maybe you walk the rest of the way. Maybe you switch out the dumbbells for a lower weight. Maybe you can't quite hit that PR today. I've learned that that's OK. All that matters is that I'm there and trying my best.
There are also times at the gym where I can't help but notice how so-and-so can lift X amount of weight and do more reps than me, or how that woman is totally killing it on the treadmill while I’m huffing and puffing my way through my first mile. I've had moments where I thought to myself, You can’t run a six-minute mile, squat 400 pounds, do 100 push-ups in under a minute, and hold crow pose for an hour? What type of feeble, sorry creature are you?
Whenever I'm drowning in a pool of self-doubt, I try to tell myself that no one person is good at everything. There will always be someone who can run faster and farther than I can, someone who can lift heavier weights than I can, and someone who can do cooler yoga inversions than I can. The point of being on a fitness journey is to be on my fitness journey—not hers or his—and to make mine the best one it can be.
Over the past 21-plus months, I’ve replaced the concept of rest days with active recovery days. For me, that usually means going to a yoga class, although it could be any type of low-impact workout like barre, Pilates, going for a walk, or doing some basic core work. These days are absolutely essential. There’s no way I would've been able to exercise at a high intensity every day for nearly two years straight (and honestly, you shouldn't).
Foam rolling has become my best friend. It also helps to have a very generous and loving boyfriend who gives me much-needed massages when I’m feeling particularly sore after a new or extra-tough workout.
In the past 21 months, I’ve done and accomplished more than I ever thought possible. I ran five 5Ks and one 5-miler (huge for me as I have long considered myself “not a runner”). As a non-competitive powerlifter, I set numerous PRs including a 255-pound deadlift and squat. I landed 40-inch box jumps. I mastered new arm balances (looking at you, side crow). My body transformed before my eyes and I’m now the strongest I’ve ever been.
This whole experience has taught me that the limits I’ve placed on myself have mostly been mental. Bruce Lee is one of my favorite role models. I remember watching his films with my dad when I was younger and being in such awe of his athleticism, discipline, and grace. Lee once said, “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
Working out every day has been my way of living this truth, of recognizing that my limitations are often self-imposed, and the only way to break free from them is to force myself beyond them. I’m even more determined than ever to do so. Although the journey has had its ups and downs, it’s been incredibly rewarding, and I wake up every day hungry for what’s next.
