Sign In
Free Newsletter
Go exercise!
Listen to this article
It’s been one of those insanely stressful weeks at work where nothing can be easy. It didn’t help that I also started significant home renovations this week. No question that I’m burning the candle from both ends.
I looked at the to-do’s on my desk last night and realized that I could be working all night. I could literally feel the stress and fatigue wash over me, my shoulders tighten and my jaw clench.
Then I made the impulsive and seemingly irresponsible decision to stop, put on my workout clothes and hit the gym for a 5:30 p.m. BodyPump class. I knew the work would wait but that my sanity probably wouldn’t.
It was the best decision I could have made. I worked out hard and every time my arms wobbled or my quads felt like they were going to give out, I thought about all of my stresses this week. I put all of that energy into the workout and I kept going. It was quite possibly the best workout of my life.
It’s amazing how much energy we put into being frustrated and stressed — and even more so how amazing it feels to release it through exercise.
I got home and was a new person. I ate dinner, got through my emails and finished up some of that to-do list. I sang along to the music I had turned on in my office. My entire outlook and mood had shifted.
I woke up this morning in an equally sunny mood — which wasn’t even affected by finding out that I need a new oil tank on top of everything else!
Next time you’re at that point of no return, stop, get up, and go exercise.
