Change Is In the Air

October started off with a change in our regular schedule. Instead of going up to Tahoe for a weekend, we hopped in a plane as a family, leaving Alpine behind, and flew to Colorado.  And the purpose of our trip was to witness a change in others’ lives - a happy change… Kids’ cousin, our niece, got married.

When I first met her, she was only 5 years old.  When she came to our wedding in Istanbul, she was Ela’s current age.  And now, 20 years after I met her, she is a beautiful, grown woman going through a big change in her life.  It was wonderful to witness all of it with the full family.  We were able to pause and enjoy each day both as a family and with the family.  There were many conversations of “changes”, whether they have already happened or will happen in the future or just a wish to happen.

One change that I enjoy the most every October is the way the sunlight reflects.  It brings up many emotions for me. I feel love because the light looks beautiful, I feel sad because the year is coming to an end, I feel curious because things look different, I feel anxious because I am running out of time to complete my tasks for the year, I feel happy because the sun still shines… And as the month comes to an end, I am already adapted to the way the sun shines and it becomes my new regular when I step out.

A change in your “regular” workout routine does the exact same thing to your body.  It creates many different emotional and physical reactions.  It almost wakes your body up and challenges how you know your body.  It is important to intentionally give that jolt to your body so that your “regular” workout can be more effective in the long run.  A change does not need to become the new regular.  It can be a temporary addition to the “regular” routine.  It can also be an on-going change on a weekly basis.  For example, if the regular workout routine is a daily run/walk, add circuit training for one day in the place of running. The following week, add a biking day instead of running.  There are many changes that can be integrated into the regular flows to wake up the muscles that choose to relax.  Activated more of those muscles create a stronger overall body.

Below is a “Train and Smile with Nes” workout from October.  The focus was the change in weather and I used a light rain coat to workout.  The rain coat gave me the opportunity to dig into some of those lazy muscles and to wake them up.  Let me know if you try out the session.

High five to you all for embracing any change…

Here is to beautiful changes…