The following is a guest post I solicited from a close college friend whose ability to juggle a demanding career, a graduate program, and a commitment to health truly amazes me. Essentially, I asked Ann-Michelle Levangie, a barre devotee who works in publishing, how she manages it! Here she explains her fitness journey and her firm belief that there’s a healthy, happy routine out there for everyone—you’ve just got to find yours.
When a barre studio opened across the street from my office, I decided to do a one-month trial membership. In that first month, I knew I’d found a workout I loved. It beat the heck out of toiling away on an elliptical machine, but it was more costly that my gym membership. So I resolved that if I was going to do it, I was going to go all in. I quit my gym, got a studio membership, and committed to being in the best shape of my life at 35. I was 32 years old at the time. I needed to feel like I was training for something—working toward something big. I’m not a runner, but this would be my marathon. And as the first year progressed, the work I put toward that goal began to seem less like work and more like… my life. Going to class six days a week was as much as part of my day as my morning cup of coffee.Then, at 33, I decided to pursue my Masters while maintaining my full-time career.
A friend teased me that I’d have to be less compulsive about my barre schedule and less of a slave to my Fitbit if I were to carve out the time for study. But that “35” goal was still in the distance. I’d finally found a workout routine to be stubborn about, and I wasn’t going to give in just yet.
So here’s what I did: I made my walking routine and my barre workouts as much a part of my inflexible weekly schedule as I did my work projects and my academic assignments. Instead of taking the bus to and from work and nailing my step goal with a walk in the park, I started getting up earlier and turned my walking regimen into my commute. (Side note: reducing my time on public transportation did wonders for my stress-level.)Most weeks, on Sunday night, I would prepare 4 lunches and 4 dinners for the week—salads and salmon respectively—giving myself a few days for variety. I planned outfits that were mostly work-appropriate, but usually involved leggings and a yoga top secreted underneath. It was much easier to squeeze in a workout between meetings when all I had to do was remove my sweater, a necklace, and a pair of boots to reveal a ready-to-go barre outfit. I made friends with the other regulars. Adding a social element made me feel accountable to others (in a good way), which is a huge motivator for me.
And most importantly, I recognized that barre was often my favorite part of the day. Certainly, it was and continues to be the only part of the day that I don’t think about work or school. How can I, when all my focus is on trying to achieve perfect form!? I always leave the studio feeling good. I have to remind myself of this fact at least a few times a week when I’m not feeling good and I make the trek to the studio anyway.
Now, I realize and acknowledge that what has worked for me may be improbable or impossible for many. This plan may not work for :
- Those with serious injuries or other physical limitations.
- Those whose schedules are not their own (i.e., those with other human beings dependent on their care or those who frequently travel or are on call for work).
- Those who do not live or work in close proximity to a barre studio.
- Those who live somewhere with a Walk Score of roughly nil.
- Those who work for a company with a draconian professional dress code that requires things like ties or pantyhose or “real pants.”
- Those who tire easily from repetitive routine.
In other words, this plan may not work for those who are not… me.
But here’s the thing (and why I’m bothering to share my super specific system with you), I believe everyone has some perfect formula that just needs to be discovered. Yours may not look like mine. I’m guessing it doesn’t. Maybe variety is your M.O. Maybe you have an elliptical machine in your home or a kick-ass treadmill desk. Maybe you can only work out early in the morning or late at night. Every day on my walk to work I pass a woman who jogs her son to school while he bikes along beside her. Whatever your formula is, find it. It may take several attempts, so do some exploring, but don’t be too capricious about it either. I loved barre within a month, but it took a good three months for me to really want to go work out each time. This study agrees—commit wholeheartedly and be prepared to really work as you transform that new routine into an old habit. For me it took a lot of effort to get there, but I got there. I got here. And it’s not a one-time achievement. I plan to stay here.When I chose to start a graduate program while working full-time, I knew I would have to sacrifice much of my free time (and some of my sanity). But I was determined not to sacrifice my health. For me that meant finding a dependable routine I could stick to. I’m not totally at my goal yet. It’s been a tough semester, and while I’ve maintained my routine, I sometimes allow myself to believe that twelve cookies will take the edge off a hard day.* But there are always battles of will to overcome and that won’t end when I turn 36 in 5 months. As I said, I’m in this for the long haul now and that’s the key.
*Also, cookies are delicious and can be an excellent workout motivator. Probably not twelve, though.