Creating Space

I've always been active. When I was younger, I did ballet and at school I was a Tomboy who played football, 500, and capture the flag with the boys. In junior high, I was on the basketball and volleyball teams. In high school, I fell off school sports and at 18, I tried kickboxing for the first time, which I stuck with for about a year and half.

As a young adult, I worked out at the Downtown Toronto YMCA and completed their course to become a personal trainer and fitness instructor. I never pursued this line of work though as my career path lead me elsewhere, but I continuously returned to the gym throughout my life for workouts (more on that later).

I tried Tae Kwon Do at two different Dojos, but it never stuck. I've done Hot Yoga and even Aerial Yoga, and those too didn't hold my attention for long.

I've learned that I need an aggressive workout - the ugly sweat kind of body exhaustion workout - for it to be effective for me and to keep me coming back. This level of full body exertion helps to create space in my mind, something akin to the runner's high or runner's meditation that can be achieved where my body is so busy moving, that my mind quiets. Anything less just isn't worth my time or efforts cause I know what works for me.

In my 30s, I tried running and was able to run a few races and half marathons, but it's a significant investment in time to be able to train for a race. Also for a few years in my early 40s, I suspected I had bad knees and I wasn't able to run due to injuries. It turns out, my knees were bad simply because I had tight hips, which I addressed by foam rolling, and I was able to start running again.

Prior to covid, I was going to Movati gym and 9Rounds for kickboxing multiple times a week. Once lock-down happened, I was in a funk. Lost were my workouts and my clear mental space, which led to me sitting on the couch eating my feelings for the first half of covid and the weight packed on.

In August, I decided to start working out again and decided to invest in equipping myself with a mini home gym. I figured the money I was saving in monthly membership fees would offset some equipment of my own. I started buying kettlebells off Amazon.

I have 5 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb, 20 lb, and 30 lb kettlebells and I set up my yoga mat in my bedroom. I started doing weight training and yoga workouts every morning thanks to some great videos on Youtube that helped to get me motivated.

Then in October, I decided to invest in my own punching bag for home. I had this little space in the basement right by the stairs that if I could find something small enough would work well for me. I'm also little, so my leg and arm spans are short and I can do small space workouts.

Luckily, I found an Everlast upright punching bag that fit perfectly and a large mat to help the punching bag from slipping/sliding on impact (again thanks Amazon!). I ordered 300 lbs of sand to be delivered by Home Depot. It was a messy little project to set up the punching bag, but well worth it!

I already had wrist wraps and boxing gloves from kickboxing previously. And the very next day after I set up the punching bag, I did a kickboxing workout at home. Again thanks to Youtube there are lots of videos for kickboxing and/or punching bag workouts.

The last piece of equipment, which admittedly I don't use as often as I would like, is a chin-up bar (which my son requested I get us). I've set it up in my bathroom door frame and whenever I do a weights workout, I include some chin-up exercises.

Since last Fall, in addition to the weekly running outside again, I've been able to do workouts everyday on my own, in my home. It was and continues to be the best decision I've made for my own health and mental well-being during covid.

I built these mini home gym spaces based on the types of workouts I enjoy. It's not for everyone, but I swear working out every day is keeping me sane during covid restrictions and lock-downs, and it's led to this amazing mid-life weight-loss body transformation (thanks to some serious muscle memory!) that I never anticipated. So despite not knowing how long covid restrictions will last, I at least have the space I need to take care of myself (and the kids get to use this stuff too, with me as their coach).