Stretch Outside of Your Comfort Zone, But Don't Stress

I was blessed with one of the biggest lessons I learned on this wellness journey during my first week. In looking at the ultimate goals of physical activity for the program I was on, I needed to reach 2,000 calories burned. Being an over-achiever AND an idealist, when asked what my custom goal would be for the week, I said, "I will work on getting 2,000 calories burned by physical activity." My coach, Melissa, said, "Let's make that something that is really attainable and easy for your first week." In other words, she lovingly said, "Pump ya brakes, girl."She understood this principle well. Here's how it works: I was a total couch potato, who got winded walking in a grocery store. If I set my goal too high, I would get easily stressed, overwhelmed, would fail, feel like a failure, then go off plan. This cycle was actually something I had experienced countless times and had never been aware of in this way.

That's me, 1 year ago, holding the dog's leash and talking during a university event.
As happy as I was before, physical fitness had no place in my life. 
I hated movement and had no idea how to incorporate it into my busy schedule.

The stretch zone works like this: Changing your wellness behavior (or any behavior for that matter) takes stretching, doing things you are not used to, transitioning, and adopting new behaviors. It is a stretch just to do a simple change. But if you push yourself too far, you are in the stress or panic zone, where the change is too much to maintain, becomes overwhelming, and makes you run screaming back to your comfort zone.

My coach helped me come up with a physical activity goal that stretched me out of my comfort zone: have no days where I have 0 calories burned for physical activity. She was brilliant. Because that week, I did have 1 day where I was able to do a half an hour of physical activity, but I wasn't used to planning physical activity as part of my day - I did not know how to plan for activity, I was not used to doing it. But that very do-able goal allowed me to go for a 5-minute walk, or come home and do 10 minutes of stretching and yoga and still meet my goal. It wasn't the exercise I ultimately wanted to be doing, but that isn't the point. The initial stretch is just taking a step outside of your comfort zone and feeling successful. And I did! I met my goal! The next week I stretched more and added that I could do 10 minutes of activity each day. Then it was taking one class at my gym (the YMCA in Milford). Then it was 20 minutes of activity each day, and on and on for each week. Over the course of 11 months, through these small stretches and a healthy diet, I now burn over 6,000 calories a week, often much more, as I work out typically 2 hours a day. I practice yoga every day for 309 days, I have added aerobic and strength training into my weekly exercise, and have lost 137 pounds.

I learned that the key to getting the wellness goals that you want start with simple stretches that set you up for success. Feeling pride in the fact that you met a small weekly goal, you are willing to take another step outside your comfort zone, being careful to always avoid too big of a shift into the stress or panic zone. Before you realize it, your stretches become your comfort zone. I have not gone a day without exercise, even if it was gentle hatha yoga when I am sick, for almost 310 days. I easily understand how to fit exercise into my schedule now, and I feel so much better and calmer after I work out. This is my new comfort zone, and I am proud and blessed to be here. But I could not have gotten here without one of my biggest lessons learned on this journey - take small, steady stretches in the direction you wish to go.