What is the connection between my favorite Christmas gift and having Covid???
For several years I was obsessed with getting a smart watch. I’d had a Fitbit for a long time, but I wanted an upgrade. So, I did research on what was available, read reviews, and even borrowed one from a friend. I finally decided on a Garmin Forerunner 745, and lucky me – Santa delivered!
What made this watch so special? I’m a bit of a tech gadget nerd, and I love keeping my workout stats, so this was perfect for me. It had all of the typical smart watch features (notifications for emails, texts, and more) but it was also perfect for working out. The Garmin Forerunner could go under water, it had a heart rate sensor, and it had GPS that could track runs, bike rides, and even open water swims! But my favorite feature? I could download music onto my watch and use my AirPods to listen to music. No more carrying my phone on walks and runs!
Needless to say, my new watch became my baby, it could track all of my exercise and I wore it everywhere. Not just that, but I would also get detailed reports on the quality of my workouts, activity, sleep, etc. It was like having my own coach or personal trainer who could hold me accountable. Ha!
And then ….. I got Covid. I felt so lousy and fatigued, and I couldn’t work out. Even after I started feeling better, I knew I needed to take it easy, so I continued to rest. But then I started getting negative commentary from my beloved Garmin!!! It toId me that I needed to work out again. I’d been taking a break for so long, and that my training was no longer productive. I was actually “detraining”. I was horrified – didn’t my watch know I had to rest, and that I couldn’t be active? Lol!
Obviously, I knew I was doing the right thing, and I couldn’t take these updates seriously. But it was a good reminder, that sometimes we really do need to take a break. And when do, we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves!
At some point everyone needs to rest. It doesn’t matter if you’re a super star athlete, or you just like to work out regularly. So, listen to your body and mind, and take a break when you need to and don’t feel guilty. You know it won’t last forever, and the next time you exercise, you’ll probably feel energized and ready to go!
Liking this word “detraining.” I think I’ll borrow it. As in “I didn’t sleep through 6:15 am spin class. I was detraining.” Sounds much more deliberate than “My alarm went off and I rolled back to sleep.”
Perfect!!! Lol