There's one work that makes me cringe every time someone says it to me: consistency. Consistency is one of my least favorite things — probably because I'm terrible at it. There are areas of my life where I don't have a choice but to be consistent: parenting, work, eating and sleeping...beyond that, I'm spent!
When it comes to working out, and pole and aerial dance specifically, I don't have space to be consistent. But I think that's okay. And if you're like me and hate having to commit to anything on a regular basis, I think it's okay too!
But...everyone says workouts should be consistent
Well, I am not everyone. And I realize this goes against conventional wisdom. The typical tropes we hear are:
"Workout at the same time every day."
"Establish a consistent workout schedule."
"You need your workouts to become a daily habit."
I'm sure that works for a lot of people. But I've never been able to stick to a daily workout at a specific time ever in my life.
The 3 rules of the inconsistent workout plan
I do, however have some guidelines I follow. The only plan that has ever worked for me follows these three rules:
I have to enjoy the workout. If I'm dreading it, I won't do it in the long-term.
I have to do it on an intuitive schedule. This means that rather than scheduling my workouts, I go with my gut and jump in when I feel the drive.
I can't quantitatively measure my workouts (i.e. committing to a specific timeframe, tracking how many reps I do, how much weight I lift, etc). This is incredibly demotivating for me and totally kills my workout vibe.
"Um....but, all the experts say that you need the exact opposite of those three things to stay in shape."
I disagree.
I would say that I try to work out at least three times a week, generally speaking, with lots of exceptions. Other than that, the frequency I workout, the days I workout, the type of workout I do, the length of the workout...those factors are different every time.
It takes a lot of self-trust to take this approach. You have to trust that you will still get your exercise even when you aren't forcing it. But you might find that you come through for yourself more often than you expected. So if you find yourself struggling with the push for workout consistency, maybe you should try inconsistency instead!
So what kinds of workouts should I do?
The good news is, we live in St. George, UT which has tons of both indoor and outdoor options when it comes to working out. I personally like to mix up my workouts between pole dance in St. George at our CirqueFit studio, aerial hoop at our Hurricane studio, mountain biking, rock climbing, and weight lifting. But here are some other awesome options here in town that are worth working into your rotation:
Hiking
The hiking in St. George is second to none. Right now we're in the middle of the August, so I would only recommend it early in the morning, but there are some amazing hikes and lots of dog-friendly ones (an absolute requirement for me). To learn about the best St. George hikes and what to expect on each one, check out Hike St. George.
Legends Boxing
Once upon a time, I was super duper into boxing and kickboxing. It was the only workout I did for a few years, and it was amazing. It's an incredible cardio workout that also helps you build muscle — and it's fun! If this sounds like your kind of workout, check out Legends Boxing in St. George off Red Cliffs Drive. They have an awesome and very welcoming team.
The Grip
I've only been to The Grip with my kids — I've never actually taken one of their adult classes — but it's high on my list to try it out. If you've ever seen a Ninja Warrior show, The Grip has a similar obstacle course of challenges that will help you build muscle and stamina. It's a ton of fun and looks a bit like an adult playground. They have several classes for adults and kids and you can even compete if you want to!
Contact Climbing Gym
If you are a rock climber, Contact Climbing is definitely the place to be, especially in the summer when it's too hot to hit the rocks outside. But even if you've never rock climbed before, you can take a beginner class or rent a pair of climbing shoes and hit the bouldering wall (this type of climbing doesn't require ropes or partners).
Shape Up Dixie
Shape Up Dixie is primarily a shake shop with amazing protein shakes and pre-workout teas in lots of delicious flavors. But they also have an amazing and super fun cardio drumming class Saturday morning at 10am that you must check out. I haven't been able to make it to the class lately, and I'm definitely sad about it! The owner is also a health coach that can help you reach your personal fitness goals.
That's a wrap!
There are certainly many more fitness options throughout St. George that I haven't mentioned, but these are the ones that I think are the most interesting and unique. Pick one and give it a shot. Then move to the next!
Whatever you decide to do and however you decide to do it, follow your gut and be wonderfully, happily, intuitively inconsistent.