Back in January the bloggers, most of us anyway, chose words of the year. I blogged about our choices here.

And as we approach the halfway mark in the year, I checked in with the group to see how our words are serving us.

Nicole

“Steady” has held up for me. It helped me through the disappointment of the initial stage of Ontario’s third wave.
I have continued doing all the things I normally do (running, some strength training, indoor cycling, some yoga). Where “steady” fits in, as an explanation, is when I find myself thinking I need to challenge myself (do I want to do a marathon again, do I want to “amp” something up) I am reminded that I should consider why and whether it will benefit me, my state of mind, my overall health, before committing to something. I am often reminded that it is OK to continue what I am doing and be steady.

Sam

I still like “FLOW” too. This year has definitely been a year so far of going with the flow. I like to problem solve and have definite plans and make things happen. It’s a big part of who I am. But those strengths haven’t been a good fit for this year of change-Phase 2, Stage 2, orange, red, grey, lockdown, stay at home. Wow! It’s been a ride. My knee surgery hasn’t happened, though I’ve now been waiting forever, and so instead I’m controlling what I can and living my best life with painful knees. So much physio. I feel like it’s been a year for Aikido and going where the winds are taking us, rather than resisting. I’ve been working to make things work for me, in the ways that I can. Constant change at work and at home. Thanks pandemic for teaching me to go with the flow.

Nat

Ohhh yes. Rest is working for me! Epic naps! Chilling on my porch!
Going to bed the same time every night!

Martha

Hold fast has been working well for me. When I encounter change or uncertainty, I have found it helpful to hold fast to my values and use them as a lens to guide me forward. Hold fast reminds me I can still be focused while moving forward.

Mina

Enough–yesterday a.m. I woke up with the self-critic in full swing. She hadn’t been so loud in a long time. But … once she’d said her piece, she was willing to step aside. She’d said her piece. That was enough. Which meant that I could continue to live in enough-ness. Yay!

Catherine

Awake is really working for me. In fact, I’m in awake overdrive. This is happening in part through the effects of daily meditation. I can’t hide or snooze through experiences; instead I feel like life is happening in bolder relief. From food to family, whatever I’m doing or feeling, it’s with my eyes wide open.

Tracy

I’m really using my word MINDFULNESS to keep me aware in several areas: eating (I apparently pop lots of food into my mouth for no reason at all), breathing (I’ve become aware that I hold my breath when I’m stressed), and awareness of the thoughts that run in the background of my mind and set the tone for my days (lots of old ideas and attitudes that I don’t even believe but they have an impact if I’m not conscious of them and challenging them). So I’m really pleased I picked “mindfulness” because it’s helping me beyond when I’m just meditating.

Christine

Consistent was absolutely the right word for me for this year. I’m not trying to suggest that I have achieved perfect consistency but paying attention to how consistent I have been has been useful.

For me, the important thing is not about trying to be consistent in the sense of doing something every day, it’s about consistently returning to my plan, even when things have gone awry.

So far, so good!

Did you choose a word of the year? What was it? How’s it working out so far for you?

It’s the new year and we’re doing some reflecting here at Fit is a Feminist Issue. This is the third in a series of three group posts.

Nicole: I really want to be more diligent with preparing my meals, especiallly lunches for work. I’m decent with dinner, but I get into a bad habit for long periods of time, of buying my lunch (and coffee, and often breakfast) at work. I think eating home cooked meals more often contributes to overall health and the health of my wallet – the key being I make sure we use leftovers, because we are really bad at that! Also, I think I really need to focus more on stretching, mobility, as I am noticing my joints stiffening up more than usual lately (and they were never limber). Read more articles through. Try not to multitask too much -especially at work – focus on more tasks that require more concentration. Get out of my comfort zone a bit at the gym – maybe work on my handstand, get better at step ups and pistol squats and get faster on rowing machine.

I am, somewhat skeptically, signed up to participate in my office’s “Whole Life Challenge”, which starts January 18th. I figured it might help me stay on track with things like drinking enough water, and preparing more of my meals. But I’m not looking forward to the “community sharing” and point aspect (points for what you should do, not for what you shouldn’t, but still).

Tracy: I’m going to try adding the gym back into the equation when I get back from my three months in Mexico. It’s been a long time since I belonged to a gym (other than a trial membership I had for two weeks back in June) but I think I’d like to give it another go instead of personal training.

Martha: My new thing is aiming for 30 minutes of activity every day. I did a workplace challenge in November that was more fun than I thought it would be. I enjoyed the focus on activity every day and think this might be a useful way to explore other things like skipping and cycling again.

Bettina: I’d like to try a sprint triathlon. The main reason for not making it a longer one: I don’t like swimming in open water that isn’t the sea or a lake at least the size of the Lake of Constance. Small lakes and rivers creep me out. Both the sea and a very large lake are far away from me. With sprint triathlons, a lot of the time the swim is in a pool.

Cate: Our reader ainsobriety wrote a great post about choosing one word for the year and attaching change to that. Her word last year was bloom. I think my word for this year is presence.

Marjorie: I’d like to gussy up the nerve to test my 1-rep maxes on the barbell lifts. I’m not afraid of failing a lift–I do that fairly often as the programmed reps are sometimes more than I can do in the moment–I’m afraid of hurting myself trying to push through to finish a rep. I don’t want the effort to keep me out of the gym or to limit my abilities for a while afterwards. On the other hand, my trainer is often suggesting that the limits I currently have are “in my head,” and I’d like to try pushing against those limits to test to what extent that may be true.

Christine:  I’m going to try working with a trainer again. I have worked with a trainer on and off in the past but now I have a better understanding of what I need from them so I think it will be even more useful this time.

Sam: New for me in 2020 and more than a little bit terrifying is teaching indoor cycling. I start in January sitting in in the classes of other instructors and then teaching bits and pieces of their classes for the semester. At the end I teach an entire class and get graded on my planning and execution of that class. I’d also like to set some strength goals and train for them. I’ve been strength training for years but I’ve never had specific targets in mind.

Catherine: I’ve talked about and actually done some strength and weight training in 2019. it started with physical therapy, which I found fun and empowering. My progress was rapid, and my physical therapist recommended weight training. I did a couple of training sessions, but my trainer and I had trouble with scheduling, so it went by the wayside. I purchased a online 12-week strength training program and got started, but quickly lost momentum at the end of the year. My goal for 2020 is to focus on strength training and weight training, to get myself enrolled in a regular regimen (whether by a class or trainer sessions). I want to be stronger and also more agile. This is becoming my co-top priority (alongside cycling).

Mina: The new thing I’d like to try this winter is biathlon—the cross country ski mixed with marksmanship sport. I keep promising myself I’ll take a clinic and then never get around to it. But I sat beside a woman biathlete at the hair salon when I was getting my hair colored, and she inspired me anew. So I’m hoping to finally try it in 2020!

Do you have a new thing for 2020? Share it with us in the comments. Thanks!

It’s the new year and we’re doing some reflecting here at Fit is a Feminist Issue. This is the second in a series of three group posts. What’s one thing you learned, either about yourself or about fitness or feminism or all three together, in 2019?

Nicole: One thing I learned about myself is I can write for a blog. One that I’ve admired for many years, where other smart, insightful women write. Too incestuous for an insight on a group blog post?

Kim: I learned the importance of prioritizing mental wellness. My big fitness “splurge” of this year has been EMDR therapy with someone recommended by Susan Beth Tarshis. I’ve done psychotherapy for almost 20 years, but for the most part it’s been regular “talk therapy” in the Jungian model. I’ve now realized that knowing a lot about myself emotionally (and the history of my emotions) is not the same as processing and living that knowledge in healthy ways. After too long feeling sad and lost, and a few episodes of unexplained rage, I decided to try a more active psychotherapeutic process. It has helped enormously.

Tracy: In 2019 I learned to let go of FOMO as a motivator for anything. This was huge for me. Related, I learned that I can’t do everything. My life is packed with all sorts of awesomeness, but it all sort of closed in on me. I took some time to streamline and make space for things I really value, including down time and solitude. On a more fitness-related note, the 219 in 2019 challenge group got me moving daily in some way I otherwise wouldn’t have. It was a great motivator and it’s helped me establish a habit that has added a lot of joy to my life this year. I plan to carry that into 2020.

Catherine: This is hard to say, but where else but here? This year I’ve acknowledged to myself and to others that my life-long feelings of shame about my body are an overwhelming burden that I need to unload. There’s no reason to carry around body-shame– it serves no positive purpose, it creates a negative model out there that harms others, and it is corrosive to my self esteem. How do I start to release myself of this burden? I’ve bought some jeans that fit and look cute. I continue to do yoga almost every day. I do activities with friends. I am looking info buying an e-bike so I can ride with speedier friends. I’m cooking more, making yummy and happy food for myself and others. It’s a daily mundane process. But so is everything. And that’s okay.

Martha: What I learned in 2019 was I had to make my training time a big rock in terms of my personal priorities. I had a very busy year where my work schedule unlike other years was not often my own. I also learned that occasional interruptions at the gym weren’t as dreadful in terms of impact as I imagined. I was able to scale up reasonably quickly and I didn’t lose form.

Sam: I’ve learned (or relearned, or realized) that I need a fitness community. The move from London to Guelph was exciting in terms of work but I really miss my connection to the cycling community, the Aikido community, my CrossFit friends, my soccer buddies, and Y people., etc etc. I had years of community and connection in London that helped sustain my fitness habits. I don’t have that in Guelph and I need it. Building that is going to be a goal for me in 2020.

Bettina: I learned that, even though I ended up not doing it, that I am theoretically capable of running a half marathon 😉 Planning to make it a reality in 2020!

Cate: The biggest thing I discovered in 2019 was that I could deadlift 175 lbs. that was a revelation, that I could learn a whole new kind of strength. But I also named a kind of grit that was new to me on our difficult ride in NFLD, and conversely, learned to be more comfortable with saying “nope I am not going to ride that part of the ride.” More clarity.

Marjorie: I learned that finding a supportive community, online and in person, is helping me push myself to new levels. I know people say this sort of thing all the time, “find a support system, surround yourself with people with similar goals and values,” but it’s easier said than done.

I have felt like a unicorn, or maybe the Loch Ness monster, alone as a woman pursuing strength in a gym that didn’t welcome me, for much of the last 5 years. Where were the people who valued strength in women? Where was the encouragement to push harder, try more, BE more?

And in this year, I began writing for the blog, I found a community of supportive people who thought what I was doing was worth doing. I moved gyms and found a space that so far seems to be safer and more inclusive. And I found a trainer who appreciates my drive and determination and pushes me to see what I can do next. And I’ve grown more in strength in the last handful of months than I had in the year previous. It’s really cool!

How about you? What’s one lesson that 2019 taught you?

It’s the new year and we’re doing some reflecting here at Fit is a Feminist Issue. I asked the team to share one fitness experience that stood out for them in 2019, good or bad, but significant in some way. This is the first in a series of three group posts.

Bettina:  It’s not really one single experience, but getting into cycling has been huge for me this year. I really, really love it. If you’re really looking for just one experience, I would make it a swim session from about a month ago. It was my longest session in a long time and it felt AMAZING. I just felt strong and fast and like I could go on forever.

Natalie: Managing my plantar fasciitis effectively with stretching and good foot support was a highlight this year for sure. I averaged more steps than last year and was pain free. I’ve learned to recognize the early warning signs that my feet need more attention.

Gaining the insight on what my body needs to support being more active feels great. It is a benefit of being a bit older & having an informed network of peers who are great at sharing information without judgement.

Mina: Gosh. Hard to choose. So many highs and lows. In February, I was in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, a city I hardly knew, for rehearsals for my play, which the theatre department was doing. The whole experience felt so new and strange (first production of a play I’d written). I needed my runs to stay grounded and calm. After some exploring, I discovered a route out to some cornfields. I felt so strong and independent running in the cold, past snow dusted fields at rest for the winter. I felt simultaneously alone and a stranger, but also like I belonged. The landscape was similar to where my grandparents were apple farmers in Southern Ontario. So, I had this feeling of coming home. I like running with such strong emotions blowing through. Feels cleansing.

Marjorie: I started working with a trainer on the barbell lifts less than 4 months after my hysterectomy! I am surprised and delighted at my relatively easy and quick recovery, and as a result, my mostly seamless return to the gym. I was so afraid it would be like other surgeries I’ve had with a year or more of feeling out of sorts. Instead, as far as I can tell, the activities I introduced seemed to actually reduce my pain and help me get back into full strength more quickly. 7 months post-op, I am now completely (hysterectomy-related) pain-free and enjoying pushing my limits in new ways!

Christine: Training for my 3rd degree black belt test in February! I worked consistently with the most advanced students in my class and it was a terrific experience. Not only did they help me to improve but I became more confident in the things that I already knew.

Sam: For me, the trip to Newfoundland with Sarah, Cate, Susan, and David was both a high and a low. I loved the harsh landscape and the beauty of Newfoundland’s cold, wet northwest coast. I loved riding my bike along the coast from port to port. There were days of tough riding sure and I shivered more than one expects to in Canada in June, but still no part of the riding, not even cold, wet days, not even breaking my bike, was a low. The low was when the whole group went off hiking and I couldn’t go because of my severely damaged arthritic knee. When I met with the knee surgeon later that summer, it was that day–the day of no hiking–that I kept in mind. I’m excited to have a full functioning knee.

Tracy: My most salient fitness experience this year was grappling with not being able to run due to an achilles injury. At first it was super depressing. Then I started to accept it and decided to go to yoga every day. Once I did that it took my mind off of not being able to run and let me channel my energy into other things I could do that were more adaptable to my injury. Doing hot yoga daily for a couple of months has been a really great way to round out 2019. And I’m about to ease back into running. Wish me luck!

Catherine: 2019 has been a year with ups and lots of downs physically. I was in physical therapy for an ankle injury, still on meds for a blood clot in my thigh, and then dealing with pancreatitis. All those problems resolved, and I was able be pretty active over the summer with cycling, hiking and some swimming. However, my constant friend throughout all of the year has been yoga. I do some almost every day. It helps me feel happier, more pain and creak-free, and supports everything else I do. And there’s no judgment– I do what I do, and leave the rest behind. Yoga has become the foundation of my day and the foundation of all of my activity. And that will continue to be true in 2020.

Do you have one fitness experience, good or bad or just significant for you in some way, that stands out from 2019? Tell us your story!