How to reset once you’ve fulfilled a long-awaited fitness goal.
You trained for months, or maybe even years, to pull off a serious fitness feat; you finally performed a handstand push-up, crossed the finish line of a Spartan race, or hiked the entire Appalachian Trail. But what do you do in the aftermath — once you've hit the PR or completed the race that once felt like a pipe dream?
Andy Bowland, a COACH+ at Equinox Miracle Mile, has some thoughts. Read on to learn how to reset when it feels like you've done it all.
1. Lean into discomfort.
When you’re feeling stuck, Bowland encourages you to ask yourself: What do you think are your weaknesses in your fitness? What types of movement do you tend to avoid? “I haven't done high-intensity stuff in a long time, like sprint work or Airdyne — I tend to shy away from doing it because it sucks,” he says. “But those are the things that you should lean into.”
Use this moment to work on the things that scare you or seem to be outside of your wheelhouse. Are you a powerlifter who lets cardio fall to the wayside because it feels really difficult? Try training for a 5K. Are you a dancer who takes only barre classes because heavy weights are intimidating? Push yourself to do barbell exercises with a Coach. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
2. Sweat the small stuff.
Instead of immediately fixating on achieving a new demanding — and overwhelming — feat, Bowland recommends zeroing in on smaller ambitions. Specifically, the basics: building up balance, core strength, mobility, and flexibility.
“There are some key things that I think everybody can always go back to, and that would be mobility and flexibility,” says Bowland. “It’s going to assist in you reaching any goal that you're leaning toward…When you get better at your mobility and your flexibility, and we can add in stability, then I believe you're going to feel overall great in your body, energized, and more motivated in general.” All of the minute details add up and can help you achieve a big-picture ambition down the line.
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3. Prioritize pleasure.
Committing to a performance goal may mean skipping some elements of fitness you enjoy but don’t support the bigger picture. After you’ve hit your peak, allow yourself to play — something Bowland does himself. “I come from a dance background — I was a break dancer — and if I haven't done that in years, that's fun for me,” he says. “You find something, you make it playful and enjoyable, so you can always come back to [it] as you go through these, what I call, seasons of challenges for yourself.”
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4. Don’t fear potential losses.
Redirecting your energy after a major achievement often comes with a fear of losing all the gains you just built up. That’s why Bowland suggests easing off the gas pedal — not slamming the brakes.
“I would just tell them to back off of that focus,” he says. “If they've been doing strength four to five days a week, maybe take it down to two days a week for maintenance. Then, let's put a focus point on some mobility stuff, which in turn, is going to make you feel better and more than likely perform better later on when you jump back into it.”