As summer approaches, I find spring is the season for an opportunity to reset. Some goals at the beginning of 2019 included getting healthier and around the same time, I had a conversation with a friend who recommended the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, which explored the idea of things coming together through daily habits, not monumental but sporadic actions. I used to be relatively slim, but I'm now overweight due to bad daily habits. However, I’m back on the journey to getting into a shape I think is realistically healthy, even getting some personal training in when I can.
In terms of my diet, going “keto” is literally giving me life (look into it for yourself to see if a ketogenic way of living is for you). The gym has been an on-off relationship until this year, where I see now that the key is consistency, not fair weather-ness. Being consistent in this one area of my life is helping me improve other areas too, as I’ve become more focused. Exercising gives me the time to explore the function of each part of my body in a caring, introspective way, like: “Ooh, that’s a nice stretch in my lower back… there’s a satisfying neck roll if ever I felt one… that’s a good stretch around my hip” as well as giving me the time to think about much… or nothing else while doing it. There are a growing number of gym communities and black female fitness influencers who show exercise is a wonderful form of creating a better form of yourself mentally and physically.