Every once in a while you come across a book that you can’t put down. My most recent book-gobbling began on my flight to Orlando, Fla., for the annual NRPA Conference, when I downloaded an e-book version of “A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting,” Casey Johnston’s memoir-meets-science take on her journey into weightlifting. Serious weightlifting. (Johnston began in 2014, benching 20 pounds and squatting 40; her highest weights for these lifts are 142 and 265 pounds, respectively.)
I found it to be a great read, and inspirational. My own tired fitness routine mostly consists of walking, yoga and an occasional bike ride, with some cross-country skiing thrown in during the winters when we get enough snow to ski on (no luck last year, maybe this year?).
I got home from Florida and scanned my equipment—no problem there. I have dumbbells ranging from 5 pounds up to 25 pounds, which is plenty to get started before it’s time to hit an actual gym for work with a barbell (and maybe a trainer—I’ve never been brave enough to work with the “real” weights in the gym before, and a friendly helper will surely ameliorate any shyness around that experience).
The gains are compounding, but I’m also finding an immense supply of patience that I haven’t always been able to tap when it comes to fitness activities. Being a beginner can be frustrating, as one’s body struggles to find the right form, not to mention the strength and stamina to do whatever it is you’re demanding of it.
Recent experiences with aging and chronic illness have taught me that it’s better (for me) to go slow and avoid annoying (and debilitating) setbacks, and so I’ve been progressing, but slowly. Very, verrrrry slowly. And in a first, I’m finding that slowness is just fine. Setbacks are just fine. Failure is fine. “You’ll get it next time,” I tell myself. Or maybe the time after that. No big deal, as long as you don’t stop trying.
Now, part of the reason I’m writing about this this month is to let you know that if you seem to have more women coming around looking to use the squat rack, this might be why (Johnston’s book was out in May this year). But I’m also writing about it because the lessons of Johnston’s book apply far beyond the world of lifting, from the importance of actually eating and resting enough to how to tune into the experience and really listen.
It feels good to get up every day and stretch for that next level—whether that means moving up the career ladder, growing your skills as you reach for new goals, or improving the way your facility operates. But you can’t build those “muscles” if you aren’t patient with that experience, allowing yourself to rest and recover, nourishing yourself with life experiences outside of work, and tuning into your own feedback mechanisms as well as the feedback of your employees, co-workers, peers and customers.
So, go for it! But don’t forget to be patient.
Cheers!
Emily Tipping
Editorial Director,
Recreation Management
[email protected]
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