Life is full of seasons.
A season might be starting a new job, moving to a new city, having your first child, switching careers, retiring or simply navigating a time when life feels especially full with work, family, and everything in between.
Seasons change.
What we don’t talk about enough is that your training might change too.
Let me walk you through a few of my own seasons.
College: Training Was My Job
In college, I trained about 20 hours per week as a gymnast at the University of Kentucky.
Training was my central focus. In many ways, it was my job. My schedule, nutrition, sleep, and daily routine all revolved around performance.
But that was a season.
Post-College: Still Training Hard
After college, I still had a lot of flexibility in my schedule.
I was training nearly 1-2 hours a day, six days per week. It’s what I had been used to with gymnastics, and so I found a new hobby in strength training at a fairly high level of intensity. My meals were structured around performance, and I loved the process of pushing myself.
But that was a season.
Marriage and Starting a Business
Then I got married and we started a small business.
My priorities shifted. Time became more limited, stress increased, and I needed training to adjust some. A little less intensity. A little more sustainability.
I still trained four to five days per week for about an hour, but the intensity and focus looked different.
And that was okay.
Because that was a season.
Pregnancy and Early Motherhood
My first pregnancy changed a lot.
My focus shifted from performance to health.
I wanted to feel good, take care of my body, and set an example of what a healthy relationship with exercise and body image could look like. I had some past battles with body image, and I really wanted to tackle my mindset around what health looks like.
Training became less about pushing at super high intensity and more about staying strong and consistent.
Strength training remained a priority, but with a very different mindset.
That was a season too.
Baby #2: Survival Mode
After my second child was born, I entered one of the most challenging seasons of my life.
I was sleep-deprived and navigating food sensitivities with my newborn. It was tough to say the least.
Training had to adapt significantly. I was barely making it, and intensity wasn’t even in a vocabulary I could comprehend at the moment.
Workouts were often 20-30 minutes, two to three times per week. I removed higher-intensity aerobic work and focused primarily on strength training when I had the opportunity.
It wasn’t perfect.
But I kept showing up.
And that was enough.
Because that was a season.
Baby #3: Consistency Over Perfection
After having our third child, training shifted again.
In this season, I’ve realized I do much better training with other people than trying to do it all on my own.
Yes, sometimes it takes almost as long to get the kids loaded up as it does to complete the workout.
But I show up.
I train about three days per week and focus on consistency over perfection. I have fun with training.
I’m in a season of doing what I can, staying strong, and playing the long game.
The Important Part
There will likely be a season when I want to train more again.
And there may be another season where 20-minute workouts are all that fit.
Both are okay.
The important thing is to keep adjusting rather than stopping altogether.
Don’t Compare. Just Keep Going.
Seasons change.
Pivot when you need to.
But don’t stop.