I swam competitively for almost ten years. For anyone who’s done a competitive sport, you understand how much time and commitment that calls for. My weekly schedule, when in high school, consisted of 5 a.m. morning practices three days a week, two hour practices every afternoon, Saturday morning practices and frequent four day competitions. Balancing that with AP and IB courses, extracurriculars, as well as my friends and family was a lot. By the time I reached the beginning of my senior year, I was burnt out. Like, extremely burnt out. I was exhausted all the time, I was doing the absolute bare minimum to stay afloat in my classes, and my motivation for swimming had completely gone out of the window. I knew that I was unhappy. Despite my plans to swim in college and my love for the sport, I had to leave. So, I quit. I finished out my high school season, said goodbye to my coaches and team and left the pool behind. For the first time since I could remember, I was at peace. I had time to hang out with my friends after school and I could stay up late on Friday nights and not be screwed for the following morning’s practice. I was able to put real effort into my classes and I started looking at a future that didn’t revolve around swimming. I finally was able to prioritize the things and people I loved. To put it simply, I was happy.Â
However, I’d lost a big part of myself. For the first time in almost a decade, I wasn’t spending three hours a day in a pool. I had more time on my hands than I knew what to do with and I wasn’t sure how to compensate for that. I knew that quitting so abruptly would probably cause my appearance to change – this was something I had accepted months prior to actually quitting. But actually seeing that change (especially as a teenager in high school) is a hard thing to immediately be okay with. It didn’t matter how many morning runs I went on, how many lifts I’d push through at the gym or what I changed in my diet, the change in my body was near inevitable. It’s also incredibly difficult to stay consistent with working out while you’re still in school. Without a coach pushing you or a set goal to strive for, there was virtually no reason to keep up the intensity of my prior exercise habits.Â
All this to say, I understand the struggle of working out as an ex-athlete. Although I haven’t exactly perfected my routine in the two years since retiring, I’ve learned a few things along the way.
My first piece of advice is just that: it doesn’t have to be perfect. Something I had to learn quickly was that not every workout has to leave you immobile on the floor for an hour afterward. In fact, it’s very rare that they should do that. I was so used to exercising at an insanely high intensity for hours that I didn’t understand how a long walk could qualify as a “real” workout. In the months after quitting, I’d often end up working myself to death with cardio for an hour or two and then not exercising for days afterwards due to a lack of time and energy. I felt like any workout that wasn’t high intensity didn’t count and was therefore not even worth doing. This is NOT the mindset you should have! What ultimately kept me consistent with working out was lowering my expectations. I wasn’t a competitive athlete anymore and there was no real need to train like one. Your first priority should be to just move your body, which can be as difficult or as easy as you make it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a high intensity workout here and there, but it doesn’t have to be the standard. Going for a hike, doing a quick Pilates routine or signing up for a spin class are all great and easy ways to get moving. Also, try new things! Oftentimes, when you’re involved in a competitive sport, your variety when working out can be restricted. Now is the time to finally take advantage of all the different things you can do. Any way that you can be active is better than nothing at all.Â
My second piece of advice is to find a goal. A lot of people who competed in sports growing up are often trained to be naturally goal oriented. Without having the looming test of a game, time cuts or collegiate sports, it can be difficult to find the motivation to still workout. When I quit, I wanted to get involved in running, so I set my mind to completing a half marathon (which I did!). It took weeks of training, but was so rewarding and allowed me to bring out the competitive side of myself that I didn’t have much use for anymore. Your goals can be anything. Whether it’s getting a new squat PR in the gym or mastering Vinyasa Yoga, having a goal is going to keep you active and positive.
My final piece of advice is to stay involved in your sport. When I quit, I was so burnt out that I couldn’t imagine enjoying swimming ever again. In fact, I didn’t get in a pool to work out for almost a year. Though swimming had been so important in my life for so long and despite the way it ended, I had a lot of love for it. So, I got in the pool again. I’m now an active member of our school’s club swim team (which I would highly recommend joining, by the way) and swimming has become a safe haven for me, rather than the source of my anxiety. I really recommend finding a way to reinvolve yourself with your sport in a casual and fun way. Join a recreational team or find time to do it on your own, without the added pressure of competition and expectations. After doing one sport for so long, it can come as easily as breathing. It is often easier to stay consistent with working out when you’re doing something you’re comfortable with.Â
And that’s it! Staying consistent and getting active is truly as simple or as complicated as you make it. Your priority when working out is to be healthy and happy. So have fun with it and good luck!