Building a health safety net for future me

In 2020, I ended up with an illness that put me in the hospital and caused a lot of unwanted weight loss.

My body was weak.

After seeking help from multiple doctors to address the underlying medical issue, I set to work trying to regain the pounds I'd lost.

I didn't really feel "back to normal" until late 2022 – about two years later.

Recognizing how fragile one's health is, I decided to keep strengthening my body. I decided to build a health safety net for future me.

Over the last 6 months, I've worked out five days a week.

Hybrid work made that possible.

6-8 hours of weekly commuting (pre-COVID) became 5 hours of workouts and 1-3 hours of additional sleep.

I go to the gym immediately after work each weekday and follow a fitness routine created by Don Saladino. My favorite part of Don's program is that it comes with portrait-oriented (phone-optimized) videos of each exercise. It's easy for me to reference the training videos on my phone in the gym and make sure my technique is correct.

While working out, I love to listen to podcasts. Some of my favorites include "Business Movers" and "How I Built This" by Wondery. For variety, I also mix in audiobooks. I've recently listened to novels by Arthur C. Clarke and Jules Verne.

As many of you can probably relate to, there are times when I just don't feel like going to the gym. On those days, I play a podcast or workout music while I'm still in my apartment. This jumpstarts my motivation and helps me mentally transition to "ready to work out" mode.

I've already experienced so many benefits from working out consistently, including having more energy and recovering well from a pretty bad bout of COVID at the end of 2023.

I'm excited to see how much stronger my body can get in 2024.

Good luck with your own fitness routine and health journey!