We are creatures of habit. We like our routines. They have been drummed into us since we could first sit in front of a television. Working 8 - 5 Monday through Friday with weekends off, this is what we all want. If you made a New Year's resolution to lose weight, or get in shape or both, no schedule could be better. You can set up a regime where you can run on that treadmill in your basement, or go to the gym at a set time on a set day and create a routine. This type of pattern works best for the majority of people. If they miss a workout it's because they choose to skip it, for what ever reason, and the responsibility is theirs alone. If their resolution falls along the wayside it truly is their fault; they could not incorporate exercise into their daily habits. There are those of us, however, whose work prohibits setting up a set routine. I work in retail, on only two days of the week do I have a set schedule: Monday's in at 5 AM and Wednesdays I'm there until 10 PM. For the rest of the week is a grab bag, I never know when I have to be at the store. My two days off are rarely the same, they may not even be back to back. This means setting up a workout regime is next to impossible. There is no way I will ever be able to ride my bike every other evening at 6, or go to the gym at a set time, or lift free weights at any set time on a recurring basis. This is especially aggravating with the free weights since every program includes a recovery period. This sucks big time!
For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a resolution pattern. A long time ago, back when their were dials, this was used to make sure you television was in focus. The more clear the numbers were the better the pattern and the better the viewing. When you work with a rotating schedule the pattern will never come into focus, it will never be clear. There is always going to be some blurring around the edges. What makes this even more shitty is that the company I work for wants us to be healthy. They give us healthy living discounts on our insurance. However there is a struggle to set up any type of routine. Going to the gym, while not impossible, is chaotic at best. One week I may be able to go Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings but the next week I may be working those days. Mondays and Wednesdays are the only days I can actually set up a specific workout time and that is not enough. Without being about to workout on steadily on three set days is pretty much a fail in my book.
