Working Out to Work It Out

This past January, I set a New Year's Resolution of adopting an exercise program. What set my resolution apart from most is that it had an exciting twist. I wanted to get fit so that I could enjoy a romantic beach vacation with my partner. Last autumn, my long-time boyfriend and I booked a two week getaway to an elegant resort in the Dominican Republic. After achieving success in both of our careers, my partner and I became first time home owners. Unfortunately, the combination of household duties, full time work and overtime work began to put a strain on our relationship. We realized we no longer had a work-life balance. Our seemingly opposite schedules left no time for family, friends or each other. After multiple heart-to-heart conversations, we prioritized this holiday out of a need for rest and recommitment to shared values.

It was difficult for me to find time to work out at the local gym. Since my partner and I do not live in town, the commute was also an issue. Knowing this, I considered bringing my gym bag to work with me. I could avoid the commute by heading straight to the gym after clocking out. In order to eat before I went to the gym, I would have to pack an extra meal alongside my lunch or buy takeout for dinner. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to meal prep extra meals. I also felt like eating takeout for dinner would defeat the purpose of going to the gym. Expecting my spouse to cook his own dinner every night wasn't feasible either. He worked longer shifts than I did and was always hungry when he arrived home. Dinner was often our only opportunity to engage in face-to-face conversation. I wasn't about to sacrifice it for gym hours.

Desperate for a solution, I considered using my hour lunch break to work out. I realized how difficult it was to eat lunch, exercise and shower all within one hour. I also worked at an occupation where business casual dress was required. It was not appropriate to return from lunch appearing sweaty or dishevelled. It was also going to take more than two weekend workouts to achieve the fitness results I was seeking. Frustrated with the lack of options, I took to social media for advice. It wasn't long before a friend introduced me to a popular online video streaming service. For a monthly fee, it offered members access to a library of fitness videos. With this membership, I was able to work out from the comfort of my own home. A few days later, I signed up and started following the program. It quickly became a regular part of my daily schedule.

I was about 45 days into my new workout regime when I found out that my dream vacation was no longer a reality. Due to the emerging Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government had decided to close the border. All non-essential travel had been banned. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the airline we were travelling with refused to refund our vacation package. Instead, we were offered a credit for future use. Disheartened, my partner and I spent a couple of weeks moping around. I continued to exercise daily, naively hoping that the government would somehow lift the ban. I romanticized the idea of arriving at the airport terminal just in time to board the last plane to paradise. We would be together at last, stuck at the lavish resort for the duration of the pandemic. These were the images that encompassed my daydreams.

One afternoon, I was struck with an illuminating thought. All my boyfriend and I were really hoping for was an opportunity to spend more quality time together. This had been the objective of the vacation. It didn't really matter where we went or what we chose to do together. We simply wanted to share our love with one another. Quarantine gave us that opportunity. After the lockdown was implemented, both of our work schedules slowed down significantly. We took a break from office devices and emails. We cooked healthy dinners every night and sat down together to eat them. We tidied up our home and released objects we no longer needed. We spent time outdoors in nature. We shared jokes, played games and watched funny TV shows. We talked about our hopes, dreams and plans for the future. We worked out. We listened to music. Maybe one day we will go on vacation.

For now, here are some of our favorites: