One of the best pieces of advice I was given when I first moved to China was about the importance of establishing good lifestyle habits that would help with the transition. My mentors emphasized staying connected with family and friends, working out, and finding “me” time. Working out was one of my biggest concerns before arriving. Where would I run? Would I get lost? Do people run? Would I be the only one? Thankfully, the group of friends I made were all just as concerned as I was. We established a running group early on to help us adjust to life using running as a way to de-stress but also discover the area we were staying.
I found that while living in Yunnan, working out was easy. I ran outside almost daily, with beautiful blue skies and gorgeous mountains in the background and all the space I could ask for. However, after moving to Shantou, Guangdong, my space was limited. The city was cramped, hard to navigate, and I certainly wasn’t always looking at cobalt blue skies. It was here, that I was first introduced to Insanity.
Insanity is a series of intense cardio workout videos that can be done virtually anywhere. All it requires is a space large enough for you to spread your arms out and easily get into a push-up position. The program is two months long, with one week in between as a “recovery week.” The daily videos are around 45 minutes long and involve a combination of cardio and strength-building exercises as well as basic yoga poses. A group of friends and I decided that we would undertake the 60-day challenge to see if we could complete the program. I was amazed at how intense, yet motivating it was. Although I often dragged my feet getting ready, once we began, I was always in it 100%. The main instructor, Shawn T, is a great motivator. My friends and I started using his common phrases such as: “Dig Deeper!” and “Alright, let’s gooo!” whenever we were feeling down or stressed about work.
Before going abroad, it’s easy to forget about daily lifestyle habits that help you stay sane (and healthy). I have never looked into gyms in China, so I don’t know how much they are or what the facilities are like. What I do know however is that Insanity is a great way to get into really good shape with no excuses like air quality, space, or time to get in the way. Even after my long days of teaching when all I want to do is fall asleep, I throw on my work-out clothes and get ready to hear Shawn T motivate me to “Dig Deeper!”