Rachel SFebruary is rude. January at least pretends to be hopeful. New routines. Fresh starts. Clean slates. February just shows up cold, gray, and unimpressed with your motivation. The holidays are gone. The adrenaline is gone. The energy is definitely gone. And somehow…your dog still expects a walk….Every day.
Some mornings I stare at the leash like it personally offended me. I consider fake sleeping. I consider “just five more minutes” that turns into twenty. Then, there’s a nose in my face. A tail on the mattress. A look that says: we’re doing this whether you’re ready or not. So, here we are. Hello February.
February fitness, influencer edition, minus the matching sets and sunrise runs. This month, movement looks like survival…for me at least. It looks like pulling on leggings you did not plan to wear in public. Coffee in one hand, leash in the other. Cold air hitting your face before your brain is fully awake. Dogs do not care about your burnout. They do not care about winter blues. They do not care about motivation.
They care about outside. and I have noticed something uncomfortable…the days I fight movement the hardest are the days I probably need it the most. So, I stopped trying to be impressive. We walk slow. We stop a lot. My dog inspects every leaf like it’s a crime scene and I do not mind. I scroll my phone more than I should. Some days we turn around early and call it a win. It still counts, because also here is the truth no one really says out loud:
Sometimes, especially in February, I move more consistently for my dog than I ever have for myself. If it were just me, I would negotiate. I would reschedule sometimes. I would say tomorrow instead.
However, my dog does not care about my excuses. Somewhere between the front door and the second block, the fog lifts a little. Not magically. Not dramatically. Just enough. Not every day is an outdoor day. Some days…winter wins…the couch wins…my nervous system wins. So, we get creative. Treats down the hallway. Puzzle toys on the floor. Ball pit chaos in the living room. Running stairs because we are both bored and slightly unhinged. Is it a workout? Who knows. Is my dog happy? Absolutely.
January and February have reminded me that fitness does not have to be aspirational. It can be functional and super messy. It can also be unplanned and the bare minimum sometimes and still meaningful. Right now, it is not about glow-ups. It is about not letting winter swallow you whole, finding one reason to stand up, put on shoes, and go outside, even when you would rather disappear into a blanket. Mine just happens to have four legs and very strong opinions about walk times. So, if you are tired, unmotivated, and slightly over this season…Same. Grab the leash anyway. Not for discipline. Not for progress. Just so you do not spend another day completely still.
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Cassi Anderson
