In This Post:
- The importance of fitness to our physical and mental health.
- Four tips to get your fitness routine started over break.
This time of year is often when people start reflecting and focusing on new goals for the next year. Don’t forget about taking care of yourself. As little as 30 minutes of exercise a day can improve our physical and mental health. Continue reading for Four Ways to begin a fitness routine over break.
Create a Plan
Ben Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This is especially true for our nutrition and fitness. We all approach fitness in a variety of ways, i.e. walking, running, lifting weights, yoga, and dancing. Our bodies respond to exercise differently, too. Some people find once they start exercising, they instantly see a difference. Others learn to work hard on what works best for their body in order to see long-term goals, perhaps by researching into ways to improve their muscle by taking supplements such as Power Life supplements to increase their protein levels. A fitness journey can only be successful if you are consistent – so find what works and stick to it! Create a plan, whether it is working out 3 times a week or daily. Schedule your workout time as if it was a doctor appointment or meeting. Something you can’t miss! At the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone else and what motivates you, or even what makes you feel nervous. If you’re female and the idea of going to a mixed gym intimidates you, look for options like Mandurah gyms, where you know it’ll just be other women there working on their fitness, just like you.
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Start Slow
Once your plan is in place, start slow. Don’t try to do too much too fast, your body will not respond well! I’ve made this mistake in my fitness journey and failed. Set achievable and realistic goals. If you’re too sore from an activity the previous day, don’t do as much the next day. Additionally, invest in some good equipment and clothing that protects your muscles from exercise, such as looking into the greatest elbow sleeve to protect a sore elbow for example. By making sure you start slow and protect your muscles, you are less at risk of injury and needing extended recovery time. Recovery time for me only increases if I don’t give my body enough time to recover. Start slow.
Find Friends to Join You
Fitness with friends is a lot more enjoyable than doing it alone. Friends also hold you accountable to show up and do the work. Group fitness classes are another way to get started and be part of a fitness community. My wife and I meet a group to run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesday and Thursdays, we either take the day off or go to a group fitness class. Find friends who enjoy the same fitness activities.
If you don’t have friends to join you, find “digital” friends. Start listening to an upbeat album you enjoy or listening to a new podcast. Whether finding friends or finding a great playlist, it will help you feel like fitness is fun instead of it feeling like work.
Download and Utilize Tracking Apps
It’s important to track your workouts, so you not only feel accomplished, but have a base line to compare your progress later in your fitness journey. There are literally hundreds of fitness and nutrition apps on the market. If you are just starting, I would recommend downloading My Fitness Pal, or a similar app to log water and food. With the fitness world changing with the times, many businesses are now supplying online services so you can exercise from your own home with trusted support to really help you in your journey. Ensuring you are part of a fitness centre that offers online services is a sure way to challenge yourself with home workouts that work around you. For exercise activities, start with Map My Run or similar app to get moving. Map My Run allows you to track a variety of other activities, not just running. If you have a smartwatch, they will come with an app you can use for tracking fitness activities. The apps I mentioned sync with most smartwatches, too!
Start Today
The key to beginning a self-care and fitness routine is starting NOW. Take the momentum of a few workouts in 2019 into the new decade and beyond.
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About Jeremy Rinkel
