Okay! You’re three weeks into the new year, five weeks away from the winter solstice. Have you recovered enough from the holidays to get back up on that health and fitness horse?
Starting and re-starting health and fitness goals can feel like running around a hamster wheel. Create a plan, rock it for a while, get interrupted, fall out of the habit, reassess plan, and restart the plan. Please don’t get discouraged. Finding the habits that work for you and your life is not always something you get in the first try.
Also, keep in mind that your needs, your interests, your goals, and your body change over time. The pandemic also made most of us have to adjust our routines and many of us are still trying to get our footing after that readjustment.
So, it’s a new year, which is as good a time as any to recommit to your health!
WHAT’S THE “RIGHT” THING TO DO?
There is no one right way to get movement into your routine. That being said, we are a sedentary society, and we need to incorporate more intentional movement, which will increase our overall health and prolong our lives.
Here’s what the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends:
“Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.”
The American Medical Association (AMA) says:
“Every healthy adult 18 to 65 years of age needs at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity five days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity three days a week.”
You can start there, if you like, and figure out what that means for you. It will be different for different people.
If your goal is to get in 20 minutes of movement that raises your heart rate three times a week, what will that look like for you? Will you get on an elliptical? Did you buy a pandemic-inspired Peloton? Will you go jogging? Take a brisk walk?
SETTING A GOAL
Goals need to be clear enough for you to know how to work toward them. Goals I hear clients describe are:
Walk more (how often, for how long, and where?)
Get to the gym more often (when can you fit that into your day, and what will you do there?)
Get on my bike this summer (and do what?)
Go swimming (where, and do what for how long?)
You can do anything!
All I ask is that you be really clear with yourself about what you’re going to do.
Identify what your goal is (lose weight, feel energized, gain muscle, increase joint mobility)
Figure out how you want to get to that goal.
Set a realistic schedule that takes your current physical condition, your schedule, and your likes and dislikes into account).
Start slow and build.
Listen to your body.
That last one is so important. There are days when you will feel like you can conquer the world. There will be other days when you have a joint or back issue that needs protecting. You may not have gotten a lot of sleep or haven’t had enough to eat so you need to take it slow.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?
Finding the right fit for you is key to a plan that you can follow through on.
Just because your best friend loves running, doesn’t mean you will. So, if you try to start running with her, you’ll begin to hate it and come up with every excuse you can to not go.
I know what I don’t like: running, treadmills, HIIT, and bootcamps in particular. I also know what I love: Pilates, hatha yoga, planks, and weights. I try to only do what feels right so that I don’t get in my own way.
There are a lot of ways you can get movement in:
Spin classes
Pilates (reformer, tower or mat)
Yoga (power, hot, hatha, yin, flow, Ashtanga, restorative, Bikram, etc.)
Running/jogging/walking (outside or on a treadmill)
Bicycling (outside, on a stationary or recumbent bike)
Weight lifting (light to heavy, it’s your choice)
TRX
Barre (Xtend, Pure, Barre Method, etc.)
Dance classes (hip-hop, pole dancing, belly dancing, tap, ballet, even dancing like no like is watching!)
Swimming (laps, water aerobics)
Tai Chi or Qi Gong
Martial arts (kung fu, kyuki-do, taekwando, karate, etc.)
Fencing
Gardening
Orange Theory
Surfing
This is a limited list, but I hope it helps remind you that there are lots of ways to get movement in that you might actually enjoy.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
When you create a goal for yourself you need to take a couple of things into consideration that you may have ignored up until now, and therefore have wondered why your plans never work out.
Be honest with yourself as to what level you are at.
If you haven’t worked out in months or years, don’t say you’re going to go to the gym five days a week out of the gate. Let your body get accustomed to this movement and strengthen slowly.
The time of day you choose to work out is vital.
I know that if I don’t get a workout in before about 11am, it’s never going to happen. Some people get up at 4am to workout (that’s too early for me!) because that’s the best time for them. Others go right after work. What works for you?
Know how much your body wants and/or can handle.
If you sit all day, I’m guessing your body wants movement of some sort. That might mean stretches or light yoga. It might mean three hours of back-to-back classes on a Saturday (I did that during my extreme years). Find your own happy medium.
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Pay attention to what you like, want, and can do. Push yourself now and then to test your limits, but don’t push yourself into injury. Some days you’ll have more to give and others you’ll have less. I have days when I can do bike, weights and hatha yoga. Other days I need to slow down to yin yoga. And on other I need to slow down even further to restorative yoga.
It’s all about your relationship with your body and your intuition.
Making changes can be tough and it helps to either do it with someone or have an accountability buddy. I had a workout buddy during quarantine and it worked out great. We texted every morning and I didn’t miss a day because I had her.
As your Integrative Life Coach I can help you create a mindful plan and with a greater chance of success. Plus, I can be that accountability for you, one person who will check in on you without judgement or expectation.
I also have some free printables for the health of your body. Make sure you sign up for my newsletter to get four exclusive printables, including one for healthy habits!