Which one are you? The one who can’t wait to start the workout or the one who sees exercising as the worst evil?
I must admit that for a really long time, I was the latter.
I always viewed exercise as a chore. You have to find the time in your busy schedule. You need to get dressed appropriately. And then, even if you make it to the gym, there is the pressure to already look fit.
What’s more. Most likely you are dreading exercising because the reason why you decided to do F-45 or CrossFit, or another fad, is to lose weight.
It is not that you don’t want to lose weight. Of course, you do! But if you only could do it without working out!
I hear you. But what if I told you that physical activity is as physical as it is mental? What if you could look forward to your daily workouts with a simple mindset shift?
Interested? Then keep reading as I’ll show you how you prepare mentally to start exercising and make it part of your daily routine.
Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
I’m sure you know the benefits of regular physical activity. Stronger bones and muscles, more palpable tissue, improved cardiovascular health, and larger lung capacity. In addition, the body’s natural painkillers, endorphins, are released during exercising.
But above all, you will feel better, fitter, and healthier.
What would it mean to you to feel that way? What would you be able to do if you were fit? If you felt good and energetic?
Maybe you want to get to the summit of Mt. Kosciuszko with your daughter? Or maybe you want to have the strength to lift your kids and play with them? Or maybe you want to look confident in your favourite dress during that work function that is coming up?
Let me tell you a secret.
The biggest benefit of regular physical activity is the most personal one. Because feeling fit, energetic, and healthy is as personal as it gets.
So, how can you link your unique benefit to exercising? Because after all, when you feel inspired, energetic, and optimistic, you can open many doors.
There are millions of workout plans, so pick one that you like. Don’t make it hard on yourself. The hardest part is to start, but when you choose a physical activity that you enjoy, taking the first step can be easy.
Exercising Everyday Can Be Easy
As I mentioned earlier, I was never a fan of exercising. Every time I thought about push-ups, squats, or planks, I felt unmotivated. And because I wasn’t on a quest to lose weight, I didn’t see a reason to exercise at all.
After all, when you shop for yoga pants, you don’t think about the strong bones you will have!
Research shows that there are serious consequences of having a sedentary life. You not only can put on weight, but you may feel aches, pains, and stiffness in your body. You may even develop chronic conditions or experience headaches and lower back pain more often.
And your mood can plummet too.
However, as much as the data is convincing, the long hours of sitting in front of a desk are rarely the motivator to get into exercise, are they? You may think about working out when you’re sitting down, but the moment you get up, your motivation evaporates.
My breakthrough came when I was overstressed, burn out, and struggling with depression. At that time, I didn’t know I had no energy because I wasn’t regularly exercising. And if you suffer from a mental disorder like depression or anxiety, exercising is the last thing on your mind anyways.
The most important thing that I learned was that energy creates energy.
So, if you want to feel more energetic, you need to move your body. And if you want to change how you feel, you can make it happen by working out.
Working out to lose weight or to get fit are great reasons. But what if your reason to exercise was to feel better and have more energy? When you go deeper and understand the core reason of why to exercise, you will make it part of your daily routine without hesitation.
What Is a Good Workout Routine?
Changing the way how you feel will get you started with exercising. But to stick with it, you need to dig a little bit deeper. The question you need to ask yourself is fairly simple.
Why do you want to exercise?
Yes, I said want. Because as with anything in life, to feel motivated and have the energy to follow through, you need to want to do the thing in the first place. If you are a parent, you know how hard it is to get your little one to eat brussels sprouts!
Motivation works the same way when you are an adult. If you don’t want to do something, you won’t. No matter how beneficial it may be for you.
Losing weight, having killer abs, having stronger bones, elevating your mood, and feeling healthier are all good reasons to get on the exercise train. They may be enough to get you out of bed at 5 am, when it is dark and raining, and put your yoga pants on.
Exercising is the quickest way to change how you feel. It is also the faster way to build a mind-body connection. And if you can combine hamstring stretching with focusing on your breath and the now, then you have the perfect workout routine.
When you combine them both, you can be sure that you will not only strengthen your body but also your mind. Your mental energy creates your physical energy. To have the motivation to lose weight, battle depression, or build health, you need to have the power to do so.
Wouldn’t be worth it?
How to Start Exercising
You may want to start exercising to stay fit. Fitness itself is great, but is it enough to get you in workout clothes?
Or you may want to start exercising for health. Strong bones, muscles, improved heart rate, and better body resistance are all part of good health.
But let’s face it, the real benefit of exercise is the deepest personal reason that only you can benefit from. Getting crystal clear on the reason why you want to exercise can shift the dynamic.
It can move you from feeling depressed and unmotivated to joyful and energetic. After all, energy creates energy.
And when you look for the perfect workout routine, combine body movements with mindful breathing to get the full benefit of exercising.
Imagine that you are the fittest you have ever been, your weight is in check, your body is strong, and your mind is prosperous. What would you feel? What would you be able to accomplish?
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