Exercise is scientifically proven to have great effects on the body and mind. It can help you feel accomplished through meeting exercise goals, as well as build your self-confidence. You will be surprised how quickly your body can adapt, whether that means becoming more flexible, your heartrate staying more even during your workout, or being able to travel further. With the change in season and the warmer weather, spring is a great time to shift your focus to your exercise goals.
Physical activity is not a one-size fits all kind of thing. You need to figure out a routine that works for you. I personally enjoy running, but I know people who consider running to be a form of slow torture. Make your fitness routine something you can enjoy, and so you will be more likely to do it. That doesn’t mean it should be easy. As the saying goes, “No pain, no gain.” However, there shouldn’t be too much pain; be mindful of your body and don’t over-stress it.
If you aren’t sure what type of activity would be good for you, there are many different options. There is always the gym with all of its machines; however, that can be a source of anxiety and discomfort for people (though, it’s probably not as bad as you think). The internet, especially YouTube, is a great source for workout routines. There is everything from cardio to high intensity interval training to body weight workouts to yoga and more. And the best part is that you can do these in the comfort of your own home. This could also work as a great way to jump start your fitness journey, so that possibly you will build the confidence to go to a gym in the future. Another good idea to achieve your fitness quota is to simply get outside and do something. This can be hiking, walking, running, biking, and so on. Being outside in nature has its own benefits, and added to the benefits of physical activity, this option is likely to leave you feeling great.
Try to make your physical activity something social. It is great to have someone to workout with you, and possibly even talk to you, but this is not required. Having someone to track your progress with can really help you stay motivated. Then, you feel like you are accountable to someone if you skip on your plan, or you have someone to celebrate with as you meet your goals together. One way to help fitness be a social affair is to play a sport. No matter what sport you pick, you will always be with at least one other person. This doesn’t have to be an organized game. It can be as simple as playing a pick-up game of basketball with some friends or throwing a Frisbee back and forth. There is no reason why fitness can’t be fun.
Last but not least, it is very important to set goals for yourself to work toward. Some options are a daily step goal, which has become recently popular with the wide-spread use of step counters, distance, amount of calories burned, or some other method of tracking. It is great to follow some kind of plan, which can be as simple as saying that you will work out every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Best of luck developing your body and mind through exercise!
