The main motive that drives us to change our current lifestyle should be health and wellness. What better way to do that than making exercising a lifestyle commitment. Continue reading this post on ‘Exercise: Make it a lifestyle’.
IT BEGINS WITH YOU
The motive behind exercising should be very clear in your head and it most certainly shouldn’t be unrealistic fads or myths. The main motive that drives you to change your current lifestyle should be health and wellness.
If the past year is any proof, it clearly indicates that nothing is certain. Uncertainty truly guided out lives. This much needed proof guided my thoughts and made me realise that it was high time I took control of my life and wellbeing, like having my own workout routine. Ever since I made that decision, there was no turning back. I’m not going to be unrealistic here and tell you that it was a smooth upward graph. Of course it wasn’t. There were some days where I couldn’t get myself to be active but I just let my body have that break instead of hating on it. I didn’t let the fear of losing restrict me from trying.
Slowly, but surely, I realised that even on the days I felt like being a log, my brain was drawn by the desire to crave that post workout glow and hormones. The strength, agility and ultimate results that I saw were a huge motivator to keep going.
The crux of what I’m trying to put across is –
- The want for change should start with YOU
- Even if you fall off, it is your mindset that picks you up
- The results act as a great motivator
DISCOVER A PATTERN AND FLOW
Consistency is the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to any aspect of achievement. Once you find this piece and figure out a way of putting the pieces together, you’ve completed your puzzle. Working out for a month, two months, three months and so on is never going to be an answer. Consistency in making it part of your lifestyle is the major change you need to make. This key part also made me realise that, exercising became a daily stress-buster for me.
Find a program that works for you and stick with it. In todays day and age, there is such a variety out there for you to try –
- Running groups + Gym groups
- Dancing/Zumba
- Fitness Influencers (make sure you do your research)
- A coach who has known you for a while and knows your goals
- A friend who has the knowledge and is willing to guide you
- Calisthenics
- Gymnastics
- Crossfit
There are so many more as well. My personal tip would be to first do your research and see what you like. Then approach someone you personally know or is a mutual friend, who has basic knowledge of how to get you started and let them guide you. This could be a coach who has known you for a while or your insanely fitness oriented best friend. There are a lot of people out there ready to help you out. Maybe not free of charge but maybe even at a subsidised rate. Ultimately it narrows down to this- what is stopping you from investing in your own health?
REACH OUT FOR HELP
The reason I have put this under a separate heading even though it is linked to the previous one is due to how important it is to stray away from misguidance.
There are so many things that could affect your body in a negative way, if you don’t reach out for help from the right people. Every ‘body’ is build differently and what works for me might not work for you depending on so many factors.
This is why I stress so much on finding something you love, something that is right for you and something that you can stick to. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT follow the HERD MENTALITY. By this, I mean, just because a couple of family members or friends benefitted from Intermittent fasting or a ketogenic diet, doesn’t mean that it will work for you or even be beneficial to your body. So, remember to do what works for you!
CREATE A COMMUNITY
This is my favorite one – Find the tribe with whom you can vibe!
If you find an individual or group of people to workout with on a daily basis, you have found gold. Yes, there are times that you will want to workout alone and sometimes you have to, but having those few around you, to motivate you and compete (healthy competition) with you is blissful.
Various benefits –
- They don’t allow you to snooze on your goals – accountability
- They motivate you even on days that you feel low
- You push yourself harder when you’re around them
- They will be there through the falls and see that you land on your feet
Finding these people takes time because you have to put yourself out there in the community consistently. It personally took me more than a year but I found the people who motivate me and it has just become a part of my lifestyle to the point where I can’t go too long without working out and neither can they.
REST
Now, coming to my last pitch to get you into this cult…. Just kidding. One of the game changers to get better everyday, is getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep so that the body gets ample rest for the next day. The time you give your body to recover also enhances the impact(results) your training has on your body. I, myself, am a law student and it is not easy to get enough rest, but that is where time management, planning and accountability comes in. Having someone plan my workouts for me (knowledgeable friend, coach) and being accountable to them worked like a charm for me. Not only was I able to get much stronger but I learned so much along the way which helps me guide others to achieve consistency in exercising regularly as a lifestyle change.
Lastly, if you feel absolutely lost or unable to assess where to start, you can get in touch with me here. It is always inspiring to learn through someone else’s story (could be my story) and depending on what you seek, I could connect you to someone who does have the required tools to get your machine started.
When it comes to nutrition, I will have to write another dedicated post for it. Let me know in the comments if you would like me to cover an article on nutrition as well which I can write for Delicious Cravings at Vania’s Kitchen too.
Things to do – MAKE THAT LIFESTYLE CHANGE AND MAKE IT A CONSISTENT ONE!
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Also Read:
- How to form a new habit
- This is why sleep is better than a Netflix all-nighter
- Goal setting for 2021
- Types of Self-Care
Eden de Horta Ribeiro is currently a law student and a consistent exercise and fitness junkie. She is part of the Truly Soulfully Team and one of our newest members to join the team this year 2021. She is extremely passionate about her hobbies which include singing, dancing and playing the guitar. She’s also a black belt in Karate and has competed internationally in the Sport.
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Thank you!
Have a great weekend!!