Exercising is a long withstanding pillar of a healthy lifestyle, and yet, it might be one of the most challenging activities to stay dedicated to over time. Have you ever implemented a workout routine to your daily lifestyle, for it to be simply tossed to the side after a couple of weeks? When it comes to exercise, consistency is just as important as the act itself, but achieving a consistent exercise routine is easier said than done. Movement, no matter how intense, is vital to a person’s physical and mental health. Below, we have compiled a list of exercise recommendations in hopes of inspiring you in terms of sustainability and versatility.
How To Sustain an Exercise Routine in this Day and Age
Despite the overwhelming evidence that exercise can benefit both men and women’s health in more ways than one, maintaining an exercise routine can be a daunting and overwhelming activity to tackle. In recent months, I have managed to maintain a consistent exercise routine for the first time in my life, and I owe this new revelation to an assortment of tips and tricks that I will share with you today.
1. Exercise in ways you enjoy, and allow room for versatility.
While it might seem straightforward, this idea of exercising in the ways you love, rather than the ways you feel expected to, can be very challenging for some people. Much of the gym fatigue that I was experiencing was rooted in the fact that I was trying to follow someone else’s exercise journey rather than my own. After much trial and error, I realized I did not need to stick to one type of exercise over another. Instead, I tried implementing forms of exercise that I enjoyed, but that I never necessarily considered “exercising” due to my restrictive views. Now, my weekly exercise routine is filled with a mix of golfing, YouTube dance classes, hiking, and yoga classes. I realized that when I started to find methods of moving my body that I truly enjoyed, I was less inclined to give it up or ignore its place in my life.
2. Give yourself grace and listen to your body.
The fact that consistency is key when it comes to exercising, does not mean that you cannot give your body a rest from time to time. Many of those times I failed to continue my exercise journey, it was because I talked myself down or tried to amount to something too quickly. An exercise journey, much like any other journey, takes time, and sometimes our bodies need a moment to adjust. If there are days you simply feel the need to rest and recover, do not feel like a failure, but instead acknowledge that you are human.
3. Acknowledge the place that exercise will have in your daily life.
With the minimal amount of free time many of us have in this day and age, it can be hard to decide what to give our attention to. If exercise feels like a chore rather than something to look forward to, it will become easier to avoid. This is why you need to discover the purpose that exercise will have in your life. Given the fact that I am an avid overthinker, exercise acts as a way that I can relieve my stress and pent up emotions. However, everyone’s purpose will look different. For some, exercise can act as their social time where they get together with a friend and participate in some kind of movement together. For others, it could act as a way to boost creativity in their daily life by signing up for dance class. When you give exercise a purpose in your life, you are less likely to shy away from it.
The Initial Benefits You Can Reap From Exercising
While you may not see the physical changes to your body right away from exercise, you are able to experience and reap the mental benefits shortly after exercising. Physical activity helps to boost brain activity, and can even result in triggering dopamine/serotonin levels which are responsible for improving a person’s overall mood. If you struggle with anxiety, depression, or are simply having a rough day, adding in some exercise to your routine can help you to minimize these emotions.
You might also experience a boost of energy initially after exercising, because exertion helps to promote the production of mitochondria in your cells. Due to this reaction, exercise can be a great addition to your afternoon routine, but keep in mind that with this boost of energy comes a delayed decline in energy. About 1 hour to an hour-and-a-half post-workout, you might experience a decline in energy that might make you feel tired. This can be great to capitalize on for bedtime, especially if you are someone who struggles to get a good night’s sleep. However, it is important to catch that lull of time at the right moment.
Lastly, exercise can help you to experience no more bloating due to its ability to promote regular bowel movements. It also can help to improve gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.
Benefits from Exercise That Reach Far Beyond An Immediate Reaction
The benefits of exercise far withstand the initial and immediate reactions. One of the most important aspects of exercise is that you will not only reap positive benefits from it in the present moment, but it will help you exponentially as you become older. As we become older, our bodies and bones start to deteriorate making us lose flexibility, strength, and mobility. However, if you start consistently exercising at an earlier age, you can slow down your body’s aging process and you are able to reap the mobility that a younger age offers for a longer period of time. Exercising regularly can also minimize your chances of developing health conditions such as high blood pressure.
As mentioned above, exercise cannot and should not be restrained to the traditional forms we are accustomed to turning to. However, for the sake of wanting to inspire our readers, we have compiled a list of exercise activities that you can consider adding to your routine.
- Dance classes
- Yoga
- Pilates
- HIIT classes
- Weightlifting
- Boxing
- Hiking
- Cycling
- Walking/Running
We hope that you will feel inspired to add a form of exercise to your routine for both the initial and long withstanding benefits you can reap from it. Both your present and future you will thank you for it.