Understanding Your Fitness
We’ve all been there, setting a goal to be more active, buying a gym membership and vowing never to miss a day, waking up early to workout, squeezing in the gym after work or school and the list goes on. With so much information and so little context, it sometimes feels like a struggle to find the routine that works for you.
Over the years, we’ve collectively tried a variety of workouts:
HIIT
Yoga
Outdoor Sports
Strength Training
Cardiovascular
Plyometric
Pilates
Kickboxing
Swimming
LIIT
And too many to list!
There are people that can work out on their own with instructional videos, and others that enjoy the setting of a gym, while the rest partner with friends or significant others for joint support. There really is no wrong way to go about it, as long as you are taking action! What we’ve personally found took trial and error, maintaining a curious mind and being mindful of our bodies, we developed a lasting at-home fitness routine.
Any time you start a new routine, or even as you feel yourself progressing, pay attention to how you're feeling both physically and emotionally. This is one of the keys to a lasting and evolving fitness routine. Ask yourself:
Pre-Workout “Am I excited/nervous about this?”
During Workout “How’s my body feeling?”
Post Workout “Would I do this again?”
While you’re asking, check in with your body without being too critical and pay attention to the different sensations that you’re feeling, for example:
Burning sensation in the muscles- lactic acid build-up (generally relieves within 1 hour)
Sweating
Heartbeat pre, during, and post-workout
Breathing patterns
Mindset/Mood
Energy Level
The care and attention you take to analyzing your fitness routine allow you to be in control of your progress, modifying as many aspects as you need such as:
Length of workout
Intensity of workout
Type of workout
Change is good! Change is even better when it’s incremental…we’ve both had our fair share of injuries, overcoming health struggles, and simply just not having the time to work out. The hardest lesson is to accept incremental growth, which means one step at a time and not overburdening your body. Build strength, lose weight, gain weight, whatever goal you set, always apply the same foundation and be aware of your collective movement throughout the day. Fitness routines often forget to mention and focus on our daily activities and depending on what type of day you had your energy level might not always match your body's ability for that moment. Yes, for that moment, don’t judge yourself for missing a workout and then punish your body by cramming more in, embrace that there are other moments and intensity-appropriate activities that you could do in its place.
Don’t overlook these day-to-day activities that activate your body:
Housecleaning
Gardening
Walking
Cooking
Housework
Dancing
Laughing
Seriously? Laughing? YES!!! Take that laughter and make your routine enjoyable, and stay connected for more of how we discovered the keys to sustainable fitness!