What Exercise can you do this week?

What Exercise can you do this Week?

Exercise actually gives us energy!

Exercise has also been shown to be great for reducing stress, anxiety and depression, as well as keeping us looking and feeling younger.

Think about how you feel after you’ve been sitting around for hours, versus how you feel when you’re up moving around. You feel better when you’re active.

You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to get the benefits of exercise. 

If you’ve taken a break from exercise since the lockdown, start with something simple like a 20-minute walk. A great initiative at the moment is the #100daysof walking and it is never too late to start. Look at ways you can add more activity into your day – a short walk during your lunch break, another walk after work perhaps.  If finding 20-30 minutes at a time is challenging, see how you can break it up into smaller chunks of time.  10 minutes, here and 10 minutes there – it adds up! 

The key is to start with something and COMMIT to it.  It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. 

What gets measured gets done.  

Having an activity tracker like a Fitbit, apple watch or your smartphone will have a health app is a great way to see how active you are.  Activity trackers can give you an idea of how many calories you burn during the day, and it can be motivating to see your progress. 

It helps to have a goal of 10,000 steps per day and see how close you get to that each day.  If you are just starting out, a goal of 5,000 per day for the first month may be more realistic. Remember to check with your doctor before you start a new exercise routine.  

Find a friend or coworker that has similar goals and figure out something you can do together to help keep each other accountable. If you can’t go out together even just take a picture of your steps and send to each other every evening. You can also send to our Facebook Members Page where we are all trying to eat healthily and move more. For many people, this can be a huge help and a great motivator.  Studies show that when there is a support system in place, people do much better sticking to their goals. 

Do you prefer to work out at home? Great! There are endless options for workouts to choose from for every fitness level. Options include exercise DVD’s, online workouts, fitness apps and more. Try our online workouts if you are looking for ideas.

Joining a gym is a great option too.  When restriction lift and if you can invest in a personal trainer to get you started, you’ll see results quicker and be assured that you’re using proper form to prevent injuries.  

There are plenty of exercise options available – some are not available at the moment but you can find something you enjoy so you’ll look forward to it rather than considering it a chore. Here are just a few: 

• Walking
• Running
• Dancing
• Biking
• Skating 
• Rowing
• Swimming
• Strength training
• Group exercise classes at the gym
• At-home workout DVD’s
• Online workouts 
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Kickboxing
• Martial Arts
• Boxing
• Cross Fit 
• TRX suspension 

So, what will you start with this week?  Put the days and times on your calendar just as you would for an important appointment.  

Tip:  Get your workout clothes ready the night before and have them laid out all so you’re ready to go.  Put them where they’ll be one of the first things you see when you wake up.  If you work out in the morning, put your workout clothes on first thing, before you do anything else.  

Note: always check with your doctor first before starting a new exercise routine.

What type of exercise can you plan to do this week?  

Now, jump into our Facebook group and let us know what you’re planning to do. 

Need ideas and encouragement – join us to see what others are doing ☺