Why and How You Can Get Consistent with Exercise
I’m a huge believer in the positive effects of movement and exercise on your mental well-being. It is no coincidence that the happiest times of my life are the times that I am most active. It is no surprise that the times when I was fighting to get out of seasons of depression, align with me getting back on track with my physical fitness.
If you’ve ever been 100% on top of it in your workout and movement, you probably recognize a few of the benefits that I have laid out below. For my newbies who don’t consider themselves the workout type, here are just a few things you can look forward to aside from all of the physical benefits of moving your body:
Improved Mood
There have been many studies that show the relation to exercise and enhanced moods. I am definitely happier the more that I move my body. I’ll quote Elle Woods on this one, “ Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t kill their husbands”. And that quote alone is reason enough for any married person to stay on top of their exercise, especially during this day and age.
2. Less stressed
Workouts are a great way to release stress and tension that you are holding onto from everything going on in life. When you workout, not only do you have a time where I’m not thinking about your stress, but you also workout any pent up emotions.
3. More energized
A 30 minute HIIT workout is like a double shot of espresso. You’ll immediately feel more energized and ready to take on the day. When you schedule movement first thing in the morning, you’ll have more energy to get things done throughout the day. Also, by working through a tough workout first thing in the morning, you set yourself up to push through whatever the day throws at you.
Ok, so you’ve got a few reasons to get, or stay active. Staying on top of your exercise routine is not an easy thing to do. I fall off here and there when life gets in the way or a couple of rest days turn into “I can’t remember the last time I worked out.”
Schedule your workouts
Look at your weekly schedule and decide when and where you will workout. This will help you be realistic about your capacity and it will also hold you accountable knowing that the time that you scheduled to workout is likely the most feasible time for it to actually get done.
2. Do what you enjoy
If you hate running, it’s probably a bad idea to make the majority of your exercise 3 mile runs at 6AM. Find something you love. It could be a dance fitness style class, group fitness, virtual classes, or strength training. The key is to figure out what type of movement makes your body and your mind happy and do that.
3. Listen to your body
In the same vein of finding something you enjoy, it is important to listen to your body. I recently finished a 6-week strength and agility program on the Nike Training Club app and now my body is craving mobility and endurance training. So I am going to change up my workouts for a few weeks to make sure that I am still engaged with the work. There was also a time where I found a lot of joy in doing pole fitness for exercise, it took me a long time to let go of that for a season in order to explore other methods of moving when the truth of the matter was that I wasn’t having as much fun with pole fitness as I did when I first discovered it.
Take some time to thank God for your body and being able to use movement as a way to maintain and cultivate joy. If you haven’t already, take some time to schedule some movement for the week. Your body and mind will thank you.
Big love,
Anisa-Naomi