It’s common to feel hesitant about fitness at first. Is there a way to incorporate fitness into our new way of working at home? Everyone has challenges and stumbling blocks when it comes to staying active and healthy. But the benefits of being more physically fit are well-documented, not to mention widely acknowledged by experts.
Getting fit can decrease your risk for disease, improve your mood, strengthen your muscles and bones, increase your stamina, and even help you sleep better. Maybe fitness comes before work. Maybe completing sedentary tasks come as a result of a workout.
The question is: How can you make fitness more comfortable for you? It takes some getting used to if you’ve never worked out before, but with time and practice, it gets easier. Here are some tips that might help you ease into a routine that feels good instead of awkward and uncomfortable.
Plan with a specific goal
If you have a specific goal in mind, you’ll feel more motivated to get fit. In addition, you’ll have a reason to make better nutrition choices, carve out time for fitness, and take better care of yourself. Whether your goal is to lose weight, run a marathon, or simply feel healthier and happier, it’s easier to stay on track if you have a purpose. It’s also helpful to have a fitness buddy to keep you accountable. If fitness is a routine that you have to schedule time for, it’s more likely to become a regular part of your life.
Find a physical activity you enjoy
There are many fitness options and ways to make fitness a part of your life. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the options, start with a simple routine that you enjoy. Not feeling sure about the type of exercise you want is typical. Try a few out and see what feels right for you. If you’re still stumped, try out a few different types of physical activities until you find something that you enjoy doing. As a result, you might find that you’re a runner, yogi, tennis player, or golfer—or maybe you decide you love a combination of activities. Can you incorporate work into exercise?
Wear the right fitness gear
If there’s one thing that keeps people from getting active, it’s feeling self-conscious about their bodies. It’s easy to feel you must have a specific body type to be a runner or cyclist. And while it’s true that some fitness activities are better for your body type than others, you don’t have to rule out all sports because of your body type. If getting active in a particular way makes you uncomfortable, wearing the right gear can help. For example, you might not want to start running in a sports bra, but you might be more comfortable wearing a sports bra or even investing in some comfy t-shirt bras if you’re trying to run more frequently.
Incorporate flexibility and strength exercises
Flexibility and strength exercises go hand in hand in many fitness routines. You can do both things at home, and they don’t have to take up much of your time. Remember to get enough rest between workouts when incorporating workouts into your routine. If you don’t, this can lead to painful overuse injuries, which can keep you out of the gym for months or years. Make sure you get enough rest between your workouts.
Start with short workouts
If you’re just starting to get active, starting slowly is essential. If you’re just getting into fitness, start with short workouts. You can increase the length of your workout as you get more robust and comfortable. Working out for a shorter time can make fit fitness into your schedule more manageable.
Flexible workouts with a flexible work schedule. Is that too far into the future?
