Working out has always been hard for me. I’ve always dreaded it, and it was never something I enjoyed. Half of me cried at the thought of it, and the other half knew I had to do it but it never made me feel the way it should. Everybody raved about the great time they had at the gym, but that was literally my biggest fear. In fact, the gym is still something I am not friends with, and that’s okay. However, I’ve grown to love exercising, and it’s because I learned it doesn’t always have to be a treadmill or lifting weights. If that’s your jam, good for you. If it’s not, here are a few ways you can become more active!
- Try a dance workout.
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When I think of dancing, I think of fun. I’ve never really seen it as exercise. When I discovered YouTube dancing workouts, my life changed forever. I now start every morning with a few of these. My favorites are Pamela Reif and Mad Fit. However, it doesn’t have to be a streamlined workout like those. Simply jamming out to your favorite songs for half an hour or having a dance party with your friends is a fun way to get your heart pumping.
- Ditch the car.
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A simple way to get some extra steps in is to walk to your destination. You could even bike or skateboard, but ditching a car or bus is probably the quickest way to be more active. To make this transition easier, start with once or twice a week and before you know it you’ll be wanting to walk everywhere you go. Taking the stairs falls under this category.
- Take a break.
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Studying, midterms, Zoom classes. They have all become the new norm. They have also made it easy to be in bed or at a desk all day. Every 20 minutes or so, get up and try doing some jumping jacks or high knees for five minutes. These add up, and by the end of the day, you’ve done more exercise than you think.
- Try going for a hike.
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One of the perks of Boulder is that there are mountains all around. Show the Flatirons some love and try going on a hike. I’ll admit, this one used to freak me out because it just seemed so hard. It took one hike for me to fall in love with it and here’s why. You can go at your own pace and you can turn around at any point you’d like. The best part? When you reach the top of the trail and look down to see what you’ve just accomplished, you feel prouder than you can imagine.
- Get a group of friends together.
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If you’re feeling unmotivated to exercise, the best way to change that is to do it with some friends. Setting goals together and watching each other achieve them is such a wholesome way to get active. You learn from each other and on the hardest days, they are there to motivate and encourage your journey.
- Try an exercise class.
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Speaking of the more the merrier, trying a workout class might be for you. If you don’t enjoy it because you don’t know where to start, this is especially for you. Zumba, Yoga, HIIT, Pilates. The options are endless.
- Do it when the time is right.
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I am someone who has to schedule my day to the t. However, planning exercise doesn’t work for me. Sometimes the time rolls around and I’m not motivated so I just don’t do it. If you leave it to your intuition, however, you will want to do it and get more out of it.
- Think about the benefits.
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Exercising is SO good for you. It improves your mood, boosts energy, increases life span, helps you sleep and makes you more focused. These things are that we all want, and it starts with half an hour of your day.
- Feed your soul.
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There are days where you just cannot get out of bed. I get it. Try to stretch or to meditate, because that counts too. Remember that tomorrow will be a new day and that you got this.
At the end of the day, no matter what exercise looks like for you, know that you are doing great. Whether it’s walking your pets or having a dance party with your mirror at three am it counts, and it doesn’t have to look the same every day.