For sure, 2020 was far from what we expected it to be. In just a matter of months, we found ourselves with our freedom restricted, and as a consequence of that, many of us felt frozen towards the current situation. Even though it was a challenge to adapt to the new scenario, we knew everyone was going through the same process, which somehow made us feel more patient towards our productivity and overall adaptability.
I know we are living a challenging time until today, but for some reason, 2020 was one of my best years. Simply because I could finally find the meaning behind daily activities I felt I was doing on “auto-pilot” and understand what really matters for me — which I will leave for another article. Today I want to talk about something that gave me a purpose during quarantine and boosted my mood when I was feeling out of control of my daily routine.
I have always been an active person in terms of physical exercise. I love exercising and being a ballet dancer for almost 17 years; moving my body was a daily thing for me. However, with quarantine, I found myself without going to my dance classes, yoga practice, or even to the gym. That’s when I decided to dedicate myself to activities that could not only keep me active but help my mood to encourage a productive routine. Here are my tips on how you can activate your physical practice again to a more healthy lifestyle:
- Understand What You Love To Do
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I know this can be a challenge, but we can totally realize what we love to do and find the proper practice for that. Finding what keeps you motivated in a daily routine can be a tip. You can combine two things you love doing at once! For example, if you love to play some music and move around, definitely check out dance workouts with songs from artists you absolutely love! Or if you love to be outdoors, find some activities that you can do so. This can be an encouraging tool.
Understanding what you love to do not related to physical exercise is crucial. Are you a more energetic person, or do you prefer low-impact activities? If you rather do a workout with more inner connection, try yoga or even ballet!
- Create a Routine
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The gold tip for creating a new habit is exercising the same activity by creating a routine. The same way we are so used to brush our teeth as we wake up, exercising can fit in our daily lives just like that! One of the things that deeply encouraged me to create a physical exercise routine was to think that even only thirty minutes of activity can significantly impact our wellbeing. If we think about it, thirty minutes in our day is nothing! Instead of scrolling down on social media laying in bed, why not use that few minutes to move our bodies? Separating just those minutes every day is not hard and is a great start line to create a routine for ourselves.
- Trace Your Goals
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To keep ourselves motivated, it is not new that we must hold ourselves accountable. If we trace goals and plans for our physical activities, it can help us stick to those. After we set up our daily routine, for example, separating thirty minutes each day, we can start goal setting. To help with that, we can ask ourselves:
• What is my main objective of exercising?
• Where do I want to get in terms of physical performance in the next couple of months? Do I want to increase my beginner level to an intermediate?
• What is the best outcome for my lifestyle if I stick to this routine?
If we can honestly answer those questions, anytime we feel demotivated, we can look up to those as reminders of why we started!
- Use Clothing & Tools That You Love
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It’s no secret that having stuff we love makes us feel more motivated! Through research and studies, performance psychology has proven the power of rituals, especially involving clothing and the power of such pieces. While exercising, make sure to wear athletic appear that are proper for the activity. This way, our brains can make such associations increasing our rates of achieving high performance — separate clothes in your wardrobe that are activewear.
In the same way with clothing, only keeping tools that bring us joy and feel motivated is essential. If you are doing yoga, buy a cute mat in your favorite color, or even light a smell-good candle to make you more comfortable. All those components affect our performance and motivation more than we think.
- Best Resources To Keep You Motivated
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Another tip for staying active is definitely finding the best resources to keep you motivated. I got say that each of us has a resource that works best for us. For that, you must analyze your goals and what you love doing to find the best option. I’ll share here two resources that definitely kept me motivated so far:
• Down Dog Apps
Down Dog has many apps for different types of workout you can imagine, and a bonus is that every time you log in, you get a new workout routine — so there’s no space for boredom! Some of the apps they have are related to yoga, HIIT, and barre exercises. They have a free trial, and usually, for students, they extend the trial period. You can set up everything about your workout: time, what part of the body to work on, the background music, the voice guiding, the level of exercises, and so much more. You can download the apps through appstore or access in your browser. It’s definitely a must-have in your phone or iPads to keep you active!
• MadFit
I discovered Maddie by searching dance workouts on YouTube, and I definitely can’t exercise more without having one of her videos on. She has various exercise styles for all the different athletes out there, workouts such as dance, ballet, partner activities (YES, it can be so much fun!), cardio, and even apartment friendly. The best part of her channel is that it keeps you motivated as her videos are very dynamic and don’t repeat the same exercise series. She also plays in her videos famous songs that we love to sing out loud! Maddie is definitely a workout guru you want to follow!
- Celebrate Your Small Achievements
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Many times, not only in physical exercises, we forget to celebrate the small achievements we make. We must always remember and recognize every slight improvement we make in ourselves, as they are what get us going in those lazy and demotivated days. You should be your number one fan and cheerleader!
It’s never too late to create an active routine and increase your wellbeing changing your lifestyle. Remember to always stick to something you love doing, as everything made with love makes life softer. Have fun in your next workout!