Exercise has been shown to decrease your response to stress by lowering stress hormones like cortisol, and releasing endorphins which elevate your mood and reduce pain. 53% of adults say they feel good about themselves after they exercise and 35% say it puts them in a good mood. But many people wonder which exercises are best and how they can develop a good routine. This guide will help you achieve fitness goals and avoid common pitfalls.
Set Your Goals
Setting goals that are realistic and achievable is one of the most difficult parts of establishing a fitness routine, and it’s a reason that many people’s workout routines fail. Set initial micro-goals that you can achieve, then work from there. Setting a giant and overwhelming goal from the start can be discouraging if you don’t succeed as quickly as you want.
Try Something New and Blend Your Workouts
Many people break exercise down into cardio versus weight training, but you don’t have to limit yourself to one or the other. For instance, you might set a goal to run a marathon or half marathon so you can develop better mental resilience and lose weight. Cardio will be important, but remember that strength training can help you improve your speed and avoid injury. Blending your workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals and improve your recovery efforts.
Include Outdoor Workouts
Getting outside for a workout provides new challenges, as terrain and opportunities are different. Shape notes research that specifically shows exercising outside provides greater enjoyment and satisfaction and is associated with a greater chance of sticking to it. Exercising outdoors when stress is high can also help just by changing from a location that might be associated with whatever is causing you to feel overwhelmed.
Try Easy At Home Routines
It’s not necessary for you to carve out time to travel to the gym, use the downtime that’s a normal part of your day along with things you already have in your house. You don’t need your own workout room, you can dance around the kitchen while dinner is in the oven or do some walking lunges on your way to the trash can. You’ll be improving your mood along with your heart and muscles without ever leaving the house.
Create Rewards and Cues
You can use cues and external stimuli to develop a healthy fitness routine. Research reflects people who consistently manage to work out often have a cue to help them exercise. It doesn’t matter if your cue is an alarm on your phone or a feeling that you get consistently in the evening; the same cues and motivations that encourage us to binge watch TV, eat a meal, or wake up can be used to create a healthy fitness habit. Rewards also help, whether it’s doing something you like or eating something delicious.
Don’t Forget Nutrition
People who have experience in fitness recognize that diet and physical activity work hand in hand. Justifying dietary decisions because you had a great workout is an easy slip-up that can actually wreck your fitness goals. The best diet is one that starts in the grocery store. If it’s not in the house, you can’t eat it, right? The American Heart Association advises shopping the outer aisles of the store first, where the fresh fruits, veggies and dairy are kept. Don’t feel like you should cut out all unhealthy food. Just eat primarily healthy food and sprinkle in the occasional treat.
It’s important to create habits by training your body to respond positively to everyday signs. Remember, any kind of exercise can have a positive impact on your mental health and happiness. Sticking to your routine will undoubtedly bring a host of positive physical benefits, but the best might be the freedom and autonomy that you earn.
Guest Author: Lydia Chan
