How to make fitness a part of your life – Dos and Don’ts
Is getting fit, being more active, or just moving more, on your 2017 to-to list? We’ve got some straightforward dos and don’ts from Darnelle Moore, mom of three, and owner of the popular (especially with moms) Eastside Fitness and Yoga studio.
One of the best benefits of living a healthy and active lifestyle is the legacy you pass along to your kids.
DO SHARE your goals, plans, and accomplishments with your kids
One of the best benefits of living a healthy and active lifestyle is the legacy you pass along to your kids. Even if you aren’t doing the activities with your kids per se, they are watching you. Imagine your kids as adults saying the phrase “My mom always used to: (insert activity here!) go for a run after work/ walk around the soccer field during our games/take the stairs instead of the escalator/walk home from work/play soccer with her friends on the weekend.” Your kids will know and understand that being active is important. That is motivation for you.
DO KEEP TRACK of what you do every day
Whether you use the latest app or pen and paper, looking back on your day, week, month and seeing all of the healthy/fitnessy activities you participated in is satisfying as well as motivating. If, for any reason you fall off the wagon for a couple of weeks, simply look back at your lists and you will be inspired by your own accomplishments. Include everything you do that is fitness or health related; yoga class, going out for a 10 or 20 minute walk, doing a plank in front of the tv, stretching in the shower. It all counts and over the course of a year, or your lifetime it all adds up.
DO Incorporate DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES
Setting your sights on a 10km fun run is a great idea and is a tried and true method for sticking to a fitness goal. However, if this is your first 10k or you haven’t run in a long time, incorporating some other activities besides running is recommended for injury (and boredom!) prevention and for overall conditioning. Besides running, try to add in weekly strength training and stretching (yoga!) and monthly “cross training” activities such as hiking, cycling, swimming, rowing, or anything different from running.
DO have fun!
DON’T GET DOWN on yourself
If you miss a planned workout for any reason it is easy to feel unmotivated. Don’t worry. The year is made of 365 days and a few missed workouts is not going to make a difference overall. Just get back at it as soon as you can. Sometimes you just need to tell yourself you will go out for a 10 minute walk. Once you are out of the house, walk for 10 minutes. If you stop there, great! You accomplished your task. However, it is usually the case that once you are out, you will stay out a little longer….
DON’T Make it about WEIGHT LOSS
Exercise is about making your body strong, mobile, and supple. After even just a couple of weeks of regular exercise, your body will feel amazing! Go with that feeling. And keep going with it, forever. It’s about being able to accomplish the tasks of daily life easily and the ability to do pretty much any activity you feel like doing, when you feel like doing it. It’s not about weight. If you need to lose weight because it has been recommended by a health care provider, speak to a nutritionist about healthy eating habits and incorporate those along with your exercise routine.
Eastside Fitness and Yoga is a small, friendly, neighbourhood fitness studio. We offer, effective, uncomplicated, fun and affordable yoga and fitness classes as well as personal training. www.eastsidefitness.ca
