Fitness has been a journey for me, like many of you, that has shifted and changed over the years. In the past, I have done everything from group fitness classes to yoga, to running, to swimming. I love working out with people and in groups for motivation and socializing. So as you can imagine getting motivated when everything shut-down was difficult. There was a period of time where I wasn't even doing yoga...and I am a yoga teacher! It felt weird to practice on my own in my house with everyone home....but one day I decided that needed to change. I put in a few routines that have helped me get into a groove that will serve me way beyond the current state of our world! I hope that you too can use some of these to help you set up a healthy fitness routine.
Start small but regularly. I started with just 20 minutes a day, every day. I mean I often scroll on social media for longer than that so I can give 20 minutes to my fitness. Setting a realistic goal was important for me. Everyone in my house is home and I need to make sure that I can get in my fitness without being interrupted. Finding 20 minutes was so much easier than finding an hour and without having to drive to a gym or yoga studio that time was available to me.
Share your goal with an accountability partner. For me, that was my husband. I wanted him to know what my plan was and that I wanted his support so that I could use that 20 or 30 minutes to have uninterrupted time. A funny thing happened...he joined me! We started doing yoga after the kids had gone to bed. Instead of settling into the couch to watch an episode of The Office (about 20 minutes long), we did a yoga class online together. 10 months later we are still doing this twice a week together. Maybe your accountability partner is a friend or family member that you like to compete with! Whoever that person is, it is important that you work together!
Find an online program that works. I am in love with the Peloton programs (so much that we bought a Peloton Bike!) but you need to find what works for you. There are tons of programs that fitness studios or yoga studios are offering...you can also find lots of content on YouTube for free! For me having the program that I am using cost a little bit of money keeps me motivated to use it. Most online programs are much much cheaper than a physical gym membership so you will be saving money anyway. Many of the online programs have free trial memberships too... so find one that looks interesting and give it a try.
Set a weekly schedule on Sunday. You know the saying "Fail to Plan...Plan to Fail", this is so important if you want to make sure you are getting in the time you want and so that you and your partner are on the same page. My husband and I discuss which mornings we want to workout and plan to support each other with that plan. I also take a moment and look at what worked and what didn't work from the previous week. Sometimes the plan means getting up at 5:30 am and sometimes the plan means encouraging each other in the evening. Either way, it is so important to have a plan!
Have Fun! Fitness should be a celebration of what you can do rather than a punishment for something you ate or drink or something you didn't do. Celebrate where you are in your fitness journey, be grateful for your ability to move your body, and be present in the moment.
We have had so many things that have thrown us off course this year. Let's take this time to create a new normal fitness routine that we can carry into 2021 and beyond!
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