Life can get really busy - so busy that it seems like there is never enough time to get in a good sweat!
There are SO many benefits to getting your body moving throughout the week. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve your well-being and mental health - it relieves stress, helps your sleep patterns, increases your self-esteem and boosts your overall mood and energy.
For us at Bloom Talent, exercise in the morning makes us feel more energetic, relaxed, increases our productivity throughout the day and sleep better at night. Finding the optimal time to incorporate exercise into your day will differ for everyone. The best time of the day for you to workout largely depends on your lifestyle and goals. Determining what time works best for you takes trial & error and reflection.
Exercise releases endorphins that energize your spirit and makes you feel good. It’s important to stay really consistent in your workouts to really reap the benefits that it can have on your daily life. Unfortunately, it’s SO easy to come up with excuses not to exercise such as… I couldn’t get out of bed early enough so I ran out of time, I don’t want to sweat, I need to be motivated to exercise, or I get bored easily. We all do it!
Here are a few tips to help you stay consistent and motivated in your workouts:
Start small. Trying to change too much at once ends up resulting in failure which leads to having negative feelings about yourself. Begin building in one habit at a time by committing to working out two days a week and once you feel comfortable with that then increase that number. Small changes end up leading to long-term success!
Do shorter workouts. You don’t have to make every workout last an hour or more every time you want to get some exercise or to get in shape. All you really need is about 30 minutes to break a good sweat. We recommend a HIIT (High intensity interval training) workout when you are on a time crunch. It’s a quick way to get your heart pumping and will leave you feeling rebooted & accomplished!
Grab a workout buddy. When you sweat solo, it’s too easy to fall back into the same old exercises and excuses. Working out with a partner will get you to stop talking yourself out of it and hold you accountable to your workout plans. We find that when working out with someone we push ourselves harder because our natural competitive side comes out! Let yours loose!
Switch it up. If you are someone who finds themselves staring at the minutes left on the treadmill waiting for it to be over or gets bored of the same strength training routine at the gym, then it’s time to change it up! Keep your workout momentum up by trying new things. Venture into a cardio kickboxing class or simply get a change of scenery on your running route. Not only will switching up your workouts benefit your body but it will also get you out of your workout rut!
Schedule it. This is a great way to stay accountable and stick to your workouts. Put it in your calendar when you want to exercise and treat this event as you would with anything else. Using ClassPass to sign up for classes is a great way to stick to it - if you cancel within 24 hours of the class you get charged a fee! Would you rather feel better about yourself by getting that workout in or pay the extra $$ when you miss a class? This will make your decision really easy!
Notice it. Working out consistently increases your awareness of your physical and mental capabilities. Once you get into a routine, you will begin to see the changes in your body and mind that are associated with exercise. Perhaps you will notice a change in your diet, a decrease in your belly fat or spot a muscle that you never knew existed. I don’t know about you but it’s the best feeling when I go from doing 10 pushups with difficulty to conquering 20 with ease!
Exercise is a powerful medicine that offers incredible benefits that can improve many aspects of your life and health. You don’t have to spend hours running or force yourself into long workouts to experience the benefits of working out. Find a time and workout activity/routine that works best for YOU and start letting out those endorphins!
Want to hear more about the importance of exercise on your health? Check out our most recent blog post on tips for your Morning Routine.