It’s easy to fall into self-doubt when it comes to exercise, which is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions every year.
But finding ways to move and be active can be achieved without preparing to fail with unrealistic exercise plans or extreme diets. Try new things that feel right for you.
The Inquirer spoke with personal trainers, yoga teachers, and comprehensive hiking groups in the Philadelphia area to understand how to reach your exercise goals without anxiety.
Keep it simple. Mariel Freeman, Philadelphia yoga teacher and founder of Three Queens Yoga, begins by telling herself that the process is simply “putting one foot in front of the other” and celebrating small successes. says it helps.
“It doesn’t have to be pretentious. It has to be a habit,” says Freeman. “Instead of saying, ‘I’m going to work out 30 days a week and do some hardcore fitness challenges,’ think about doing it intentionally. [with trying something new] —It’s like walking somewhere every day or stepping into a yoga studio or gym. “
Ask yourself how your goals affect other areas of your life. Brandi Aulston, an avid hiker and founder of the women-led hiking group Hike and Heal, suggests analyzing how goals can help you in addition to getting active.
“What are your physical, mental, and spiritual desires that affect who you are, your career, and all the other things you want in your relationships?” Allston said.
Whether it’s getting healthier, getting more sun, or finding a way to meet new friends, nothing works if you don’t know what you want.
Everyday life looks different for each person, but each of the experts we spoke with said that moving the body starts with moving the mind.
Give yourself the opportunity to take three deep breaths at the beginning and end of each day, Freeman says. Breathing, which is essential to yoga, reduces stress, slows heart rate, and stabilizes blood pressure.
Brandon RaSean has been a personal trainer for nearly a decade and owner of The Gym by Brandon RaSean. Reading, especially fiction, can stimulate the mind and unleash the imagination. According to RaSean, this helps you believe in yourself.
“Do you remember reading books when you were a kid? You might wake up and say, ‘I’m going to be an astronaut,'” RaSean said. “With that imagination, I think you can reduce your self-doubt.”
Start with stretching. Many of us are working from home, so we are sitting most of the day. Freeman proposes “pandication”. This is something cats and dogs often do, like stretching to yawn when they wake up, to stretch to make them feel better.
To stimulate those muscles from sitting all day, RaSean loves the “broomstick” overhead stretch. You don’t need a broomstick, but it helps give you an idea of the intended movement.
“Imagine yourself holding onto a broomstick [horizontally]just extend your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart above your head and behind your hips,” he said. It’s a great exercise for.”
For a little weight training, RaSean suggests a ‘Farmer’s Carry’. Two dumbbells or he grabs two bags, puts some weights in them and carries them both with his arms fully extended. Keep her shoulders relaxed, chest pulled back, and upright. Then take a short walk around the block or on the trail.
The “glute bridge” is a great exercise for strengthening your core muscles (stomach and back) and helps improve your posture, balance and mobility, says RaSean. He lies on his back, bends his knees, pushes his hips up through his heels, and lifts his stomach with his core.
And the classic walking that has never been before. Erick DuPree, his yoga teacher at Three Queens, suggests: [when you pass a] telephone pole, then walk [when you reach the next] Pole. Run one pole, then he walks two poles. It’s just starting to build into your body to do more. “
There are so many tips, tricks, and rules that come up when you start researching exercises. Experts analyze some of the biggest misconceptions they encounter.
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Mariel Freeman: You don’t have to be rich to work out or do yoga. You can do it at home for free. “And if the price of admission is a barrier, don’t be afraid to reach out where you want to go and ask if there are other options,” Freeman said.
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Erick DuPree: You don’t have to have a particular body to practice yoga. “There’s a yoga class for everyone. There’s a yoga class for people with disabilities and wheelchairs. It might not be the yoga studio nearest you, but there’s a yoga class for you,” says Dupree. said.
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Brandon RaSean: You don’t need a lot of time to exercise. “You don’t have to work out at 5 in the morning. He doesn’t have to work out five to seven days a week. All you need is about 15 minutes a day,” he says RaSean. Plus, sunlight is always good.
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Sharn Burrell: Exercise Doesn’t Always Have to Be work“You should always find activities and exercises that don’t feel like work,” Burrell says. “For me, I love dancing around the house and kitchen.” Whether it’s rollerskating, hula hooping, or walking the dog, it’s just about moving.
