Spring into Fitness
It's been a long cold winter, but the first signs of Spring are starting to bloom. If you've spent the long winter months hibernating instead of exercising, now is the perfect time to snap out of it. It's not always as easy as flipping a switch though. It can be hard to get started and stick to your new routine. Here's some ideas as to how you can become your best self this season and keep it going through the rest of the year.
1. Start with baby steps. If you’ve been taking it easy for awhile be sure to check with your doctor to make sure you're healthy enough for increased exercise. If you get the all clear then it's time to start slow. Begin with a reachable goal like walking every morning or stretching every night before bed. Start with a few minutes a day and then slowly increase the time as you feel comfortable. It also really helps to keep a journal or document with a new picture everyday so you can track your progress.
2. Plan it out. If you’re especially anxious to get back to a routine and see results, it may be all too easy to think that you’re better off skipping a warm-up and spending your whole hour at the gym on a hard workout. A proper warm-up is not only essential to your safety, it actually leads to a much more beneficial workout! That’s because a warm-up prepares your body for the exercises you’re about to do, loosens up your muscles and joints so you don’t pull or sprain something, and gets your heart rate going. You also start burning calories without even noticing!
3. Get plenty of H20. Drinking more water is one of the simplest ways to achieve a healthier you. Proper hydration aids digestion, refuels our bodies for upcoming workouts, boosts energy, nourishes the skin… the list of benefits goes on and on. Keep a water bottle at your workplace as a constant reminder to drink more H2O, or carry a water bottle with you. The weight of a heavy water bottle will remind you to do your best to empty it!
4. Have realistic expectations. The longer your break the more time you’ll need to get back on track. So, if you worked out three to four times per week prior to your fitness vacation, it will take about four to eight weeks for you to get back up to speed. Remember, too, that you didn’t become inactive overnight, so you won’t become fit overnight. Patience is key.
5. Take care of your body. Starting a new exercise routine can create some new aches and pains in your body that you're not ready for. It's important to listen to what your body is telling you and don't try to push through the pain. Using an ice pack on those areas can help get rid of pain and inflammation. The EverRelief Hot/Cold Neck Wrap will conform to any affected area of your body and give you the relief you'll need to get back to your workout routine.
6. Sleep is just as important. Easier said than done, I know. In our hectic, overscheduled lives, sleep often gets pushed to the back burner. But sufficient rest should be one of your top priorities.
7. Give yourself a break! Getting back into a workout routine isn’t easy. Even if you start slow and have a workout buddy, there may be days when you give in to the call of the couch. The worst thing you can do on these days is beat yourself up and decide that it just isn’t worth it. Give yourself a little wiggle room and cut yourself some slack, especially early on. Don’t let missing a single day take the steam out of your engine!
