So, you’re unfit? It’s no biggie, but your happiness is.
COVID, winter bugs, 100% valid reasons for not going back to the gym or your usual fitness classes, especially in Auckland. Perhaps you’ve sacrificed your exercise a little longer than hoped? Perhaps your mental health has suffered and the investment back into hearty exercise seems daunting?
STOP, breathe in. You got this! Here’s our tips for starting again.
Exercising away from home offers an essential ‘time-out’ from stressors; changing your environment, will give you ‘space’ to simply enjoy the moment of physical activity and is therapy itself.
Find Connection. Research shows that social people are happier; add exercise into the equation and it’s a healthy tick, tick! Working-out in a small-group, with a fitness coach who invests in you, or with a friend/family member, will inspire you to create consistency, and enhance your relationships and enjoyment. Research also shows exercising with others optimizes results too.
Caution, trying something new, or returning after a long break poses some risks. The ‘vibe’ maybe right for you, but any high-impact, or fast-directional sports like netball, jogging, soccer, skiing and so on, will challenge weight-bearing joints, ligaments and tendons, meaning unconditioned participants may succumb to injury. Think about Hypertrophy or increasing your muscle mass as an essential first step to all your fitness dreams.
Low-impact functional exercise which raises your heart-rate will bring nutrients through your spine, ease stiff joints or back pain whilst progressively building and maintaining joint-stability and flexibility. Functional body-weight exercises can be searched on the web, and cause their low-impact and quick, they suit everybody, age, fitness level, time availability, exercise experience or not. Functional Fitness classes such as TRX, Kettlebell, Pilates, Barre, Spinning classes, Boxing, Kickboxing fitness, Yoga etc, all work on enhancing movement patterns improving overall strength, agility, mobility, coordination, balance and stability, rather than isolating muscle groups.
Really in a fitness rut? Reputable, qualified and experienced Fitness Coaches will inspire the most motivation-lacking and anxious exerciser. Ask around for referrals near you and employ their skills, even for a short period of time. They can help you progress safely and create a bespoke programme to suit your schedule and physical needs. If you like your privacy, boutique fitness studios like Devonport’s Soulsprite Fitness, train individual, couples and families in private studios.
Be kind to yourself, feeling anxious can kick-in whether you’re fit or not. Its important to ease back in at beginners pace.