3557: How to Fall in Love with Your Exercise Routine by Kathy Robinson of Athena Wellness on Fitness Mindset

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[00:01:31] This is Optimal Health Daily. How to fall in love with your exercise routine. By Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik, your host and narrator. Hey there, happy Saturday, and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, or OHD, where I read to you from some of the most popular health and fitness blogs online. And with that, I'm going to jump right into today's post. So let's get right to it as we optimize your life.

[00:02:02] How to fall in love with your exercise routine. By Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. I'm going to let you off the hook right up front. You can stop doing the exercise you dread. If you want to stay healthy and fit as you age, and get between the recommended 150 and 300 minutes of movement per week, I've got great news. There's lots of ways to do it, and have fun in the process.

[00:02:29] The key is to get that first two and a half hours in each week. There are additional benefits of getting more, but those first 150 minutes are essential. Regular movement has been shown to boost mood, sharpen focus, reduce stress, increase energy levels, reduce body fat, reduce the risk of disease, and improve sleep. Despite all the benefits, it can be difficult to stick to an exercise program.

[00:02:57] Forcing yourself to do exercises you don't enjoy will only last so long before your willpower gets depleted. Conversely, if your view of exercise is something that can release stress and be pleasurable, you'll be more likely to do it. Once that endorphin release is experienced on a regular basis, it will fuel the desire to do it again. The goal is to find an activity or group of activities that uplift and energize you mentally, physically, and spiritually.

[00:03:27] Here are some fun ways to brainstorm activities if you don't know where to start or are looking for some new suggestions. 1. What did you like to do as a kid? Children naturally engage in activities that include functional movement patterns such as pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging, hinging, rotating, and walking. What did you gravitate toward when you were growing up? 2. What activities have you always wanted to try?

[00:03:58] When I was in my early 40s, I wanted to learn how to surf. In those days, I worked out with a trainer and for several months, we worked on movements in the gym that would mimic getting and staying on a surfboard. I was ready when the time came, but let's just say surfing didn't come all that naturally to me. But I got in a few great workouts in that week trying something new. 3. What activity just makes you smile?

[00:04:24] I heard a story of a woman who used to ice skate when she was younger and hadn't been on skates for decades. Later in life, she gave it a go and found she loved gliding on the ice. She has no desire to compete or work on her form. She just wants to feel the breeze on her face as she rounds the rink each morning. As you give these deep desires some thought, consider your personality preferences. Would you prefer to do an activity solo or with a group?

[00:04:52] In the privacy of your own home or in public? Do you prefer being indoors or out? On land or in water? Do you like activities where you can compete with others or yourself? Do you like the feeling of teamwork? Are you working with a physical limitation or injury? Do you prefer a set schedule or flexibility? Once you find what suits you best, experiment by mixing and matching. Play with your parameters.

[00:05:20] Try things out and see how you feel before, during, and after. If it's not a great fit, move on to something else. Just keep moving. To further elevate your level of enjoyment, here are a few things that could increase your feel-good vibes and keep you motivated. 1. Connect with your why. Remind yourself why you're doing this in the first place. I believe keeping well is all about being able to do the things that light you up with the people you love.

[00:05:50] Keeping my body healthy and strong simply allows me to enjoy life. 2. Connect with your body. As you move, feel your muscles loosen, your blood flow, yourself getting stronger, the afterburn and all the goodness throughout the day. Give thanks for what your body can do today, while looking forward to how it will change and what it will be capable of doing tomorrow. 3. Doing something that feels good. Enjoying the fresh air.

[00:06:19] Walking or hiking in nature. Clearing your mind. In silence or with music. Alone or with others. Playing. One of my favorite workouts in recent memory was with a group of friends early on a Sunday morning. We carried some equipment to a nearby empty playground and set up a circuit using the monkey bars and other structures and had a great workout with some resistance bands and kettlebells. 4. Try something new. A new sport or activity.

[00:06:48] A virtual race or challenge. An event for charity. In recent years, charity events have been great motivators and have pushed my limits, whether it was learning how to road cycle or running speed intervals to train for a 10k event. And 5. Practice self-compassion. Give yourself the grace to accept where you are today. Enjoy the changes you're making. Acknowledge the challenges. And celebrate the progress.

[00:07:17] Movement is a lifelong commitment. There will be days you crush it. And there will be days when you don't. It's all part of the process. And don't forget to build in rest days too. May you enjoy the feeling of moving your body and having fun. Fall in love with having more energy. Fall in love with feeling more strength, flexibility, and balance. Fall in love with feeling healthier. Feeling good will keep you going. Because what's the best exercise?

[00:07:46] The one you keep doing. You just listened to the post titled How to Fall in Love with Your Exercise Routine by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com And I'll be right back with my commentary. You're listening to a quick ad. You know what else is quick? Selling your car on Carvana. Just put in your vehicle information and we'll give you an offer. Done. No hassle. No negotiation.

[00:08:14] No guy from an online listing lowballing you. Which means by the time I'm done explaining this, you could have basically done it. Still haven't started? Hey, better late than never. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply. New and exclusive holiday decor just launched online at The Home Depot. Check out the viral Grand Duchess collection with smart holiday lights you can control from your phone.

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[00:09:12] This concept can be applied to pretty much anything in your life. In fact, I make my students perform this practice regularly. I've had to use this technique myself on many occasions. I'll explain. When things start to feel really difficult at work, at school, at home, when sticking to a diet or sticking to a workout, it can really challenge our ability to stay motivated. For my students, this happens around the 12th week of the semester. They've received lots of new material

[00:09:42] that they've had to learn over the past 12 weeks. They've been tested on it multiple times. And yet, still, there's another month of work to get through until final exams. So this is around the time they start asking themselves, why am I bothering putting myself through school? Why am I putting myself through all of this extra stress? I've asked myself these same questions when I was in school or when I held previous jobs or when I take the time to plan my meals.

[00:10:11] And I ask myself this question a lot during particularly grueling workouts. Why am I putting myself through this pain voluntarily? Why indeed? Well, when we need to get ourselves moving or back on track towards our goals or find the motivation to finish our workout, we should be asking ourselves this question. We need to remind ourselves why we're doing it. When my students respond, they remember that they want to ultimately help others someday.

[00:10:39] My students are future dieticians in training, after all. When I'm ready to stop my workout because I'm too tired, I remembered that I want to be the best version of myself I can be. Asking the why can be a tremendous motivator. It can give you that little boost you need to continue moving towards your goal, that higher purpose you have, that better version of yourself that's just around the corner. All right, that'll do it for today. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for sharing this show with someone

[00:11:08] and listening every day. I hope you have a great rest of your day and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where your optimal life awaits.