Chances are, your normal exercise routine was disrupted by quarantine, and if you’re finding it hard to gather the motivation to work out at home, you’re not alone. It took me a couple weeks to adjust, figure out what I needed, and what was actually going to work for me (even on rainy days when I am literally inside.all.day.long). I realized I missed the collective support and community of working out with others. Fortunately, there is a buffet of online workouts to try right now, and after a little dabbling, I found LIVE daily dance classes/parties that recreate this feeling and, most importantly, motivate me! If you’re looking for ways to get motivated, there are several strategies that may help.
P.S. Movement is great for your digestion, among other things! Especially if you trend towards constipation, daily movement is one of the best lifestyle additions to regulate your BMs.
Ok, let’s get to it!
1. Break up a workout into smaller intervals: Parsing up a 50-minute workout, for example, into five 10-minute spurts can make it feel more manageable (and also offer a work break)!
2. The buddy system: Adopting a (virtual) workout friend is one of the most tried and true ways to keep yourself accountable. Maybe you pick a friend to do a 30-day challenge with, or maybe you make a weekly Zoom date to stream a yoga class together. Maybe you just make a pact to check in everytime you move during the day!
3. Schedule it: When you schedule exercise, it helps eliminate the feeling that you don’t have enough time to fit it in and begins to make it part of your routine. Even if all you have in a day is 5 or 10 minutes between Zoom meetings, that is better than 0 minutes!
4. Add variety: TBH, I can get bored easily with home workouts. However, with a bit of creativity and Internet searching, it’s possible to find something different to do every week to keep your workout fresh.
5. Find something you actually like doing, and do it to GOOD music: Do you hate pilates? Don’t do pilates. Do you like walking? Go for walk. Have you been wondering if kickboxing might be fun? Try an (online) kickboxing class! Choosing something you genuinely like is the BIGGEST guarantee that you will actually do it. Also, a good playlist. This can be a gamechanger.
Know that we are all trying to figure out ourselves and our routines within the context of a global situation unlike one we’ve ever seen before. It may take some trial and error to find what nourishes your body, mind, and soul right now. And, if you’re still processing it all and don’t feel up to your usual level of movement, that’s ok too. Take care, everyone.