Adding Regular Exercise to your Schedule!

Adding Regular Exercise to your Schedule!

Have you given some thought as to why you move your body? More specifically, as to why you try to plan for time to work out in your busy schedule? Oftentimes, knowing your why will help you stay motivated, especially if it’s linked to yourself and a desire to make a healthy change in your lifestyle.

As a professional dancer I always made sure to schedule workouts outside of rehearsal time to maintain muscle balance and clear my mind. Carving out an hour in the day for yourself is so important. Freeing the mind from the outside noise, whether it be from work or the daily stresses of life, positively contributes to overall health and happiness.

It comes down to planning when to work out and working out when you planned; if it’s scheduled-in you have more chances of sticking with it. In one of the weekly posts on social media, I talked about establishing SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely—it’s important to look at our goals in a realistic manner and set milestones that are achievable and sustainable. That’s why I use the SMART model when setting FIT goals—any goals related to achieving a healthy mind, body and soul.

Keeping that same perspective in mind, you can view scheduling your workouts as part of the roadmap to your fitness journey’s success. For example, if you have a goal to lose weight or gain muscle mass, there are a certain number of changes to your nutrition required and you’ll need to be sure you’re getting the right number of workouts in. If you schedule when you work out, you have a better chance if sticking with it and seeing results, which will encourage you to keep going.

For most of us, having a day job means sitting in front of a computer screen for most of the day or standing for long periods of time; both of which cause strains on the body and can result in feeling stiff, having a bad back, sore shoulders and neck pain. Our bodies aren’t made to sit or statically stand for long periods of time. By choosing to workout with the assistance of a professional you ensure that the exercises you do will be done correctly to maximize the benefits of each move. Also, a certified coach will be able to offer modifications to account for the key areas you need to strengthen or if you have a past or current injury.

Although it might not be easy when starting off, the more you exercise the more you will want to keep going; exercise that gets your heart pumping releases endorphins in your body and promotes happiness. Overall, you might start exercising and stick to it if it’s part of your schedule and with time regular exercise will enhance your mood and you’ll have a happy association; it’s always easier to do things that bring us joy. Don’t forget that exercising can take on different forms. For my Warriors, that sometimes means doing yoga outside on a Sunday or doing a high intensity cardio workout with Piloxing SSP and Piloxing Barre classes or taking what seems like a tamed workout but is actually physically challenging for all muscles of your body—BARRE 45 or 60. You just have to find what works for you and ideally have a variety. With online workouts you can switch up the frequency with ease as you save time on commute and you can change where you work out to fit how you’re feeling, most workouts can be done anywhere.

Do you ever just feel a bit meh? Like you don’t have enough energy to do all the things that need to get done in a day? Well regular exercise, and let’s be honest we do it if there’s a commitment tied to it, will help with that! For starters, it will improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance, which in turn will make doing daily tasks much easier and leave you with more energy. So, you exercise regularly for your health and as an added bonus you get more energy, better sleep time and will feel fulfilled; there’s just this lasting feeling after a great workout and knowing you belong to a community that contributes to feelings of gratitude and happiness. Plus, when you exercise with a community of like minded people, you’ll feel more motivated. Even online workouts can be a social activity, you get to chat before and after class, and through private Facebook groups, while also carving out that 45- or 60-minute workout time for yourself where you dedicate the time to mindfulness.

If you want to get started in your journey, accountability and support are some of your best tools while you work to make exercise a regular part of your weekly schedule.

Fitness has always been a part of my life; I was put in ballet at the age of two, took on track and field in high school in addition to dance classes and even through University I kept up with the demands of my studies, ballet classes and performances, and undertook other exercise routines. I’ve always felt an exercise routine outside of dance was important. It got me through tough times. For example, whenever I felt stressed about an upcoming performance, I’d workout, even when I was recovering from injuries I still managed to work out to help recuperate; I did Barre or Yin or Restorative yoga. It definitely made me stronger overall, as a dancer and in my day to day life.

So, it comes down to the idea that having a regular exercise schedule will benefit you the most because it helps keep you accountable and we have a better tendency of doing something if we have it written in our schedule or booked a class in advance. At Barre Fit Warriors, my clients can book up to 21 days in advance and receive a reminder email 30 minutes before the class start time and an additional one 15-minute prior with the Zoom link to join the class. It’s super simple, they only need to click the link to be admitted in. Having a process that’s effective to book and to access classes I find helps clients stay committed. More so, by having your online workouts be in real-time, you are in a safer environment as you benefit from someone’s expertise and experience to maximize your results while limiting the chances of injury. Currently, with Barre Fit Warriors, all classes are adaptable and given in real-time so I’m able to offer feedback, modifications and support throughout class. Together we go through routines that work every inch of your body.

Work towards becoming the best version of you while you challenge yourself! It can take time for you to look forward to your exercise routine, but you will get there; it helps if you have a support system and tangible commitment to keep you coming back even on days where motivation may be low. Once regular exercise is a habit and you’re disciplined in your schedule it becomes easy, and you’ll reap the benefits of all that hard work. So don’t give up and if you need support feel free to join the Barre Fit Warriors community; I’ll help you keep that momentum and motivation going. You can also follow BFW on social media for daily holistic wellness tips and motivation. Together we are stronger!

You’re on your way to doing great things, remember to be proud of yourself along the way.