Simplify your workouts
Take them outside, and make them fun
When it comes to exercise, “go big or go home” attitudes are celebrated. After all, there’s no such thing as a workout that’s too big or too tough. Right?
If you think the traditional grunt, sweat and repeat routine is the only way, it’s time for a reality check. There’s a lot to be said for workout goals that don’t require a mountain of gear, a mountain of time and a mountain of sweat, especially if your ultimate goal is to look good and feel good.
To simplify your workout routine, here are a few pointers to shift your perspective from epic to just plain ordinary.
Limit your time in the gym
Take a long, hard look at your workout routine and find ways to cut back, with the goal of spending no more than a couple of hours a week in the gym. Limit the number of exercises that focus on training one muscle in favour of those that work several muscles, which is more indicative of how your body moves during everyday activity. For individuals who aren’t training toward a specific athletic goal, exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, deadlifts, burpees and box jumps offer plenty of bang for the buck and can be modified to include using more or less weight, power, balance or speed.
As for the rest of the week, explore other ways to get your heart pumping and your muscles working.
Gear down
My house is full of stuff. I’ve got dumbbells, yoga mats, exercise ball, stationary bike, road bike, ride-around-the-neighbourhood bike, Speedos, goggles, paddleboards, paddles, lifejackets, tennis racquets, skis, running shoes, trail shoes, hiking shoes and under and outerwear for all seasons and all sports. And don’t get me started on the number of activity monitors of various makes and models that are stuffed in a drawer. Despite all this stuff, accumulated from decades of collecting the latest and greatest, I still yearn for more.
The upside of owning tons of gear is that I have enough to share with anyone who wants to try something new. The downside is it clutters up my life and my house. It takes me too long to figure out what to wear, what to bring and what to use. And then it takes me too long to find it.
But better gear doesn’t translate into a better workout. And more gear doesn’t translate into more workouts. It’s more important to accumulate exercise minutes than to accumulate exercise gear.
Smell the roses
Remember when you used a plain old watch to time your workout, and effort was gauged by how much you sweat instead of a mathematical formula? These days we’ve become slaves to a plethora of workout stats delivered in real time through our earbuds or by glancing at our wrist. In the midst of all this noise, we’ve stopped listening to our bodies — the original and most reliable measure of effort. We’ve also started defining workouts by a series of numbers instead of how we feel after it’s over. At the risk of using catchphrases that have become all too familiar, re-educate yourself in how to stay in the moment. Put your phone down, leave your Fitbit at home and tune in to your body and the world around you. Learn to rely on your internal stats to measure exercise effort, distance and value instead of those supplied by a never-ending series of gadgets.
Get outside
The idea that the best workouts are done indoors has become more prevalent. Some of that attitude can be blamed on the theory that fitness is best achieved while on a machine or by following the instructions of a trainer. But there’s value in leaving fluorescent lighting behind and finding motivation from the sounds and sights of the outdoors versus a trainer’s repetitive mantra.
Not only will the workout feel like it takes less effort, you’ll enjoy the often unsung mental health benefits that come from feeling the grass beneath your feet and the sun on your face. A lifestyle short on green and blue spaces is one that’s more prone to feeling the stress of everyday life. Set a goal of spending at least 25 per cent of your weekly exercise minutes enjoying fresh air and natural light.
Have fun
Somewhere along the way, physical activity went from being fun to being a chore, with the focus on how hard, how long and how fast taking precedence over doing it because you like doing it. There’s also a prevailing attitude that workouts demanding concentration, effort and perseverance are better than those that seem effortless, joyful and purposeful. But there’s a lot to be said for working hard at having fun instead of just working hard.
And while the definition of “fun” may be up for debate among the “go big or go home” set, for simplicity’s sake I’ll suggest anything that puts a smile on your face is fun. Anything that you find excuses not to do is not.