Take the pressure off your fitness goals

The approach of winter has often meant the disintegration of many fitness goals and exercise related new year’s resolutions.

This is often because people set goals that are too lofty and rigid, forcing exercise to take on a burdensome aspect in their lives.

The goal for winter should be whittled down to one simple mantra, “keep the body moving.”

Exercise has become too complex an endeavour in recent years and fitness related advice seems to contradict its latest findings every few months with the discovery of some new latest fad or diet.

Winnowing one’s exercise focus to a single objective such as moving frequently, frees oneself from the pressure of developing a detailed gym plan with corresponding calorie counts.*

Ultimately movement is meant to be fun and turning exercise into a regimented and calculated experience robs you of that fun.

Allow yourself to see your exercise as an opportunity to play and explore.

Skipping for instance, is an efficient cardio and strengthening

workout as it forces the heart rate up and builds stronger and leaner leg and thigh muscles.

Across the world now, skipping has turned into an interest with a strong online community sharing tips, tricks, inspiration and tutorials.

It is a low cost means to keep one’s fitness fun.

It may take some time to find a route to exercise that you enjoy so commit to sticking with it and try a range of activities to give yourself an opportunity to find something you enjoy.

Stretching is an important aspect of physical wellness and mobility that goes unacknowledged in the pursuit of a specific number on the scale and many fail to realise that stretching is a low intensity means of protecting and caring for vital parts of the body that assist with functionality and mobility.

If all you can manage on certain days is a 10-15 minute stretch then at the very least, you have kept your body moving in a way that is directly beneficial to your physical ability to move around and support yourself.

In committing to keeping your body moving, it relieves the guilt one is plagued with when unrealistic fitness goals cannot be met however it also prohibits complacency because once you commit to keeping your body moving you are accountable for ensuring that this takes place in whatever form it may manifest.

You can avoid worrying about detailed plans or complicated exercise equipment start simply with walking or running or anything fairly easy to do that will not overwhelm or discourage you from repeating the endeavour the following day.

Lower your expectations and focus simply instead on keeping your body moving.

This easy to remember goal will enable you to feel motivated to continue moving the next day and the day after that for longer intervals at a time because you have ensured that the simple movement objective you set has been met.

Exercise is about everything outside of your body.

It is about your mind, your health and your quality of life and using exercise only as a means to punish yourself into a thinner body will not keep you motivated. Simply put, do not prioritise weight loss and try to prioritise movement.