Five Ways To Make Exercise An Easier Part of Your Day
I woke up last Thursday and realized that somehow, overnight, Fall had arrived. I’m a little concerned about what this will mean for exercising in the upcoming months. When I was kickboxing, I easily still went to the gym five days a week cold, rain, sleet or snow (ok, it doesn’t snow in Atlanta.) With the pandemic, I switched to walking all Spring and Summer and loved it. Early morning walks had become my favorite. However, I don’t fare well outside in cold(ish) weather. I’m going to continue walking for as long as I can, but also trying to think of other ways to get exercise in.
If you’re getting ready to start an exercise program, here are a couple of ways to make exercise easier in your day. One day you might even look up and wonder how you ever did without it. I know that might seem far fetched, but I was not an exerciser until about 18 months ago. Anyway, on to the list.
Grab green tea. Drink a cup of green tea before you work out. In addition to the many benefits that green tea offers (I’ll write about this soon), the caffeine can give you a boost. A study (done on mice) says It’s also possible it will lead to more weight loss.
Listen to great music. As I mentioned, in my post about cooking, music is an amazing way to get you ready and keep you going during a workout. It was also one of my favorite parts of kickboxing. Vesta had the best playlists. Now, I make several Spotify lists that I can turn to and update them often to keep it fun.
Go shopping. I haven’t worn real pants since March and I don’t think it’s going to happen for the rest of the year. I’m going to treat myself to some workout clothes to help keep me motivated through the Fall and Winter. I’m normally not a shopper, but I’ve found that cute workout clothes makes me feel good. I’m currently eyeing some things from Curves N Combatboots. (Also cool, they have maternity and amputee lines.)
Find an exercise that you love. When I started walking, my goal was to actually start running. Well, I didn’t like running so I stopped trying to force myself to do it. Turns out that I really enjoyed walking and discovering different trails. Don’t feel like you have to join the latest new trend. Try a few things and do what works for you.
Fuel up. Make your workout more manageable by fueling your body correctly beforehand. Many people choose bananas, but it turns out that beets could be even better. Yup…beets!. According to a study, eating beetroots or drinking juice made from them can help your body absorb more oxygen, something that will make it much easier to work out each and every day.