How My Relationship With My Workout Schedule Nourishes Me

A workout schedule should be something that you look forward to. Explore your options and customize it, so that it drives your lifestyle, rather than the other way around.

I have paid annual gym subscription fees believing with every cell in my body that I’ll make it every single day and haven’t beyond the second month! I have bought cool workout clothes to feel good so that putting them on makes me hit the road for a run everyday and I still didn’t manage more than once or twice a week! Not to mention the constant yo-yo weight issues that led to starvation diet so that I could compensate for the lack of workout – a conundrum that isn’t just my frustration but every other person who is attempting since their 18s to get fit.

Now I would tell my dear 18 year old to first ‘redefine’ various aspects of workout. To begin with, the significance of a ‘workout’ in our life – it is beyond weight loss. It is self-love, hormonal balance, cortisol release, toxic elimination, me time, sanity and so much more!

These 5 C’s rechristened by relationship with workout that I would like to share with you, which made me design a workout plan that is holistic and in sync with my health goals:

Clarity

If we listen carefully, our body gives us clarity about how it feels when we workout. There is a ‘happy’ hormone released that travels to our brain to let us know – “Hey that felt really good! I am high on life”. I realized that workout plays a significant role on my moods, how my actions pan out in the day. This clarity made me aware that some days I felt a bit down for no reason, the missing element was my workout.

Connection

We have thousands of thoughts in the day and we lose the mind-body-spirit connection. This connection leads to our higher self, our growth, us being present in the moment. I found that in yoga. Even though I walk regularly or do some form of cardio, yoga gave me this priceless gift. Yoga isn’t a choice. It is a necessity that each one should incorporate to feel this mind-body-spirit connection. I do yoga every single day.

Convenience

We lead a busy life with multiple commitments and convenience makes things happen.

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Have you ever thought of using your staircases effectively or just walking up to your building terrace for a peaceful workout? Well. I did and on a day when I have just 20 to 25 minutes, I’ll do 12 to 15 minutes staircases cardio with 100 squats and add in some yoga poses. This workout is not only potent but can be done whenever you get time in the day! My terrace is equally productive for a walk. Yes I know it could be crazy to even visualize walk on a tiny terrace but it did the job for me.

Creativity

Create a routine and workout that serves your purpose. Very often we want to do what everyone around is doing. We are bio-individuals and have our own health goals very different from someone else’s. So figure what works for you. I know building my core strength, reducing my body fat and strengthening my gluteus muscles are my goals. I haven’t touched the weighing scale in years now because my body and my strength give me clues. Again, for someone else losing kilograms could be an important goal. So figure your goal.

Consistency

If you observe any regular habit about our life that got us consistent – good or bad, it is the strong bond we formed with that habit and knowing the reward we achieve with it that made it a regular routine. It is the same here. Make the reward from a workout habit integral to your being. Feel and enjoy the reward to never want to miss it. It is a treat you are giving yourself.

Workouts do for us a lot more than weight loss. It wants us to love ourselves, live it up, make the best of each day and create this amazing energy within us that drives us to achieve all our goals.

So don’t push yourself for a workout. Let the workout push you! Make a lifestyle choice that brings out the best in you. Workout is nutrition for our body. Redefine it. Feel it. Love it. Breathe it. Then there won’t be any looking back!

Images credit: Nipa Asharam

Header image source: pixabay

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