If you are a thirty something woman, mom, housewife, who has always been physically active, and an unavoidable ten month inactivity is now causing you a health havoc, then you are definitely in need of some intervention.....
I have always been a yogi, religiously adhering to my yoga practice, but the recent lifestyle changes, move to the new house and multiple jobs took so much of my time and energy, that yoga and health was temporarily put on the back-burner. Every day I was achy, tired and hence grouchy and I would attribute all this to the lack of exercising. I feel like a horrible mom in confessing that Ribhya was the one to bear the grunt of this physical frustration. I would yell at her and even give her time-outs---sad face!!! Going back to exercising was my only hope towards feeling better and in control.
Truth be told, resuming normal exercising activity after a huge gap is much harder than one could imagine. Once you loose the rhythm, you are a dead goose. First you don't have the motivation, and then your body takes longer to recoup, making you achy and more grumpy. But with the recovery-incentive in mind, I knew I had to do it and today I am sharing some of my tips and tricks that helped me get back into the workout routine....
1) TEAM UP WITH A WORKOUT BUDDY- Two is always better than one, and this is true for work out too. Invite a friend or a neighbor or enroll in an exercising class, when you are ready to break a sweat. Having people with similar interests around will keep your motivation high.
2) FUEL UP- Smoothies are a great pre and post workout power-punchers, preferably one that is high in protein and packed with some healthy carbs. Both fruit and green smoothies are great fueling options. Your body needs the protein to help with the muscle-tissue healing, that might have undergone some micro-tearing in the process of exercising. Try to omit any artificial sweeteners from your smoothie. Sugar causes inflammation, and will only make the healing time longer. Sweetness from the fruits is a good substitute for artificial sweeteners, but if you like your smoothie sweeter, then use this honey.
Here is the recipe to my favorite smoothie:
- 1 cup of low fat milk
- 1 cup of low fat yogurt
- 1/2 a cup of strawberries
- 1/2 cup of sliced banana
- 1/2 a cup of oatmeal
- 1-2 tsp of HONEY
- ice cubes
3) SET THE MOOD - a good playlist works as a catalyst in setting the tone for your workout. Curate a playlist of your favorite dance numbers, high-energy songs and blast it when working out. Music definitely helps. Use a Wireless Wifi enabled speaker to play the playlist when working out in a group.
4) PROPER WORKOUT CLOTHES- believe it or not, good fitting active wear is the key to a good workout session. If the clothes don't fit and feel right, you will just end up postponing your workout. A good-supportive, comfortable active bra is a must. Also make sure your shoes are in good shape. So if you haven't shopped for active wear in a while, it's time you do it today. I definitely need to work in this department.
5) WARM UP/ STRETCH- don't go cold turkey. Take time to stretch both pre and post workout. Warm up before any rigorous exercising, cool down post it. This just minimizes the risk of severe muscle damage.
6) START SLOW- if running is your jam, then start slow. Start with some light walking, then brisk walking and finally jog your way to glory.....Any form of exercising should be done with patience and supervision depending on the intensity. Don't rush, start slow.
7) ENJOY NATURE - I love a good nature walk/hike. Trails are definitely my place of choosing for running and hiking. That feeling of close-to-nature, in fresh-air makes the workout more worthy. Plus it is traffic-free, giving you an uninterrupted workout session. Done forget to bring your bug spray.
8) STAY HYDRATED - not a whole lot, but a few sips mid-workout is allowed. Chucking down a full bottle of water will make you feel bloated and heavy. So just avoid too much water, use a few sips every few minutes to hydrate.
9) CELEBRATE YOUR VICTORY- celebrate, pat your back: you just had the best workout you had in a while.
What are your workout favorites???
