Finding fitness motivation at any time of year can be challenging, but never more than Easter.
It’s so easy to stay at home and gobble up chocolate, especially if you live in the cooler states. Movement and overall fitness are essential to support our physical and mental health, so while it’s fine to take a few days off, you might want to consider slipping a workout in, in between the Easter festivities.
We asked Peloton instructor, Kirra Michel for her top tips on finding fitness motivation throughout the food-driven holiday.
Find Fitness Motivation in Goal Setting
Write down your fitness, movement and health goals to get a clear understanding of what you hope to achieve. Think about function and skills, over appearance. A flat tummy might be nice for some, but health and functional goals help create a healthier mindset around fitness. Exercise becomes exciting when we have a healthy mindset supporting us. Also, be flexible with desired results. Realise that these might change on the journey to achieving them.
Create a Process
How to get from A (where you are now) to B (where you’d like to be)? Be realistic, not overly ambitious. Make sure your routine fits into your current daily activities. Find ways you can exercise in your home, therefore cutting down commute time. Or, download an app, like the the Peloton App outdoors. It’s like having a running coach in your ear, encouraging you the entire way.
Don’t Worry if You Stumble
It’s easy to fall off the process. Practice self compassion first, discipline second. Falling off happens to the best of us. Accept it without heavy self criticism and move forward. This is a perfect opportunity to recommit to yourself. Believe in yourself. Make adjustments to your goals and plan and get back up. Pre-plan your workouts ahead of time.
Be accountable
big part of finding fitness motivation is accountability. Share your fitness goals with your friends and get into a workout routine together. A community can help you stay on track with your goals. Check in, get and give encouragement and support.
Enjoy the Holiday, but don’t lose sight of your goals
Making time to recharge and reconnect with family and friends is important. However, it doesn’t mean you have to compromise your mental and physical wellbeing.
Movement is essential for maintaining optimal health as it helps improve sleep, mental clarity, and builds better functioning bodies. Whether you only have a spare five or 10 mins for a quick meditation, taking a moment to prioritise yourself will put you in a better mindset to tackle social occasions.
Look at your day or week ahead, and identify the potential gaps where you might need an adrenaline fix or to re-centre. Then, schedule time with yourself, just as you would a work meeting or a social outing. If the weather is in your favour, get outside! Find new activities to mix up your routine, while getting some Vitamin D. Perhaps even try something like surfing. It’s great for meeting like-minded people and discovering new places. It’s also fantastic for building strength and cardio. Ditto for yoga!
Finding Fitness Motivation with Peleton
Part of finding fitness motivation is finding a modality and a coach you enjoy. Peloton makes this possible for people with over 50 Instructors to choose from. You can choose from light hearted and funny, to serious athletes and yogis, and everything in between. There’s also an abundance of modalities to choose from. Think: strength workouts, boxing, yoga and meditation, plus cycling, running and walking outdoors.There’s also a community of almost 7 million members cheering you on. Whether you choose a coastal walk or game of cricket, fitness can be fun and super social, when you team with your friends to stay active over Easter.
