Practicing self-care strategies during your workouts and in your free time can help you come back energetic, and in a more peaceful state of mind not to mention they make exercise much more enjoyable. Compiled from Health magazine, here is a self-care strategies from top trainers who manage to sweat it out hard and still make self-care priority.
1) Try breathing exercise:
“In the session, connect to the breath. Try to practice 7-8 breathing (breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven, then exhale for eight) a couple of times every hour to help to reduce stress and regulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
2) Warm up, cool down and stay hydrated:
“Practice self-care while exercising by including a dynamic warm-up before any workout and a good stretch after. Also, have some water at all times to stay hydrated”.
3) Get off Instagram at the gym:
“The most important self-care action you can take during your workouts is to let your mind be in workout 100%. You’ve had to create a rule so that you’re not responding to emails, checking social media, or replying to texts when you do the workout. If you can escape and truly enjoy your workout, your life is fantastic.”
4) Keep an eye on the ‘why’
As per senior lead instructor and gym owner Aly Raymer, it’s all about the behind the workout: why are you doing it, what will you achieve, and how will it make you feel. “You’re not a numbers-oriented person, so this is a way you can record your progress and motivate yourself to keep going,” says Raymer.
5) Wear your favourite gear
Look good to feel good! Raymer suggests wearing your favourite sports gear in order to be in full force at the gym. “Be mindful of what you wear. You know that sounds silly, but when you feel good in your clothing and wearing the right pieces for the workout, you will work out harder. If you are wearing something that doesn’t fit well or is too thin, you will be distracted the entire practice.”
6) Journal
“Try to write in a gratitude journal every single morning, listing three things that I’m thankful for from the past 24 hours, and also read a passage from a book that a good friend gave me called Journey to the Heart. It helps you to get your mind right and you feel a lot calmer before jumping into a busy day,” reveals Emily Abbate, an ACE-certified trainer.
7) Have a Sunday check-in
Every Sunday, ask yourself: “What am I doing to take care of my mind and body this week? Can you add something to your daily routine that will rest or refresh you? Can you take something out that is no longer serving you?” Recovery and regeneration is the often forgotten third leg of a three-legged stool. When we check in both on and off the exercise mat and implement changes that benefit our health wellness, we leave our workouts and enter our personal and work lives refreshed and recovered.
8) Wake up with the birds
“During the week, set alarm 45 minutes to one hour earlier than you actually need to get up so you can enjoy some quiet time drinking fresh-ground coffee, enjoying a healthy breakfast, and writing in your journal. Giving you a little time in the morning is a priority. It allows you to start the day off a little slower,” says Becca Lucas, owner of a fitness studio in Houston.
