Rebooting your routine after the summer
After weeks of making the most of the gorgeous weather, spending time with family and taking some much needed opportunity to relax, you might be feeling that your pre-summer routine has gone out of the window. Fear not, this week’s blog post is full of the best advice to get your routine back on track.
Firstly I’d absolutely love you to be kind to yourself about having had some time off. Spending time with family and friends, making memories in the sunshine is priceless. Let’s not focus on feeling like we ‘should’ get back on track and use movement as a punishment for enjoying ourselves over the summer. Let’s focus on being excited to move our bodies in a way we already we know we love, because it makes us feel like the strongest, happiest and most confident version of ourselves.
Here are some really actionable tips that will have you back to the ‘Barre’ before you know it;
1. Keep your goals realistic
The post-summer back to work / school phase is really hectic so let’s make sure we make exercise feel as easy as possible to fit around that. Focus on setting yourself some realistic targets - maybe that’s 2/3 workouts a week to start off with and building up from there. I’d get started by working out at a level lower than you were at before - that could be in terms of difficulty level of the class or maybe dropping down a weight level. This way you’ll feel like you’re coming back in gently and will feel empowered by progressing your workouts rather than feeling defeated by some of the tougher exercises / weight levels.
2. Focus on shorter workouts
This is a great idea because a) you need far less motivation for a 20-30 minute workout than do a 45-60 minute session and b) logistically this will be MUCH easier to fit in and help build some consistency throughout your week. We have a brand new series launching this week that is the perfect programme to help you get back on track. Total Body in 20 (insert series link) is a 5 day series of 20 minute workouts that will give you a full body workout using a variety of different sequences and equipment. You can also discover all of our ‘Barre Bites' workouts here - all of which are 30 minutes or less.
3. Choose workouts that suit your mood
If you’re feeling really sluggish, any form of movement will get your endorphins flowing and help you feel more energised. Having said that, forcing yourself to do a strength or cardio session when your energy levels are really low will be an uphill motivation battle to even get started. Instead I’d recommend choosing mat-based workouts that often feel like they require a little less energy but always give you an amazing workout.
4. Stop the scroll hole
The number one thing that will eat up any spare time you have for exercising is getting stuck in the dreaded Instagram scroll hole. It’s SO hard to be disciplined around this but I know first hand just how much time this sucks out of the day. I’d recommend always setting your workouts up on your laptop and if possible, leave your phone in another room. Spending time moving your body is just as good for your mind as it is your body but if your phone is always at your finger tips then you won’t benefit from the much needed headspace a workout can bring.
5. Strength in numbers!
Staying accountable alongside a friend or a fab group of gals is a great way to help you stick to a routine. Either joining live classes and benefitting from some group motivation or setting up an in-person or sharing an on demand class over Zoom with a friend will make it feel so much easier to stay consistent and you’ll have much more fun along the way.
6. Increase your overall step count
This is a great way to start to bring a bit more movement into your daily routine. Going for a walk and listening to a podcast is one of my absolute favourite things to do. It’s great for a little headspace and always gives me a boost of energy. Even if you can’t make time to nip out for a walk then you could try walking to the shops instead of driving if possible, getting off the bus a couple of stops before you normally would or taking the stairs wherever you can at work.
Hopefully this has given you a wee bit of inspo on how you can reboot your movement routine after the summer. It is a joy to be able to move your body in a way that feels great and even more of a privilege to do it alongside a group of gals who are the best kind of cheer leaders. If you’d like to read more about joining The Barre Coach gang then click here.
