"New Year, New Me"?

Have you seen anything like this popping up yet? Maybe it's a little too soon for that, but the fitness ads have for sure been ramping up. I know we go through this every year. January 1st hits, the gyms are full, and people perfectly prepare their meals, and carefully create a workout plan for the year. By the time February 1st, hits, most of this has disappeared. Why is that?

Or, maybe that's not you at all! Maybe you'd like to be healthy, but not at the cost of a complete 360 turnaround and adopting a whole new lifestyle. That's okay too!

Wherever you're on the spectrum of wanting to work towards health, we are going to chat about how you can do this in a realistic and sustainable way. With the new year approaching, this should provide you with some concrete tools to navigate that and help you plan to move in a positive direction for 2023. 

Buckle up because here we go!

Tips to Have a Healthy, Fit, and Fierce 2023!

1. Work to set a bold and beautiful "why".

And no, it's not going to be losing weight. There are far more glorious things to life than dieting and losing weight. I want you to work towards setting a "why" that is attached to behaviors or long-term. This way, it is something that can continually be revisited to see if there has been progress made, adapted, or increased if the goal has been met. Your weight is not a behavior. Your weight MAY be influenced by your behaviors, but it's not a behavior. For example, I cannot say, I want to weigh x pounds (which I don't recommend setting, by the way, this is purely to demonstrate a point). I can however say, I would like to prioritize my health by exercising 3 times per week for 30 minutes, and including a fruit or veggie at each meal. See how that is focused on a health behavior? Regardless of how the body might change as a result, we know that those behaviors would be improving our health. That is why I am going to encourage you to focus on health-promoting behaviors and some things that are more so long-term.

Here are some examples of health-promoting behaviors:

Exercising

Eating more fruits and veggies

Lowering added sugar intake

Including more standing time (less sitting)

Smoking cessation

Mindful/intuitive eating

Reducing stress

Reducing alcohol intake

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep

I think we can all agree that regardless of how one's body might change, these behaviors would improve your health. That's what we're all about at Barre Empowered. Here are some examples of a "why" that again are focused on your overall well-being and not your weight:

Reducing risk for chronic disease

Maintaining independence with age

Feeling confident in your body

Increasing strength and endurance so you don't get winded going up the stairs/ can carry the groceries and heavy things

Having the energy to play with your kids

Improved mental health

Working to improve your health so you can meet your grandchildren

Reducing your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and other metabolic factors

And so many more! See how many other bold and beautiful reasons you can come up with!

Once you have your reason to exercise and adopt some more health-promoting behaviors, we'll transition into actually creating the healthy lifestyle you are seeking to adopt.

2.  Create patterns that are healthy and sustainable for you!

Notice I said for you and not the 20-year-old influencer whose job it is to exercise. If you're a mama who works full-time and has 3 kids, maybe an hour each day is not realistic. Maybe 10 minutes is though. Often with fitness, an all-or-nothing mindset is adopted. A 30-minute workout, or nothing at all. Sound familiar? We're breaking that in 2023. Do you have 10 minutes? Can you take some steps while washing the dishes? Could you get a walking pad for your office at work? Can you do a couple of core exercises at the beginning and end of each day while lying in bed? I don't want you to focus on what you can't do and compare yourself to everyone else around you. Instead, I want you to honor your lifestyle, means, and time. Then, start small with what you are able to do in a healthy, realistic, and sustainable way. It's a lot easier to add on an extra 5-10 minutes than it is to start with 5 30-minute workouts per week, not make it, then feel like a failure and burn out. So, start small and build as you grow!

3. Grace Upon Grace

If you have a bad week at work, do you throw the whole job away? What about a bad day with your partner, do you throw the whole relationship away? What about a bad day with your kiddo, I'm sure you don't throw that away. So why is it that if we have one binge, one missed workout, one day of rough sleep, or anything that's related to health, we through the whole day or week away? Let's stop doing that! Give yourself grace upon grace. Keep trying and working to be just 1% better each day. Take one rep, one set, and one day at a time.

4. Start with a Form of Movement you Enjoy!

So often in exercise, the narrative is to do a set style of training for a set result. But, the reality is that if you hate running, you won't stick with it long. It's also true, that there are many ways to achieve a certain style of training. Strength for example doesn't have to be in the gym with all the guys and the heavy weights. It doesn't always mean heavy bench presses and getting into the squat rack. If that's your jam, then go for it! It's just not the only way to strength train. Just like there are so many ways to do cardio, there are so many ways to do many other forms of movement. So, start with something you actually enjoy, that way it won't be a pain for you to exercise - you'll want to!

5. Find Support

It is so much easier when you have someone you are navigating a big change with. In fact, studies show that those who do have an accountability/support network are more successful in making a big change or navigating their health than those who do not. Rely on a friend, partner, co-worker, or another person to hold each other accountable for achieving the behaviors in which you stated you wanted to achieve for yourself. When you come against challenges, remember your "why" as the reason you started in the first place. But secondly, remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. So, know when to push yourself, but know when to press pause and put your foot on the brake too. It's okay to press pause, reset, and come back stronger. Rest days, breaks, holidays, and celebrations, are all a part of this process. 

Always remember that your wellness routine is supposed to enhance your life, not become it. I hope you now feel ready to start planning for a healthy, fit, and fierce 2023. You can do this, and I'll be here rooting for you as always!

Xo, Maya