HEALTH AND FITNESS
Missed Your Daily Workout?: 3 Things I Do To Overcome The Guilt
What can you replace your exercise with?
Have you ever wondered what drives you to exercise?
Let me guess — to get in shape or increase stamina or overcome an illness or relieve stress.
But I need you to think about it again. Why do you exercise?
Ever thought about why the most successful people in the world, the most aspirational people have some sort of exercise routine?
You, me, and everyone is drawn to exercise because it gives us A Sense Of Achievement. And there is no better way to start or end the day.
As a mother to an 8-month-old baby, exercise is a luxury for me. My day is scheduled around my baby’s routine and the only thing that is flexible about the routine is MY ROUTINE.
Regularly exercising and building some strength has been my aim for quite some time. But, I hardly made any progress with the erratic workouts.
I do not beat myself or stress about it. Instead, I make easily doable things part of my daily life.
I want to especially speak to you about 3 things which gives me A Sense Of Achievement.
- A 5-minute meditation of positive affirmation
By far, this is the best thing I practice to keep my spirits high. You can practice this anytime you want. I get into a comfortable position and do some breathing work to calm my chaotic mind. Some positive affirmations are accompanied along with slow breathing.
Have you ever practiced slow breathing? Doing nothing but just focusing on your breath? It is too magical that with each exhalation, you would feel all the negativity being flushed out. You will feel your body to be a lot more lighter at the end of the session.
I do not have to talk to you about the power of positive affirmations! People are right when they say, ‘YOU MUST BE YOUR BIGGEST CHEERLEADER’. When in self-doubt, try saying ‘I am enough’ looking at the mirror. It would momentarily bring a lot of confidence.
I experience the calm and get the confidence to take on life while practicing this meditation.
2. Writing a gratitude journal
I would like to thank my friend Varsha for introducing me to gratitude journaling. Maintaining a gratitude journal is so powerful and I would urge everyone to try it.
During the lowest phases of life, we would be so negative towards life that we ignore our greatest blessings.
Having a gratitude journal reminds us life has been kind to us in more ways than we think. At the end of the day, take a notebook or diary and write 10 things you are grateful for in life.
It makes you rewind the whole day and all the things that happened. It helps you to look around and count your blessings. Trust me, while trying to write down 10 blessings, you might even feel the urge to add more to the list.
Post writing this journal, it is highly unlikely you go to bed with a disturbed mind.
3. Cooking healthy
I am someone who has struggled with hormonal issues since teenage years. Doctors unanimously suggested to take pills.
However, I listened to the experience of many others who tamed the lifestyle disorders with proper exercise and healthy eating. I got interested and started following a healthy lifestyle. An exercise routine and mindful eating has helped me in controlling the issues without any medication.
When I got married, I had a tough time convincing my husband to eat healthy. Honestly speaking, we used to have fights about it.
But now, he has also started to be mindful while eating by making healthy choices and controlling the portion size.
Now, I do not have to think twice about cooking healthy. Loading our food with fruits, veggies, protein has almost become second nature. I cannot wait to teach my son about the importance of healthy eating!
This gives me a huge satisfaction when it comes to healthy living. I must say, I do not regret missing a couple of workouts as long as we consume healthy food.
Apart from the 3 practices, I do my bit to stay healthy.
I recall the words of a fitness enthusiast. He said, “Our body is structured to move”. Apparently, he ensures he doesn’t sit still while having meetings with his colleagues. He does light stretching while sitting. What an innovative way to stick to your motto. I think this helps to reduce the boredom of getting stuck in lengthy meetings too.😉
Well, I try to do my bit too — like doing some kind of physical activity after every meal instead of sitting or taking a nap. Eating healthy, controlling the portion size of my meals, and most importantly, spending quality time with my kiddo.❤️
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