It is SO easy to slip off the rails and leave your fitness and physical well-being behind. As I write this, it dawns on me that it’s beena week since I worked out. It isn’t that I’ve “gotten lazy” or have decided to no longer take fitness seriously, but with everything that daily life involves, fitness habits sometimes slip off to the side.
The important thing to remember is that this happens to everyone. Even the most disciplined of athletes will sometimes have dry spells where they go without working out for days at a time. As long as you come back to it once you realize the lapse, things can continue on smoothly.
Fitness doesn’t have to involve a huge commitment. A lot of people tend to have the perspective that “I’ll work out this afternoon” and assume it will take the afternoon. But you can maintain your fitness in a lot less time than that.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/exercise/faq-20057916) There are conditions and add ons to that, if you expect to lose weight, gain muscle mass or have specific goals in mind.
Fitness can be as easy as going for a light run, bike ride or swim for a half hour or more. On more intense days, you can get into HIIT or circuit workouts and push for about 75 minutes if you’re looking to reach certain goals.
Even on days where I forget to slip a workout in, I usually remember to take a short period of time to go through my forms, kicks, punches and blocks. This usually works up a mild burn and gets me at least a bit sweaty in order to maintain my physical fitness.
Now is a good time to remind everyone that regular fitness will help with weight management, blood sugar levels, muscle mass and sleep patterns. No matter how much or how little you do, ANYTHING is still better than NOTHING. Keep at it and don’t be afraid to feel the burn. ☯
The Blogging Buddhist 