2022 is coming to an end and you might be thinking (again) as early as now about which type of exercises you want to pursue to achieve your goals (again) in 2023. Were you able to maintain your exercise habit for this year? Did you achieve the goals you set last time for 2022? If yes, you must have exerted a lot of time and effort for your fitness, health, and wellness. But if not, then you might have to change your approach and instead of focusing too much on doing the most intense or the latest exercise craze that can only be done on a certain period, only to find yourself abandoning it after a while, then you need focus on factors first that can make you genuinely consistent with your exercise lifestyle throughout the year. Yes, consistency can give you the results that you’ve always wanted.
You have all the most important reasons to incorporate physical activity into your daily life such as; fat loss, healthy aging, happiness, and improved health. You need to make time for it. You can’t just stop the entire month and resume when everything is back to normal again by January. You need to make the effort to move, even just by walking 20 minutes a day or doing flexibility or bodyweight training for at least 10 minutes a day. Every movement counts. I believe that consistency is more important than exercise intensity to create balance in your lifestyle. Do not overwhelm yourself with thoughts of an ideal workout schedule and routine. Be flexible and learn to adjust again. You can restart gradually, even this month, and modify your workouts until you regain your energy and strength and feel that self-confidence and spark again.
Through the years, I’ve tried different workouts and realized that the best ones I can do consistently and work significantly well for my lifestyle and body are home workouts and outdoor runs. I always feel energized and fit with my morning strength workouts with my clients. I find it fulfilling to end my day with 30-minute outdoor runs where I can produce creative ideas for work and release stress from it.
I also see the importance of joining other classes or signing up for run races to break the routine and challenge my fitness level. To ensure balance, I make sure that my workouts (type, volume, and intensity) can make my day productive and keep my hormones well-balanced (menstruation is regular, moods are good, and cravings are well-regulated).
Using a fitness tracker motivates me to stay consistent with my fitness routine while improving my exercise performance. Try to get a fitness tracker that can improve your motivation and exercise quality by being aware of your exercise intensity, duration, volume, and output. You will also know if you are pushing yourself too much or if you are not reaching the recommended calorie burn per day (matched with your daily food intake) for you to achieve your weight management goals.
Consider the most important factors when choosing your workouts this 2023 to ensure exercise consistency and results:
- The exercise should match your current health goals, fitness level, personality, and age
- The exercise should be accessible
- The exercise should give you results (physical and mental) so you get more motivated
- The exercise should give you the right amount of challenge so you can progress
- The exercise should be a stress-reliever
- The exercise should give you a sense of balance in your life (such as positive emotions and better relationships with others)
Based on the factors mentioned, here are the most effective workouts that should be a part of your fitness routine, so you can sustain your active lifestyle while you achieve your health and fitness goals:
Home workouts
A home workout is the most accessible one that you can do to stay consistent. Find the best exercise area at home where you can conveniently move with enough space and minimal distractions. It can be inside your bedroom, in the living room, outside the house, or in your home gym room. Ensure that you have the most basic exercise tools needed to complete a basic workout routine such as an exercise mat, a pair of dumbbells, and an exercise band. Check if you also have the important things needed to do online home workouts such as a good internet connection, earphones, a speaker, a computer, a laptop, or a television screen.
Fusion workouts
Fusion workouts are time-efficient and very effective when it comes to improving and challenging your cardiovascular endurance, full body and core strength, balance, flexibility, and agility. Full-body workouts that integrate cardio and strength training can really improve your metabolism (effective calorie burn during and after the session). You can check out classes such as; circuit classes, dance and sculpt, boxing and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), indoor cycling classes with weights, treadmill and strength classes, and Pilates or yoga with a cardio workout.
Stress-relieving workouts
Stress-relieving exercises are so important, especially nowadays. Aside from your usual workouts, think of other physical activities that you can do at the end of the day to help address your worries, negative emotions, and current stressors. It can be simple outdoor walking, a calming yoga routine, a fun dance class, or an intense indoor cycling class. This depends on your preferences, personality, and how your body can respond to exercise. I usually prefer doing a moderate-intensity run as my stress-relieving exercise. I know people who love to do yoga instead.
Functional workouts
Every time you exercise, aim for progress. Aside from health reasons, fat loss, and body toning, you should have the intention of improving your fitness level so you can do and enjoy more things in life. Choose functional workouts that can give you the right amount of challenge to improve your performance in your daily activities, sports, and travel adventures. Functional workouts (including pull, push, rotation, squat, lunge, hip hinge, and gait) mimic real-life movements enabling you to; climb the stairs faster, do your household chores effectively without getting injured, play your sports well, climb mountains and hike with ease. This type of workout can be performed with a fitness coach, in a small to a big group class, or even at home using your body weight as resistance. The intensity of the workout can be light to intense and applicable for all ages. The older population can benefit from this type of workout.
Uplifting and positive workouts
Choose workouts that can give you a sense of balance and happiness, something that you’ll always look forward to, bringing you a sense of security, fulfillment, and excitement. These include various reasons such as; the energy you always get from an inspiring coach, the good feeling you have when you work out with your friends or spouse, and/or the type of self-control and self-confidence that you get after finishing your favorite workout. You can sustain your active lifestyle. The workout can bring positive emotions and a sense of balance that you will always long for. Think of dance workouts, outdoor runs, group classes with motivating instructors, or any workout that can give you positive emotions.
Email the author at mitchfelipe@gmail.com or follow/message her on Instagram @mitchfelipemendoza