7 Lessons from A Year of Regular Exercise
“I want to exercise more regularly” this phrase has been on my yearly new year’s resolution for ages. Probably close to a decade.
I have always been a believer in new years resolutions. Every year, I will set my ambitious list of wonderful things I want to achieve in the coming year. And every year, I failed (well, minus those ambiguous ones like “being more courageous” and “living more intentionally”).
But not this year.
With the words “exercise at least 3 times a week” written in my journal, I began to take baby steps towards achieving this resolution.
Getting Started
Lesson Number 1: Change Your Environment to Change Your Reality
I heard from one of my favorite podcast, that to change your reality, you first have to change your environment. If you want to become fit, you need to go to the gym. If you want to grow, you need to go to a place where there are opportunities for you to grow. Your environment shapes your reality.
Something I did differently this year was to set up an environment for myself so that I will not fail like my previous attempts. I signed up for Calisthenics and Muay Thai classes in January, so that I have no choice but to show up and start my 3 times a week workouts.
Lesson Number 2: The Planner
When I first started working out, I jot down every single session on a planner. I noted the duration of my workout as well as what I did. I looked forward to filling up my planner with all my workouts and saw it as a way for me to celebrate the little wins in life. While I did not plan my schedule strictly, I tried to roughly determine what I would like to accomplish weekly, such as 2 Calisthenics class and 1 Muay Thai class.
Remaining Consistent
Lesson Number 3: Find Something That Works
If you hate cardio, forcing yourself to run 3 times a week just isn’t going to work well in the long run (no pun intended). You need to find something that works for you. Something that you feel comfortable with doing for a prolonged period of time.
Although I signed up for Calisthenics and Muay Thai classes, those plans were unfortunately shelved due to the pandemic.
During the national lockdown, I challenged myself to exercise every single day and find a workout that I truly enjoy. Which I did. So much so that even after the lockdown is over, these are still my go-to exercises.
If you’re a beginner, here are some workouts that worked for me:
- Downdog app (Free for students till July 2021): Barre, HIIT
- Blogilates: 7 Days Challenge and most of her workouts
- Madfit: All her workouts are pretty good and beginner-friendly
My favorite on the list is the Downdog app series, and I alternate between HIIT and Barre. The workouts are easy to follow yet challenging enough to give me a good sweat every time and are also customizable to fit your fitness level and duration.
Lesson Number 4: The Mindset Shift
Finding your why and what you’ll like to achieve during this journey is essential. Why are you trying to exercise 3 times a week? Is it to look better? For mental health? For physical health?
My journey became a lot easier after I shifted my mind away from exercising because I know it is beneficial, to wanting to have a healthy lifestyle that will allow me to do the things I want to do till I’m grey and old. My desire to build a habit and lifestyle diverted my focus away from vanity metrics such as my weight on the scale, to how I feel after the workout, and if this is something I’ll like to continue doing for a long time. If the answer is no, I need to find something else.
Lesson Number 5: On Mental Health
One of the biggest benefits of regular exercise is its impact on my mental health. I am someone who gets anxious energies easily and I find exercise to be an incredible antidote for it.
Oftentimes during the year, I find myself craving the post-workout mental clarity and would hop onto my yoga mat for a workout.
Working out really changed the game for me, and I am grateful for that.
Lesson Number 6: Don’t Break the Streak
Similar to the planner, once you’ve managed to consistently exercise 3 times a week, regardless of whether you religiously record it down or not, you will naturally feel an inclination not to break your workout streak. There were many times I still pushed through with a workout even if I am exhausted because I wanted to maintain that streak.
Lesson Number 7: The Virtuous Cycle
That’s all! Once you’ve set up a habit of exercising regularly for yourself, doing it suddenly doesn’t seem that intimidating anymore.
This creates a virtuous cycle: you exercise to hit your target → you feel good after exercising → you want to exercise more → you continue to exercise to hit your target.
Even if you missed a few days because you’re not feeling well or just simply want some rest, know that it is ok, and get back to regular programming once you feel better.
Closing Note
Fitness is a long and personal journey, so go on it at your own pace. But regardless of your pace, start it. Along the way, I realize that exercising has got tremendous benefits for our bodies. It keeps our brain, heart and lungs healthy, keeps the mind clear and gives us a space to let loose and truly be ourselves.
As my country eased its lockdown policies, I incorporated weekly gym sessions into my workout routine and I am still trying to figure out how to make things work. In 2021, my aim is to maintain my good relationship with exercise and start incorporating healthy eating into the lifestyle, starting with cooking at least 3 healthy meals for myself or my family per week.
The journey towards achieving a healthier lifestyle is long and endless. My hope is that when I am in my 50s or even 70s, I can be like my grandma, who loves going for walks and taichi (Chinese martial art) classes, or like those elderly who are still slaying it in the gym, despite being at least twice the average age of the people there.