Getting Started on my Fitness New Year’s Resolutions

Though it may be February already, I'll admit that I'm just getting started on some of my New Year's resolutions! One of these resolutions is to exercise more, as I haven’t consistently exercised since quarantine started. 

I assume lots of other people have fitness New Year's resolutions, especially given how much time we’ve been spending inside! So today I wanted to walk you through some of the things I’ve been trying to get on the fitness train.

Prior to lockdown, I used to go to the gym almost every day. Getting out of the house was key to motivating me to workout; now that I can’t go to the gym anymore, I’ve been finding it hard to work up the motivation to start my workout routine. 

But, after a bit of experimentation, I found that leaving the house, as if to go to the gym, was enough to get me in the workout mood. So, to start my workout, I’ll leave my house and walk around my neighbourhood for about 10 minutes, as if I’m walking to the gym. By the time I return home, I'm revitalized from the fresh air and warmed up for my work out. If I’m feeling extra intense that day, I’ll go for a neighbourhood jog instead of a walk before returning home to do an at-home workout. 

This strategy seems kind of silly, but it's been helpful for me to tap into ways I used to motivate myself to workout pre-lockdown! 

For my actual at-home workout, I've tried two strategies. The first is to do online workout videos on YouTube. This option is great because you have the flexibility to do these videos whenever you want and there’s a huge variety. To maintain some discipline, I’ve been really into completing workout schedules/challenges often created by the producers of these videos. I know lots of people did the Chloe Ting shred challenge in the beginning of quarantine, but I plan to do it starting next week! 

For me, some of the benefits of at-home workouts can also be detriments. I’ve found that the flexibility of online workouts means that I often don’t get around to doing them. So, I decided I would sign up for a synchronous online workout class on Zoom. 

After looking at a variety of expensive workout classes, I was super happy to remember that as a U of T student, I have free access to lots of online fitness programming. For example, I signed up for the Hart House Virtual Fitness Studio, which is an incredible option. Every week they send me a Zoom link and a schedule of fitness classes offered, ranging from Yoga, to Zumba, to HIIT workouts. 

I love doing these classes as they hold me accountable to working out at a specific time of day. The instructors are also great and really accessible for beginners!

If you've made a fitness New Year’s resolution, how's it going?