With a weekend typically dedicated to decadent feasts followed up by copious leftovers behind us, what better note to land on for our self-care than considering working out.
Establishing a workout routine can have a multitude of benefits for your health. Aside from the obvious physical benefits of committing to an exercise routine Walden University is just one source among many that suggest these 5 Mental Health Benefits of Exercise.
Help for depression and anxiety
Decreased stress
Increased self-esteem and self-confidence
Better sleep
Brain boost
A couple of years ago, we realized how true this was when we chose a workout routine that we stuck to for about six months before the typical rush of summer hit and interrupted our rhythm.
What started as a New Year's resolution turned into realizing the benefits of weight training for us as an exercise routine. Thanks to a bit of help from the advice at Nerd Fitness's blog post: Does the Perfect Workout Exist? 9 Steps to Find the Best Workout Plan (For You).
When choosing to exercise, the worst thing you can do is pick a workout routine that won't work for you. Avoid picking something difficult to fit into your daily routine.
Maybe you do enjoy going for a walk, run or bike ride to clear your mind throughout the day, or perhaps a gym visit is right for you.
Alternatively, creating a home environment based workout worked wonders for us as we found our optimal workout season is in the colder winter when we're not pulled out of the house to work in the field as much. Having a small weight set in the basement really supercharged our first six-month stint of it, and now that we're reentering a season of self-care, it's the perfect place for us to restart as we get back to the basics.
Whatever you pick, remember the key is to stick with it.
We find exercising as a couple helps us encourage each other to stick to routines, push each other to find the strength for an extra rep and be mindful of what/how we're eating when we're working towards a common goal, but that's a topic for another day.