Over the years, my definition of the word “fitness” has certainly evolved. Having grown up pretty active (I was an Indian Classical Dancer), I didn’t necessarily have a “daily fitness routine,” but as soon as I stopped dancing, there was a void in my life–I felt empty somehow. As I progressively tried to uncover what exactly this void was, I realized that fitness was and is not a number, a shape, or size–it’s a feeling; one of well-being, positivity, and strength. Such a feeling not only makes you feel more confident in your own skin, but also brings out the colors and silhouettes of the clothes you wear. Not to mention, packing on a bit of strong muscle often leads to your clothes fitting much better on you!
In hopes of inspiring you to embark or get back on your personal fitness journey, I wanted to share my daily workout routine. While I like to switch this up sometimes, I do indeed work out daily. Working out acts as meditative time that sets me going in the right direction, and sets the pace for my day.
Here’s my daily fitness fix (minus pre and post stretching):
30-40 minutes on the Elliptical at an incline OR 40-50 minutes of brisk walking on the Treadmill OR 30 minutes of mid-intensity Rowing
50 Regular Crunches
50 Bicycle Crunches
45 Second Plank
20 Reps of Seated Chest Press on 30 lbs OR 30 Reps of Biceps Curl with 8 lbs dumbbells
As it stands, I’m working towards feeling stronger on my upper body as well as strengthening my core to improve my posture. Because I’ve been a dancer for so long, I’ve built up pretty decent leg strength, hence my shift in focus to the mid and upper body. However, everyone is different, and it’s important to do a quick self assessment of what your fitness goals might be by asking yourself some of the following questions:
- What areas of my body feel the most tired, even if I haven’t worked them as much? –> start mild weight training in those areas
- Do I have difficulty maintaining a straight posture? –> work on your lower back strength and abdominal strength
- Am I losing flab but feeling weaker? –> if you’re feeling weaker, your metabolism is likely deteriorating and you’re not building muscle. This is your body’s way of telling you to fuel yourself with more protein, and focus more on weight training
One last quick note: remember that exercise should in some ways challenge both your body and brain to be effective. Having a routine is a great start, but changing up the routine, even slightly, from time to time is also really important.
I hope you stay inspired to embrace fitness to feel stronger: both mentally and physically.
XOXO,
-MS
