exercise ritual

Dedicate your workout to someone or something“There is power in reminding yourself as to why you are committing to your workout,” says Lara Benusis, yoga teacher at Pure Yoga, exercise physiologist, and student researcher at Columbia University. “In yoga, we traditionally begin the practice by taking a moment to set an intention.” Doing so helps us to connect with the greater reason as to why our practice matters to us and to remember the bigger picture, she adds. But you can take this off the yoga mat and into your pre-workout ritual. (Some people even use it before a meeting at work.) Here’s how to do it, according to Benusis: Take three deep breaths, shift your attention to your senses, and be present. Reflect on why the workout you are about to do matters. Finally, connect with the bigger picture (this can be preserving your health to be strong for your family, to remember how lucky you are to be healthy, and to know you will feel so much better after your workout).Spend the majority of time doing something you actually enjoyPart of the ritual is the workout itself. If you hate to run, don't run. There are so many other <a href=/articles/2014/08/20-minute-workout-kickboxing>activities that you can do to get your heart rate up</a>. “Obviously there are things that all of us do that we don't typically like doing but we recognize their benefits. But really for the lion's share of what you do, it should be something you enjoy,” says Berenc. “Find those workouts that ensure you're going to keep coming back.”Have micro and macro ritualsIn addition to your day-to-day rituals, you can also have one to kick off each week of training. “I have an effective weekly ritual where I plan my entire week on Sunday. I review my calendar and make sure I have scheduled my workouts. I also consider my meals (I cook ahead if needed) and make sure I've scheduled enough sleep,” says Benusis. You can also begin every week with a specific type of training or a certain healthy meal so you're starting off on the right foot.Have a post-game“Honor that you showed up and made the commitment,” says Benusis. Take some time during your cool down to reflect on how you feel. “In yoga we have a word to describe this after-effect, tadanantaram. It means essentially, "immediately" in Sanskrit. There is value in noticing the positive changes we feel afterwards so that we continue to return to our mat [or workout] again and again,” she says.

Workout routine or ritual?

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