Routines have really gained some popularity in recent years, particularly on social media, even though humans have been using routines since the beginning of time. And that is for good reason! They allow us to accomplish what we set out to do, whether big or small, in a more efficient way. Routines ease us into the rising rhythm of the day, and into the falling of the night.
”Routines ease us into the rising rhythm of the day, and into the falling of the night.”
Particularly in “uncertain times,“ as the year 2020 has proved to be, and as is still lingering in 2021, routines have given us a sense of stability and direction, all while fostering a feeling of accomplishment. So why not use a routine to create a fitness habit; a long-lasting lifestyle habit? I couldn’t think of a better time to do so! If we can manage to make morning, evening, and work/school routines we can certainly do so with fitness. The key is in the rhythm! Let me explain:
There are some rhythmic components (if you will) to a routine that make it, well... a routine! This is what to look for when crafting any routine.
Same time of day: When you do a specific activity at the same time every day it gives power to that repetition, making it a kind- of muscle memory in your body and psyche. Some activities are dictated by time, like morning routines. With fitness, you’ll obviously want to exercise when it makes most sense to you, and works with your schedule on a regular basis. I can’t stress that last part enough because many people make the mistake of trying to exercise around so many moving parts of their schedule that it never ends up being consistent, and they give up. Find that right time for you in your weekly schedule that works every single week, even if that changes daily.
Fits YOUR lifestyle, no one else’s. Many fitness recommendations are simply “dumbed down” to make it easier to understand or adopt, like “workout only in the morning,” or “don’t eat after 5:00 PM.” Those are simply general recommendations for the masses. If you have an early morning job or get home at 9:00 pm, those just won’t work for you. Create a routine around what’s comfortable and convenient for you. When I used to be in my in-person teaching days, I would get home most days between 9-9:45 pm, and I was starving! So, if I abided by the “don’t eat after 5:00 pm rule, I’d most certainly pass out from malnutrition. Ok that’s a little dramatic, but I think you get my point. And no, I didn't have any breaks for dinner so 10:00 pm was my dinner time. And it worked for me! I even sustained that routine while preparing for the many pageants I competed in, and won!
Centered in Familiarity: This builds upon the first component, but familiarity also pertains to the activity itself. That doesn’t mean you’re doing the exact same workout every day, but it can. It can mean doing a specific program or genre of exercise like DanceFit Form. The familiar part can also be the format (20 min barre, 10 minute stretch), or the schedule, such as drink 8 oz of water, workout for 30 minutes, eat lunch, take supplements, go back to work; etc. This is a valuable part of your routine as it keeps things familiar (aka comfortable), yet you can still keep it "fresh" by switching up the actual workouts for the day.
Write It Down: Write down your routine. Schedule your workouts and take note of your meals, drinks, etc. So simple, yet SO many just don’t do it. The benefit? When you write down your routine, you don't need to think about it. Read, and follow. Sometimes (or all the time!) we get lost in the hustle and bustle of the day, no matter where we are or what we're doing, so it's super helpful to have a reminder of the things we need to do for ourselves. When making note of our food intake, and writing down fitness goals we bring them to a different level of consciousness. Yes, you read correctly, precisely a level of consciousness that is not attained when you do not write them down. I cannot tell you how many times clients have told me they were not aware of the many things they were eating, drinking, doing, feeling, or not doing until after they wrote them down with a pen on paper (or digitally). Just DO IT, and you'll reap the benefits of greater fitness and wellness, trust me.
To make it easier, I've created a FREE PRINTABLE DAILY FITNESS ROUTINE PLANNER that you can use everyday. This is a pdf download that you can save, and print as many copies as you’d like. I like to put them in my daily planner so I have a dedicated place for everything wellness.
When creating the DanceFit Form Program, I was always envisioning how I could make fitness and nutrition easier, more accessible to my members so that they could stick with it, love it, and come back for more. It was through this brainstorming that routines always came up, and so it is all centered in the rhythm of routines! The DanceFit Form Program makes it so easy to follow a fitness routine with everything from workouts to weekly meal plans, workout schedule, printable files, daily mantras, community forum and personalized support that you truly cannot go astray!
If you’re ready to start your fitness journey, sign up for DanceFit Form today and get ready to meet your best self!
Cheers to your health and fitness!
XO
Graziella