‘Ugh, I need to lose some weight.’ How many times have you heard yourself or your friends casually exclaim that? While for some people losing weight is crucial to improve their health, the number on the scale isn’t the definite determiner of your health.
We as a society are obsessed with reaching a certain ‘goal weight’. And this obsession is unhealthy in every way. In reality, this focus should be shifted to overall physical and mental wellbeing. Recently, Elle Mills, an adored Youtube star shared her heart-rending weight loss journey. What started out as a commitment towards fitness soon turned into a weight loss fixation. She started skipping meals and following preposterous diets. And social media served as a major catalyst in this catastrophe. When there are thousands of people praising your ‘incredible weight loss’ without having the slightest clue about what’s going on behind the scenes, it pushes you to continue your perilous habits. Don’t let social media be the reason driving you towards achieving an ‘ideal body shape’. There’s no such thing.
If you truly want to feel the best in your skin, shift your goal from fitting into a dress size to building a healthier lifestyle. In this post, we are sharing some workouts that engage your body as well as your mind.
Yoga
If deadlifting weights at the gym is not your jam, try out something more relaxing like yoga. Yoga is a meditative form of exercise that equally focuses on flexibility and mindfulness. Whether you’ve been stressed or just wish to feel more present, yoga is an excellent fitness practice that will do wonders for your mind and body. For 50% off your first yoga class, head over to Bodytonic Clinic.
Combat Sports
Fitness shouldn’t solely focus on physical health. If you’re bored out of your mind with generic gym classes, consider joining combat sports classes. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, boxing, Tae Kwon Do, judo and kickboxing are some popular combat sports. Besides achieving physical fitness, these sports engage your mind and bind you to the present moment.
Pilates
Pilates is quite a popular choice when it comes to physical and mental health. It involves highly-controlled moves to improve core strength, spinal alignment and general movement. Each movement is carefully executed, making you completely aware of your body. Pilates is by no means a mindless activity. You have to be completely in the zone to practice it properly.
Local Leagues
Structured workout classes can feel boring and repetitive after a point of time. You can switch it up by joining a local sports league in your community or workplace. Whether it’s dodgeball or football, participating in team sports is a great activity for your Sundays. It’s fun and usually free!
Zumba
Talking about fun, Zumba is the perfect activity if you like your workouts to be less broody. Involving dancing and upbeat music, the spirits in a Zumba class are high and so are the heartbeats. Offering an energetic environment is ideal for people who want to have fun while working out.
Barre
If you’re an adult, committing to a ballet class is less likely to be a feasible option for you. Instead, explore a Barre class. It’s a form of low-impact ballet training. But don’t let the grace of this training regime fool you. While it might appear to be quite easy, it’s not. It demands strength, focus, and patience.
Aerial Yoga
If you want to take it to the next level, literally and figuratively, sign up for an aerial yoga class. This regime improves strength and flexibility, all while suspending you from the ceiling.
Pole Workouts
Pole dancing has taken the fitness world by storm. Apart from improving core strength, the pole dancing community is a huge advocate for body positivity.
We hope this post helped your reassess your fitness goals. Wanting to lose weight is not a bad thing unless it overpowers everything else including your mental and physical wellbeing. That’s some food for thought.
