How to move your body more in 2023
Forget the 30-day workout challenges. Here's how to set attainable workout goals and get active in the New Year.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/YWERXE3NNZEILK55EYL6QDP4IE.jpg)
When it comes to exercising — one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions each year — it’s easy to fall into self-doubt.
However, moving the body and finding ways to get active can be achieved without setting yourself up for failure with unrealistic workout plans or extreme dieting. The meaningful part of the resolution is trying something new that feels right for you.
The Inquirer spoke with Philly-area personal trainers, yoga teachers, and an inclusive hiking group to understand how to meet your exercise resolutions without the anxiety.
Set realistic, achievable exercise resolutions
Keep it simple. Mariel Freeman, a leading Philly yoga teacher and founder of Three Queens Yoga, said reminding yourself that this process is simply putting “one foot in front of the other” and celebrating small wins is what will help get you started.
“It doesn’t have to be grandiose, it just has to be habit,” said Freeman. “Instead of saying, ‘I’m going to work out seven days a week for 30 days and do some kind of hardcore fitness challenge,’ think about being intentional [with trying something new] — like walking someplace every day or setting foot in a yoga studio or a gym.”
Ask yourself how your goals will impact other areas of your life. Brandi Aulston, an avid hiker and founder of the women-led hiking group Hike and Heal, suggests analyzing how your goals are going to benefit you in addition to getting active.
“What are your desires on a physical, mental, spiritual aspect that will carry into all the other things that you want for yourself, your career, and relationships?” Aulston said.
Whether it’s being more healthy, getting more time in the sun, or finding ways to meet new friends — without knowing what you want for yourself, nothing’s going to work, Aulston said.
Get your mind ready for movement
Everyone’s routine is going to look different, but each expert we talked to said working your body starts with working your mind.
At the start of and throughout each day, give yourself the chance to take three of the deepest breaths you can, Freeman said. Breathing is integral to yoga, but it also decreases stress, lowers the heartbeat, and stabilizes blood pressure.
Brandon RaSean, a personal trainer of nearly a decade and owner of The Gym by Brandon RaSean, suggests reading more. Reading, especially fiction, stimulates the mind and allows the imagination to run wild — which RaSean said will help with believing in yourself.
“Remember when you were a kid and just read a book? You may wake up and say, ‘I’m gonna be an astronaut,’ ” said RaSean. “I feel like with that imagination, we can decrease self-doubt.”
Simple fitness and wellness exercises to jumpstart New Year’s resolutions
Start with stretching. Since many have been working from home, there’s a lot of sitting throughout the day. Freeman suggests “pandiculation,” — which you’ll see cats and dogs do a lot — it’s stretching in ways that feel good, like a wake-up and yawn stretch.
To stimulate those muscles from sitting all day, RaSean loves the “broomstick” overhead stretch. You don’t need a broomstick to do it, but it can help give you an idea of the intended motion.
“Imagine yourself grabbing a broomstick [horizontally], with your hands a little wider than shoulder length, and just extending it over your head to the back of your waist,” he said. “Basically relaxing your shoulders and pulling them back. It’s a great exercise to counter unbalanced posture.”
For a little weight training, RaSean suggests the “Farmer’s Carry.” Grab two dumbbells or two bags and put some weighted items in them, and carry both with your arms fully extended. Keep your shoulders relaxed, your chest back, and posture straight — then simply walk a short lap around the block or on a trail.
A “Glute Bridge” is a great exercise to work out the core muscles (stomach and back), which helps with posture, balance, and improved mobility, RaSean said. Lie down on your back, with your knees bent, and thrust your hips upward with your heels and raise your stomach with your core.
And for an all-time classic: Walking. Erick DuPree, yoga teacher at Three Queens, suggests “a walk that leads to maybe running [when you pass a] telephone pole, then walking [when you reach the next] pole. You run one pole, then walk for two poles. Just beginning to build into your body to do more.”
Myths about exercise, working out, and moving your body more
When you start looking into exercising, there are so many tips, techniques, and rules thrown at you. The experts break down some of the biggest misconceptions they run into:
Mariel Freeman: You don’t have to be rich to work out or do yoga — it can be done at home for free. “And if cost of entry is a barrier, don’t be afraid to reach out to the place that you want to go to and ask if there are other options,” Freeman said.
Erick DuPree: You don’t have to have a certain body to practice yoga. “There’s a yoga class for every single person. There are yoga classes for someone who doesn’t have limbs or is in a wheelchair. It may not be at your closest yoga studio, but there’s a yoga class for you,” DuPree said.
Brandon RaSean: You don’t need a lot of time to exercise. “You don’t need to exercise at 5 a.m. in the morning. You don’t need to exercise five to seven days a week. All you need is about 15 minutes per day,” RaSean said. Plus, sunlight is always good.
Sharne’ Burrell: Exercising doesn’t always have to be work. “You should always find an activity or exercise that you don’t feel as if it’s work,” said Burrell. “For me, I just love dancing around my house and kitchen.” Roller skate, hula hoop, or walk the dog — simply move.