Which Fitness Activity Suits You Best? Find Out!
There is a fitness activity that works for each person. You just need to find the one that works best for you!
Why is that we sign up for the annual offer at the nearest gym, but are never able to go daily? How do we achieve our New Year resolution of being healthy this year? What excuses are you coming up with to NOT achieve your fitness goals? What if the fitness activity you’ve decided upon is really not the best one for you?
I realized the perils of not having a fitness routine during our recent annual vacation. We had the money and time to travel around, but my poor health almost ruined it. I have been determined ever since to include some form of physical activity on a daily basis. But I failed at all my attempts to do my exercises regularly.
Over the years, it’s good to see that more women are understanding the importance of their health. Often, like me, many start with vigorous enthusiasm but fizzle out due to reasons like a busy lifestyle and existing health problems.
How to identify a fitness activity that you won’t drop
If lack of time is the constraint, the best advice option is to not aim for a long slot, but incorporate the fitness activity into your daily routines. It could be early in the morning or after coming back from work, or when the kids have gone to school, or when they play in the park, or during your lunch break.
Staying active throughout the day, including small fitness steps like taking the stairs whenever possible or walking to the next bus stop also keep your body agile. Many aerobics and workout videos useful for working out in the comfort of your home at your convenient times are also now available.
For young energetic women without any health ailments, there are a wide range of fitness activities to choose from. Signing up for a marathon can be a huge motivation to devote more attention to your body; it also gets you into the specific training and preparation that goes into running a marathon.
If you love cheerful upbeat music, you can dance your way to fitness by joining a dance classe like Zumba or salsa – these are suitable for young as well as middle-aged women, and in fact, for anyone who is reasonably active.
If you are not into vigorous activity and don’t like sports like tennis and badminton, you could try learning swimming. Apart from mastering a life skill, regular swimming can impart overall fitness to your body. It does not put pressure on any joints and is also therefore great for people with arthritis or any other joint-related conditions.
For pregnant women, brisk walking and swimming are considered safe fitness activities. Prenatal yoga and abdominal and pelvic exercises are recommended to strengthen the core body areas in preparation for labour.
Women with back pain too need not refrain from all physical activities. Stretching exercises and some of the yoga poses are beneficial for lower back pain which is quite common in women. But before starting off any fitness activity, it is better to consult with your doctor regarding your health queries.
For older women with a sedentary lifestyle, who are hesitant to start off with fitness activities, walking at a comfortable pace is a good start. It would be refreshing to take a walk around the apartment/house, while meeting and interacting with neighbours and friends.
Adding variety to your normal fitness routines can help prevent losing interest towards fitness goals. Why not alternate the fitness activities every few weeks or three months?
After struggling with my fitness trials at walking, gym and yoga, I realized I am more inclined towards dance as part of my fitness routines. Come this summer, and I would learn to better my swimming skills again with my li'l one. What about you? Which fitness activity suits you the best?
Written by Archana KB
