Make a specific, skill-based fitness goal (hold a handstand for 3 seconds, learn a “meathook” on trapeze, run a 5k). Make sure it’s realistic, and lay out a plan for how to get there. Choose a goal to challenge what your amazing body can do, and not what it looks like.
Try a new way of working out every month. Variety is the spice of life! Plus, some studies show that varying your workout leads to better fitness results, since your body has to keep up with changing demands.
Take 10 minutes every day for meditation, reflection, journaling, and/or gratitude.
Add an “exercise snack” at least three days a week. A couple new studies show that very short, strenuous bursts (just 20 seconds!) of activity “showed similar cardiovascular health improvements for relatively inactive people if they had begun a moderate intensity exercise regime such as going to a gym.” Don’t be stopped by the idea that you need to do a long workout - something is always better than nothing.
Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it. Of course, this catchy phrase over-simplifies the complicated nature of self-love, but it’s a nice reminder, and call-to-arms!
Drink more water. Let’s be honest - we all need to do this, right?
Get more sleep. Check out this article from the Guardian, chock-full of info, that says ‘a consistent seven to nine-hour sleep each night is the most effective thing we can do.’
Set up a system for accountability. The best way to build a habit is by doing it! Sign up for a series class, or go in with a friend to be your accountability buddy (we call them “accountabilibuddies” around the gym)
Stop talking about other people’s bodies. We love what The Every Girl says about this: “Make a conscious effort to rid your brain of body talk. Although we can see comments like ‘wow, you’ve lost weight!’ as a compliment, they can be triggering or uncomfortable for people. Instead of risking it, just stop commenting on how someone else’s body looks.” Losing weight might come from an illness, or be wrapped up in complicated body image issues. Plus, compliments on weight loss reinforce the dominant cultural mindset that thinner is always better (eyeroll!). One exception, perhaps, is if that person has shared that they have set a goal and are working towards something, in which case you can have supportive conversations and celebrate each other’s success.
Make art and share with others. Okay, so that isn’t fitness-specific, but one thing we love about circus is that the empowerment of a positive workout overlaps with creativity and self-expression! Find moments to share what you’ve been working on with friends and family; put some sequences to music just for yourself; set up a photoshoot to commemorate your favorite tricks; or even look for performance opportunities! (Hint: applications are open for the Circus Project’s next Living Room Circus)
Wishing you a 2020 filled with delight, adventure, and movement!
