Like recovery from mental illness, fitness is not the same for everybody. Believing so can hinder you from finding a routine that feels good and works for you.
Fitness can look different for everyone and even look different for you each day, depending on the needs of your mind and body at the time.
What Movements Feel Good to You?
Sometimes, the most overlooked part of establishing a sustainable movement routine for your lifestyle is discovering what types of movements feel good for you. For example, expecting yourself to run when running hurts your body (while finding it boring) will be hard to continue.
Likewise, if you think you need to do high-intensity workouts only because others say it is a good form of exercise, you may find it challenging to stick with.
Asking yourself what types of movements don’t feel good for you can guide you in uncovering which forms do. A fitness routine that includes activities you enjoy will feel fun and give you something to look forward to doing.
Permit Yourself to RestÂ
Permitting yourself to rest is an essential piece of the fitness journey, allowing both your mind and body to recover from exercise. Resting is also key for creating a sustainable movement routine and experiencing a healthy relationship with movement and your body as a whole.
If you wake up in the morning planning to exercise but feel that your body would be better off with additional rest, allow yourself to relax some more. Trust your body, understand what it needs, and exercise only when your body feels capable of doing so.
Rest is good for you. Indulge in it without guilt and as part of meeting and sustaining your overall wellness goals.
Shift the All-Or-Nothing MindsetÂ
It can be easy to fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking when beginning your fitness journey. This is one of the many reasons people do not find exercise regimens that work for them. All-or-nothing thinking tends to manifest as the belief that you must always be making progress while pushing yourself to your total capacity to do so. Such a mindset can inevitably lead to self-sabotage.
When you can shift your perceptions about fitness and define what balance looks like for you, you may find a routine that quickly becomes part of your lifestyle.
Creating a fitness routine that works for you is crucial for sustaining it and can be a form of self-care in recovery from mental illness. At Avalon Malibu, we not only help you find fitness routines that work for you but also offer other therapeutic supports that make sense for you as an individual. We guide you in the types of treatment, self-care practices, and resources that genuinely support the desires and goals you have. At Avalon Malibu, you will be among professionals and peers who support a safe and secure environment. To learn more, call us at (844) 857-5992.
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