Balancing Exercise with Other Forms of Self-Care
Fitness is one of the most important parts of your self-care regimen. Not only can it help benefit your physical strength and overall stamina, but it can also improve your mental health, as well. However, it is easy to put too much reliance on your workout routine, to the point of neglecting the other parts of self-care. Here are some ways you can structure your workout to allow for other parts of self-care while still getting the exercise you need.
The Importance of Other Forms of Self-Care
If you are looking to be a well-rounded and healthy person, exercise is critical. Staying physically fit helps to improve your energy, ability to rebound quickly from a cold, and decreases the risk of a large number of adverse health conditions later in life. It can also even make it easier for you to follow other parts of a self-care routine; for instance, exercising several hours before bedtime makes it easier for you to be able to fall asleep and stay asleep for the entire night while improving your chances of getting a deep, high-quality rest. However, your schedule may limit the time you have for the other aspects of self-care, like taking breaks throughout the day and preparing healthy meals for yourself. If your workout routine takes up the bulk of your free time to the exclusion of all else, it may be time to adjust your schedule.
Take Time for Other Forms of Self-Care
Some forms of self-care, like taking breaks throughout the day and saying no to projects to avoid getting overloaded, can be taken care of throughout the workday. However, you should still make time once you’re home to indulge in pure relaxation. This looks different for each person -- some people may find relaxation through hobbies, like knitting or playing music. Others, meanwhile, may require a dark room specialized for meditation and relaxation. (You can use a guest room or even your bedroom as a meditation room; the location doesn’t matter so much as the environment.) Be sure to leave enough time for sleep at the end of the day. By taking time to ease your mind, you’ll reduce your stress levels and become healthier overall.
How Much Time Do You Have for Self-Care?
In order to construct the best possible routine, you need to have a clear understanding of your current schedule. There are 24 hours in a day. Of those 24, how many hours do you spend out of work? Subtract those hours from the total, as well as the time for your commute and seven to eight hours of sleeping time. If you are like many people, you’ll end up with fewer than seven hours remaining. Somehow, in all of that time, you have to fit in your exercise routine (and the commute to the gym, if you are a member), plus meals, family time, and your social life. This can become stressful if you don’t approach it the right way. Try to limit your time at the gym to an hour or less. Most experts say that between half an hour and an hour of physical activity is recommended for an overall healthy lifestyle. That way, you’ll still leaving time for other things.
Keep in mind that it is not a bad thing that you are working out regularly -- on the contrary, it is closely tied to your overall health. However, other parts of self-care are just as important. By adjusting the amount of time you spend in the gym to allow for other forms of self-care, you will be helping yourself become more balanced and healthy overall.
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Sheila Olson of fitsheila.com | info@fitsheila.com