goal setting – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Spring Movement

Habits can be hard to form. Falling out of habits can be pretty easy. The many changes from COVID may have pulled you out of your normal routine two years ago and perhaps you haven’t figured out a new schedule or format you enjoy. The seasons can also unravel the best laid plans. A cold and icy winter might keep you from exercising. But the seasons can also be a time to reboot, especially as the sun pokes out more in spring and the weather gets warmer.

If you’re ready and raring to get into a new fitness routine this spring, here are some tips that can help:

Schedule

Actually put exercise on your calendar. Prioritize it and make sure you have time for it. Include a Monday workout because it sets you up for success for the whole week. If you skip Monday, you might convince yourself it’s okay to skip Tuesday and then the next day. So start your week with a workout.

Think of it like a doctor’s appointment. You’d never put that on your calendar and then blow it off. It’s a needed appointment for your health.

Outside

Spring MovementMaggie Downie2022-03-28T23:01:19-04:00

WOOP

Ever heard the term (acronym, really) WOOP? Neither had I. It’s a goal setting/ habit changing tool supported by 20-years of scientific research. I learned about the technique from the free happiness class Yale offers online.

What is WOOP?

Gabrielle Oettingen, an NYC psychology professor, has written the book and done the research on WOOPing. WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. You focus and visualize on a goal or change you’d like to make for five minutes a day. To me it feels like a cross between mediation and self-hypnosis. It goes like this. You spend five, undistracted minutes, truly visualizing the following:

W: Your wish. Something you want to change or achieve. Big or small. Long term or short term.

O: The outcome of achieving your wish. What will happen if you get it? What will your life look like?

O: What obstacles will get in your way? Envision what road blocks you’ll come across and what might stop you from getting where you want to go.

P: Make a plan using if-then statements. If (this obstacle arises) then (I’ll combat it with this action).

What You Really Want

You are supposed to be honest with yourself and determine if you really want the […]

WOOPMaggie Downie2020-09-18T12:32:36-04:00

Exercise is Fun

If your writs don’t hurt you may take for granted how much they are supporting you on an exercise like sidebends.

Somehow in the United States we’ve grown up believing that exercise needs to be hard and painful or there is no purpose. We drill ourselves into more reps and faster sets forgoing any sense of quality of movement. We all know the motto: No Pain, No Gain. And we wonder why children in the states search for doctor’s notes to escape gym class. What sane person seeks out pain? Yet so many of us do when it comes to our fitness routine (myself included sometimes). Very few people proclaim, “Exercise is fun!”

It’s sad because most children naturally enjoy playful movement. They run around, flop on the couch, jump on the bed, squirm, and play tag at the bus stop. They wiggle and roll, until we make all movement formulaic and stick them in desks for prolonged periods of time.

Whether you love moving or drone at the idea of it, take a moment to answer the following questions:

When was the last time your exercise routine was playful and fun?

Do you show […]

Exercise is FunMaggie Downie2018-06-18T17:33:52-04:00