Get In Shape for Summer
Summer is nearly upon us, so the time is right to get your body and mind in shape for enjoying the outdoors with confidence.
Angelina Barth from The Active Sisters at Margate, says the warmer weather and longer days make it easier to get moving.
“We feel more inclined to get active as the weather heats up and we take layers of clothing off. In winter, we don’t move as much and feel sluggish,” she explains.
While many people feel there are some barriers to exercising, such as time, guilt and money, the benefits are massive for physical and mental wellbeing.
Angelina understands this well and explains that movement has helped her deal with physical and mental health challenges.
While she is now fit and happy, she once was twice her present body weight, depressed and managed chronic health issues.
Her journey to where she is today, has not been easy. As is the case for many people, getting started was hit and miss.
“When I first started, I was told to work out one hour, five days a week. For the first week I felt amazing, then something happened at work and I missed an hour. I instantly felt I had failed,” she explains.
“Life happens and things happen. Start each day as an opportunity. Fifteen minutes of a workout or walking is better than doing nothing. Find what works for you. ”
So, Angelina left the gym she had joined and started home workouts for 15 minutes each day, initially using videos before making up her own routines.
Angelina says she found out she was quite good at it and has worked in the industry for about seven years now.
From her perspective, it is vital that we enjoy whatever movement we do, whether it's surfing, walking, yoga, dancing or weights.
It's important to understand why we want to become active too. While being motivated by friends or family is great, we have to want to do it for ourselves or it is not going to become a permanent part of our lives.
The next step is making a start, and how we approach it may determine success or failure.
“When someone comes to me, I tell them to focus on one thing to get things started,” Angela explains. “Keep things simple. If one session a week works for them now, stick with that. Get good at that and then start adding things to the routine.”
And there are things we can do each day to move more – choose a carpark that’s further away from your destination, go for a walk during your lunch break, or use the stairs instead of an elevator. “Find ways (to move) because everything counts. Small things lead to big things,” Angelina says.
More movement will make you feel more energetic, more confident, stronger and more motivated. Angelina says it is important to focus on how you feel, rather than on the size of your dress.
“Love the person who lives inside that body,” she says.
Visit theactivesisters.com
TOP TIPS TO GET IN SHAPE
■ Keep it simple to get started
■ Focus on your mindset and find movement you love
■ See if you can find a workout buddy, so you can support and motivate each other
■ Know what you want to accomplish
■ Remember everything you do counts
■ Instead of jumping on the scales, find clothes you want to feel good wearing and use them as a guide