There’s no such thing as “one exercise fits all”. Everyone is different. Just because Sally LOVES her daily run around the park, doesn’t mean you will. To stick to a healthy habit like regular exercise, it’s important to actually enjoy yourself along the way. If you love being in nature, then perhaps a stuffy indoor gym isn’t the best environment for you to achieve your wellness goals.
We recommend considering your personality type first, then picking up an exercise routine that aligns with your traits and lifestyle. Here are a few options for you to choose from:
Yoga
If you: are regularly anxious or stressed and hoping to balance out your emotions
Perhaps the most peaceful exercise on offer, regular yoga practise has been proven to improve flexibility, increase muscle strength and tone, improve respiration, reduce blood pressure and regulate your adrenals. Yoga is perfect for addressing anxiety because it encourages you to relax, teaches you how to focus and releases the built-up tension in your body.
Running
If you: are full of energy and wanting to improve your endurance
Ever heard of a “runner’s high?” It’s a real thing! Running can cause a rush of hormones called endorphins and endocannabinoids. These hormones play an important role in regulating your emotional state, and when activated can help to improve your mood. Physically, running strengthens your lungs, burns calories, prevents high blood pressure and increases your bone density, joint strength and stability.
Team Sport
If you: are a social butterfly with a competitive streak
Team sports are already so cemented into our culture, and there’s actually a good reason for that. It’s not just for the love of playing or watching the game – it’s the fact that participating in a group activity like a team sport can produce an array of benefits outside of the obvious physical ones. It has been shown that playing team sports, no matter your age, can help to boost your self-esteem, improve relationships, improve skills such as conflict resolution and communication and even develop positive leadership habits. If you’re looking to make new friends, joining a local team may push you outside of your comfort zone and into the arms of your new tribe.
Weights
If you: are goal-oriented and methodical
For many years, women wanting to lose weight or tone their figure feared the use of weights, mistakenly believing that they would cause them to appear too bulky. In 2020, society knows that STRONG is sexy, and weights can be helpful to achieving any goal in the gym. If in doubt, we recommend engaging a personal trainer for at least three sessions so that you can be provided with a program to follow and if necessary, be taught how to use the equipment and machinery offered at your gym. If you’re the type of person who thrives on a routine, you will love following a gym program.
Pilates
If you: need office-worker rehab
Sitting at a desk from 9 till 5 is not what our bodies were designed to do. As a result, many professionals find their health deteriorating due to such regular, long periods of physical inactivity. Pilates was invented to help athletes safely return to sport after an injury. Therefore its primary focus is enhancing posture, muscular strength, control and flexibility. This makes it incredibly helpful to those who need help strengthening weak muscles after sitting in the office all day. Regular pilates practices can reduce the occurrence of headaches, neck and back pain – all common complaints amongst office workers.