TORONTO PILATES: CREATING A WORKOUT ROUTINE YOU LOVE - Toronto Functional Medicine

We all know how important it is to move our bodies, right? It is so important for good health. But it’s not always easy to create a workout routine that you love. Today our Toronto pilates instructors share their top tips for learning how to genuinely love your full body workouts.

8 WAYS TO CREATE A WORKOUT ROUTINE YOU LOVE

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 1:
Consider it an appointment

Whether work from home or staying at home, the days can sometimes get a little unstructured if we aren’t careful! On the weekend, take a look at the week ahead and decide when you’re going to do it and put it in as a treat/something to look forward to!

TMB TIP:
If you are not looking forward to your workouts of choice, you’re not choosing the right ones for your energy/mood/movement style/pace/time etc. Consider all the things!

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 2:
Match your energy level

What time of day does it energize you to workout? If you like it in your schedule for first thing in the morning so that you can get it out of the way and feel energized for the rest of your day, great! Not a morning person? Do you tend to drag yourself to working out (like a chore)? Then don’t workout in the morning! If you don’t have the energy and you push yourself, you are depleting yourself. Don’t borrow from Peter to pay Paul. Use your best time of day to your advantage. Maybe your energy rhythm is to do something super gentle for 5 minutes in the morning and do something a bit more intense around 3-4pm. The ultimate goal is to eventually turn it into a daily habit so it’s easiest when your energy level and mood matches the movements you chose to embark on!

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 3:
Take it ‘outside’

Sick of working out with screens? Put your screen in front of a big window to enjoy the view of outdoors as you workout. Somewhere warm? Take the laptop outside on a deck/patio to get that outdoor feel without feeling like it’s more screentime! Even just looking at nature helps build positivity, increase energy, enhance mood, reduce inflammation, and has an overall calming affect on your mind and body.

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 4:
Find a community

Struggling with feeling motivated to workout? Don’t want to go to a fitness class alone? Find a workout partner and workout with a friend on a drop-in LIVE class OR facetime each other to do the recording together! Having someone to exercise with can make all the difference when it comes to results, and a little bit of healthy competition never hurt anyone! Doing this will not only add accountability, but it can make your workouts more enjoyable and add more variability, as you’ll both have different ideas to bring to the table. Even just moving your body by going for a walk to pick up your morning coffee, or an evening stroll with your partner will make a difference to your health and well-being!

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 5:
Work with what you’ve got, not with what you don’t

Unexpected things happen – Trust us, we get it! If something else comes up and you need to cancel your scheduled workout, go with it and try to find another small window to squeeze in a quick movement break. We’re talking even a dance party with yourself while you clean the dishes! Any movement is better than no workout!

TMB TIP:
Working out does NOT need to be for a “one-hour class”. Moving is moving! This is why in the virtual studio we’ve divided the classes by time to suit any movement mood. We have 10, 20 and 45 minute classes!

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 6:
Make the goal achievable

Having an achievable goal will help you attain it, which will give you a win right out of the gate. When we get a win, we get that dopamine surging and that itself gives us even more motivation. Don’t use the scale as a goal, aim for things like making it to your mat for 5 minutes/day, or allowing the workout to inspire better food choices throughout the day so that you feel more confident and energized.

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 7:
Find out what you do and don’t like

When it comes to workouts, you’re only going to stick with it if you actually enjoy how it makes you feel. Your workout should be fun and something you look forward to, not stressful and overwhelming! Try to experiment in order to figure out what type of workout works best for you – Is it a quick, high intensity cardio session? Is it strength training? Pilates?

TMB TIP:
If you haven’t tried one of our classes, give us a try! Check out our sample class below!

TORONTO PILATES INSTRUCTOR TIP 8:
Choose the right exercise for your cycle phase

Did you know that you can have more successful workouts if you plan them according to your cycle? The type of exercise you should be doing when you’re ovulating is different to what you should be doing in the days around your period. Studies show that for optimal results, you should do more intense workouts from day 7-14 of your cycle as you will have the most energy, where as from day 1-7 (menstruation), you’re likely to feel better engaging in lower intensity movements.

TRY A SAMPLE TMB VIRTUAL STUDIO CLASS

Here is a sample class of PERFECT FIIT, (scroll to bottom right of the page and click to get access) one of our studio classes for you to try, on us!

If you give this class a try, we’d LOVE your feedback! Please e-mail us back here or DM us on social letting us know how you liked the experience!

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This article is excerpted from our weekly TMB Magazine — an exclusive subscriber only publication that is packed with all sorts of in-depth latest study breakdowns, functional medicine insights and wisdom from Dr. Bhat and her team.