5 tips for exercising during holidays or holidays

This text was written by a TecMundo columnist; Learn more at the end.

If there is a common problem among people that makes it difficult to exercise, it is lack of time. Today researchers actually claim that: this may be a perceived lack of time rather than an actual obstacleBecause we have more time nowadays, especially in developed societies, the main reason for this is that exercise is not interesting and fun enough and that’s why we say we don’t have time for it.

We have come to a time of the year when we can have more time: holidays, vacations or end-of-year break. Despite this, another problem seems to arise: How can you maintain your exercise routine during year-end celebrations/holidays? Reveal!

5 tips backed by scientific evidence

Do something you enjoy

Nearly 24 years ago, a physical activity expert warned that our preferences and personal characteristics influence everything we love in life, but this is often not taken into account when planning a workout, Stuart Biddle said in a 2000 interview with The Guardian.

The type of movement you do is much less important than the amount and frequency of what you do.

In your free time, run, walk, lift weights, dance, stretch, swim, do whatever you want, as long as there is autonomous and continuous body movement. It is physical and mental health.

“Green exercise”

Getting out of your routine can cause changes in your mood. Think of exercise as a natural mood regulator. It is an affordable way to increase emotional well-being. Especially if it is in natural environments. One study showed that: Walking in nature for 30 minutes significantly increased the positive effecta result that does not occur when walking in an urban environment.

Science is increasingly investigating “green exercise”that is, exercise in contact with nature. Take a break from the city and seek out beaches, trails, parks and forests to connect with nature. If it’s with someone, even better.

Invite your friends or family

Gatherings are social moments. There are opportunities for different group activities. How about suggesting going for a walk with your friends or exercising with your family? Social support for exercise is an effective way to achieve more movement.

Diego Zanotto, a PE major specializing in women’s studies, says: “One of the ways I use to keep some of my students motivated, active and training regularly during this time of year is to create challenge groups. and encourage mutual support.”

If you go to the gym, a tip is to create a group with your friends on the “GymRats” app and post your workouts. It is a kind of social network for bodybuilding with a ranking of interaction and participation in the gym. I tested this with a group of friends and it worked!

train at home

Holidays with more free time and freedom can also come with home workouts. A variety of methods are possible, from weight training and gymnastics, stretching, Yoga and Pilates, and even CrossFit. Even use Netflix for this! The strong point of homeschooling is autonomy. We are the heroes who choose the time, intensity and duration of the day.

What can work against this is the possibility of procrastination, which means deliberately delaying the start. Exercise may be particularly susceptible to procrastination, as it is something that many people find aversive and is predictive of procrastination. Initial reluctance to train may contribute to exercise postponement. One suggestion is to do a moderate warm-up to be better able to respond emotionally and then move on to the main part of the training.

A study titled “Exercising Tomorrow” found that exercise enjoyment was inversely related to procrastination. So remember the first tip: Look for something pleasurable.

setting goals

Challenging but flexible goals can help the process. In recent years, I have observed that many people set very distant exercise-related goals, especially at the beginning of the year; for example, doing 200 or 250 exercises per year, i.e. 4 or 5 exercises per week.

However, setting a goal that we will reach at the end of the year, that is, a goal that is very far away, may not be of much benefit to our daily practices, because if we manage to reach the goal, it will take a very long time. Otherwise, failure to achieve the goal may create guilt or disappointment, which is not conducive to motivation.

My suggestion is to set short-term goals so that when we reach them we feel competent and even increase them in an instant. In this case, it may be better to set weekly or monthly goals, even by time: the WHO recommendation is to accumulate at least 2 and a half hours of physical activity per week.

Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to adopt a new exercise habit. Find something you enjoy with short-term goals in a pleasant environment and invite someone to come with you!

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Fábio Dominski He holds a PhD in Human Movement Sciences and a degree in Physical Education from Santa Catarina State University (UDESC). He is a university professor and researcher at the Laboratory of Sport and Exercise Psychology (LAPE/UDESC). he is doing scientific dissemination on social media there podcast available on Spotify. Author of Physical Exercise and Science – Facts and Myths.