This week I had a conversation with a friend about how different adult life is - navigating various things for yourself, no parents or guardians telling you how or holding you accountable. Fitness and movement obviously became the focus of the conversation because I don’t think I can have a conversation without throwing in the importance of exercise!

I have seen many people who were competitive athletes or involved with recreational sports growing up graduate from high school (or university depending on the success they have in their sport), do absolutely NOTHING afterwards. People go from a regimented schedule with parents who can pay and/or transport them to and from and then struggle to establish a personal routine on their own. I get it. Fitness and movement can be expensive, but taking care of your body is extremely important for your quality of life.

As an athlete it is nice to experience what it feels like to not have a strict training schedule, but it also means those are the same people who struggle to create a routine on their own. Thinking for yourself is not always easy! The answer usually ends up being no routine at all, and for those that have been there, falling more behind makes it that much more difficult to start back at it!

You don’t have to be a high performance athlete to feel this either. I know for me, in university your gym membership was included along with a variety of drop-in classes so no additional fees were paid. With the cost of living today increasing and the juggling act we all do to manage our time, I have put together some ideas on how to maintain or recreate a fitness and movement routine for adults. Movement is for life!

Find a friend! Things are always better with friends and as life gets busy this time together devoted to exercise can help you not only stay accountable but continue to enhance the friendship too.

Book your workouts/activities in at the start of the week. Life is a balancing act and we are all co-ordinating many different moving parts. To ensure you don’t neglect your body, schedule your workouts in and stick to it.

Find free opportunities and introductory specials. Unfortunately, fitness has become more of a luxury now than ever. However, most fitness studios offer an introductory special and/or first class free - test things out before committing your time and money into something you aren’t 100% sure about. For example, Discover You offers your first class at $10, and if you bring a friend you get your class free! Barreworks has a two-week unlimited special and Loft Cycle Club offers your first class free!…all places where you can find me teaching ;)

Do things you actually enjoy. Former athletes can often feel burnt out from years of training in the same ways. Try something new! Remember that workouts can be FUN all while challenging you to grow and advance forward.

Just because your fitness journey changes overtime doesn’t mean you can’t create a new routine to feel amazing from the inside out!

Yours in self-discovery,

Rachel

Navigating physical activity in adulthood