A spring change-up should be an essential part of your fitness

(Part 2 of 2)

by Christopher B. Robrahn
Fitness Columnist

With spring arriving and the warm-ish winds of April upon us, many people want to feel healthy, increase activity and enjoy life to its fullest.

Last month, I discussed the need to change up your fitness and exercise activity with the arrival of the spring season. Think about it a minute; everything changes as we move from winter into spring. Days are longer with more light, our environment changes outdoors and inside, too, with the humidity level.

Too many people don’t change their winter exercise patterns to reflect a new reality. Take the time and start or change your fitness program. Changeups are almost always advantageous in exercise.  

Why? New challenges to our physical bodies can bring about healthful changes. The key is to make changes that are appropriate for you based on your physical goals, fitness level and health. For those people who are sedentary just adding a simple walk once a day would be a great step up.

The confidence we feel with physical improvement can’t be understated. Life is indeed a balance between work, social time and some physical activity.

What those of us involved with fitness may not have considered is the value and importance of a split with how we spend our exercise time, and I don’t mean just a change up between cardiovascular work and muscle resistance/strength training. 

There are other areas of fitness you may want to explore to broaden and change up your spring workout. Remember, good fitness isn’t just about lifting weights and strength training. It should be about an improvement in your mind, body and spirit.  

A few options to consider when planning your spring change-up.

Yoga: The first program I ever produced for my fitness program, the Spirit of Fitness was about the Yoga movements and how they can be beneficial. I find Yoga intriguing. It’s a series of activities designed to “quiet the mind and synergize your mind and body through a series of movements and breathing patterns that bring about a harmony of mind and body.”

How many times do you bring your workday issues to the gym? What is your level of mental fitness currently? Yoga can be a huge assistance with calm, relaxed movements designed to improve flexibility and health.

Pilates: I never knew or appreciated Pilates until I started hosting the Spirit of Fitness. One of our recurring guests is a nationally known Pilates instructor who gave me a much better appreciation of the benefits of these movements. 

Pilates is a group of low impact movements and stretches designed to strengthen the torso (the core) and can be very useful for those who have had some lower back issues from low back accidents or overuse.

I have controlled lower back challenges from years of horseback riding. Imagine lifting weights or spending time with building muscle without strengthening the core via movements like Pilates. Probably not the best plan. There are some specialized Pilates equipment which can be used as well with the movements.

Gyrokinesis and Gyrotonic: I had never even heard of these movements before we interviewed on our program with a regional “Gyro” specialist. With Gyro, a participant usually uses a mat and focuses on movements for the whole body. It’s a great addition to a resistance training workout. Gyro is one I’m looking to add on myself.

One point I might mention in all this. I’ll never forget when our Gyro expert was talking about her workouts and the importance of strengthening one’s joints (important concept: it isn’t just about muscle enlargement). If your joints aren’t sound the “house” collapses. Improvement of joint flexibility comes with this form of fitness training!

Long discussion here, but I hope I have left you with some great ideas to change up and improve your spring fitness routines. Whatever you choose to do, consider some variation.   It will only improve your mind, interest and physical health.  What a great time to get started!

For info about Gyrokinesis, Christopher recommends checking out www.gyrotonic.com/about/gyrokinesis-method.

Copyright The Gayly – April 16, 2019 @ 7:10 a.m. CDT.