Moving your body is important at any age and any stage in your life. It’s never too late to start focusing on your health or rebooting a fitness routine after a long break. With COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions over the past year, we have all had ample opportunity to let our fitness goals fall by wayside. The good news is health and fitness can start anywhere, at any time, just start moving! Here are five tips to help you make that first move:

1. Give Yourself a Break
   Has it been a while since you’ve hit the treadmill? It’s ok. Give yourself a break. You may not be at the same level of fitness you once were, but you can get there by starting off with small steps towards your fitness goal. Try to commit to just 10 minutes of exercise a few times a week, whether that be taking the dog for a walk or following along in a Y@HOME+ workout. Whatever you choose to do, plan to stick to it for the first couple weeks. When you’re restarting your routine, the goal is not to recreate high-intensity fitness magic, but rather to relearn your active habits.
2. Plan Ahead
   Finding even 10 minutes a few times a week can be challenging while balancing work, school, family, and friends. Plan your week’s fitness ahead of time by scheduling your workouts in your calendar. Set out your workout gear the night before so you can take it with you or change quickly at home. Try not to overload your schedule the first week. Trying to do too much too soon can be discouraging when you can’t keep up but starting off slow will build your fitness routine into your schedule in a more manageable way.
3. Try New Things
   Since the start of the pandemic, the fitness industry has become very creative in finding new ways to be active together. There have never been so many options to connect online, outdoors or safely in person. It’s a great time to try new classes in the comfort of your home or learn new workouts that you can use to reinvigorate a stale routine when you return to the gym.
4. Take a Class
   Joining a fitness class takes the burden away from you to plan out your own fitness routine, and having an instructor guide you safely through the workout can minimize the risk of injury. As an added bonus, you’ll be joining a community of people with similar goals that can motivate you to return each week. Connecting with a fitness community through online or outdoor workouts can also help fulfill the social void many of us are feeling right now. Fitness has proven effects on your physical health but also your mental wellbeing. Exercise can help alleviate stress, depression, and anxiety, leaving you feeling more energized.
5. Let a Personal Trainer Help You
   Personal Trainers can tailor a fitness routine to your fitness needs, making it more likely that you’ll be able to stick to it. They specialize in keeping you motivated, engaged, and getting the results you want so if you’re looking to get back into your fitness routine fast, a Personal Trainer is a great option. Like a fitness class, you’ve signed up for the sessions so you have more than just yourself to answer to and this can keep you motivated to show up! Our Y has Personal Trainers for every fitness level so we can pair you with a trainer that suits your schedule and fitness goals.

Ready to get moving again? Find our outdoor class schedule here.

Our active members can also create a FREE account on Y@HOME+ to get access to 30+ live fitness classes each week and over 100 on-demand fitness, wellness and family activities. Start by visiting ymcaowensound.on.ca/health-fitness-aquatics/ymcahome