Don’t Skip Your Curves Workout This Winter
Give yourself the best gift this holiday season—permission to take 30 minutes for yourself to work out. Yes, you have a ton of extra obligations at this time of year, and they are all worthy of your time and attention, but here’s something you might not realize: Just 30 minutes at Curves three or four times a week might not interfere with your ability to accomplish all your holiday tasks, it can actually help you complete everything on your to-do list and do it better! Working out can give you more energy, so you can be more efficient, and enjoy what you’re doing! If that’s not reason enough for you to allow yourself time in your busy day to work out, here are a few more incentives.
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Regular physical activity is a gift you give yourself, and during the holidays, it is especially meaningful.
– It helps you maintain your weight. Let’s be honest, the holidays are a time of sheer delight for your taste buds, and you’re likely to indulge them with a treat every now and then. Exercise balances calories in by taking calories out so you can keep the shape you have.
– It relieves stress. The holidays are hectic. Crowded stores and long lines, a to-do list that seems as big as Santa’s—there are plenty of moments when you might feel frustration boiling up inside you. Exercise lets the steam out and lowers the stress hormones in your body that batter mind and body.
– It makes you merrier. This is supposed to be an especially joyful time of year, and regular physical activity helps make it so by boosting your energy and raising those feel-good endorphins we all love. The Curves bonus: you work out with friends, and you know how the saying goes—the more the merrier!
An Extra Nudge
Knowing all the fabulous perks of regular exercise is highly motivating, but still, sometimes a little nudge may be needed to get you to take a break from holiday tasks, and make a break for Curves.
– Make it an appointment in your calendar. Pen your workouts into your calendar at the time of day that’s most convenient, and hold to them as if they were appointments with your doctor. They are, after all, at least as important to your health as a routine checkup.
– Make a deal with a workout buddy. Accountability inspires action. Make a pact with one of your friends that you will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for example, at a specific time to work out together. It’s not easy to bail on a friend, and exercising is more fun with a buddy.
– Use cues to trigger action. Why do you want to be healthy? What is your vision? Will you be ice skating with your grandkids or building a snowman? Dancing with your spouse? Find a photo that reminds you of the deep reasons for your commitment to good health and post it next to the workout appointment on your calendar or on the mirror in the bathroom, so that every morning you see your most powerful motivation to exercise.
– Reward yourself for success. After every workout, take a minute to revel in how good you feel. And we’re not talking just about the endorphins. For 30 minutes you got your heart beating harder and worked every major muscle group in your body. And that’s an accomplishment. Acknowledge it. Give yourself props. Now grab a friend and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea before rushing headlong into the rest of your busy day. You deserve it!
The Curves women’s gym workout is convenient, combining strength training and cardio plus stretching – all in just 30 minutes – to strengthen your whole body. For more information about Curves and the full body workouts the Curves Circuit provides, visit ‘Why Curves’.
