FUNCTIONAL FITNESS as a Lifestyle - Habits, Motivation and Mindset
Habits take time to form, and this applies to exercise habits as well. At anytime, one can change their habits and create new ones. The key to maintaining lifelong health and fitness is to make physical activity such as SPRY functional fitness programming a habit – part of your lifestyle, not just something you do for a short period.
The current state of your health is a collection of the lifestyle habits that you have practiced. It is important not to set yourself up for disappointment by expecting a quick fix. Creating new habits takes time, patience, and consistency. Instead of focusing on quick results, it is important to focus on the long game of a healthy lifestyle.
One way to make exercise a habit is to schedule your workouts so that they become a daily consistent practice – part of your day, like brushing your teeth. This helps to make exercise a regular part of your routine.
Practicing self-compassion is also important when it comes to creating exercise habits. If you fall off from your goal, pick yourself up, challenge the thoughts from your inner critic and redirect those thoughts back to the positive reasons for continuing. It is good to remember that you do not need to be perfect with how you do your exercises or how often you do them – just do a little something daily.
Remember to manage your expectations when it comes to creating exercise habits. Make small incremental changes over time to help you build momentum and increase your chances of success.
Finding Meaning and Purpose for Doing Exercise
The "why" behind exercise becomes the motivational driver for achieving fitness goals, not the actual goal itself. For example, a fitness goal may be that you would like to improve your balance but creating the “why” that drives the reason you want to improve your balance is the key. Some examples of “WHY” you want to improve your balance might be:
a) so you don’t fall and injury yourself;
b) so you can play outside with your grandchildren;
c) so you can independently walk to the store.
It is essential to link meaning, purpose, and your "Big Why" to your daily exercise habits and to incorporate into the "why" emotions and feelings you want to create from achieving these goals. For example, you can envision an increase in your self-confidence or happiness that goes along with your goal of improved balance.
If you are using SPRY Functional Fitness Programs as a way to improve your balance, you can imagine how each movement sequence will benefit the specific activities that you do on a day-to-day basis. This will help to increase your motivation and keep you from getting bored and giving up. Functional fitness mimics the movements you need to maintain your ability to do all your functional tasks in your day. It is an exercise alternative that focuses on patterns of movements that mimic activities of daily living. SPRY Functional Fitness Programs help to improve strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination, all crucial for maintaining independence as we age.
The patterns of movements that you practice with SPRY Functional Fitness Programs are the same patterns of movements you need to complete your daily activities. If you improve these movements, it means you can improve your life. Examples of functional movements include using the stairs, playing with grandchildren, walking for sightseeing or traveling, playing a sport, or engaging in leisure activities.
Creating a Positive Mindset for Exercise
It is essential to create a positive mindset when it comes to exercise. Your mindset shapes how you see the world and how you show up in that world. It is your fundamental state of mind that forms how you see things. Changing your mindset means embracing a new belief.
One way to change your mindset is to understand what inspires you. Then use that inspirational energy towards accomplishing your goals. Letting go of a negative mindset or fear is your first step towards achieving a goal.
It is also important to remember that mindset is rooted in a belief that shapes how you see the world, show up in the world, and how you respond and react with the world. To create a positive mindset for exercise, it is important to focus on the positive aspects of exercise and think about “WHY” you are exercising, the health benefits, and the feeling of accomplishment you will get after completing a workout.
Incorporating mindfulness practices into your exercise routine can also help to create a positive mindset. Mindfulness involves being present in the moment and focusing on the task at hand. Practicing mindfulness during exercise can help to reduce stress and anxiety, increase focus, and improve overall well-being.
Conclusion
Functional fitness exercises are essential to add into your daily routine as it provides numerous physical and mental health benefits, improves quality of life, and helps maintain independence as you age. Creating exercise habits, finding meaning and purpose for exercise, and maintaining a positive mindset are key elements to finding the motivation required for success.
By scheduling workouts, practicing self-compassion, setting goals, and incorporating mindfulness practices, seniors can make exercise a habit, find meaning and purpose in exercise, and create a positive mindset for long-term success. Remember, habits take time to form, but with patience, consistency, and a positive mindset, seniors can make functional fitness a part of their healthy aging lifestyle.
