I have to confess that during this back to school season, it has been extremely difficult for me to return to my exercise routine. Every week I try to schedule my customary classes at Define Body & Mind and a thousand excuses always emerge, all of them seem super valid in my mind, but at the end of the day they sabotage my trip to the gym.

My kids have been in school for a little more than a month now and I have not been able to return to that fitness state of mind. However, I miss that feeling of well-being and happiness that I feel every time I end up soaked up in sweat after a good class.

The irony of all this is that when I don't exercise, I feel much more tired, with less energy and I find it harder to concentrate.

That’s why last week I went to Haley Green and asked for help. She’s one of the owners and instructors at Define Memorial Green. I asked her to share with us some tips on how to return to our exercise routine after a very long summer and how to find motivation, that as I said, is still on vacation and hasn’t come back.

Today I share the conversation I had with her and the wonderful advice she gave me.

To further boost our motivation, Define Memorial Green will give away 5 free classes to one lucky winner! Keep reading and at the end of this post I’ll tell you how to participate.

Q&A

Why do you think that going back to a fitness routine or starting a new one can be so hard and overwhelming?

Changing your routine and your mindset is difficult! Getting out of your ‘comfort zone’ is challenging and takes time. However, making the effort to push beyond your barrier will give you the courage to change your mindset for good and you’ll transform a routine into a habit.

What can we do to get ourselves motivated and eager to exercise?

Find something that you enjoy; whether it’s the people, the music, the catharsis you feel during the workout, the endorphin rush, or good old fashion sweat - find something that drives you and hold on to it.

We live in a society that is always ‘on-the-go;’ finding the right place to release stress and anxiety is key to optimal health AND it’s cheaper than therapy. That’s reason enough!

Share with us three things you do every morning to get you into a fitness mood and mindset.

Hydrate! Drink one FULL water bottle first thing after your feet hit the floor. Give yourself a little sustenance - a small bite of protein, about as large as your fist, fiber and something green. Pair more water with it and you’ll feel fuller longer. Also, listen to a favorite song - something with a solid beat; it will get your blood pumping.

Why is Define a great option to achieve a successful fitness routine? How does a weekly fitness routine at Define looks like?

We are a one-stop-shop! You need cardio for a healthy heart and a good sweat. DEFINE-rev is indoor cycling which is ideal for strength, for lengthening and for toning, our bread and butter. DEFINE-body is a childhood throwback to combine the two, but don’t be fooled - it’s intense. DEFINE-bounce consists of balance and strength exercises on a mini-trampoline and DEFINE-hammock is a restorative and lengthening mix of yoga and areal hammock.

A weekly routine depends a lot on your goals and what you’re looking to accomplish. In most cases I would suggest 3-4 classes a week; combined of mostly body, as this class will help strengthen your muscles and joints, while decreasing odds for injury, 1-2 revs, when paired with body it revs your metabolism. Lastly, 1 hammock class. Place it at the end of a busy week at the studio to lengthen your body and to bring it back to its most balanced state.

Thank you, Haley, for all your wonderful advice! I'm going to hold on to what I like most when I go to a class so I don't lose that motivation that I need so much.

I think that what motivates me the most is the incredible music they play during all their classes and how good I feel when I leave the studio sweaty, happy and ready to start my day.

Before summer vacation, I used to go to DEFINE-bounce once a week, but now I'm going to follow Haley's advice and I'm going to do two classes a week, one of DEFINE-body and another of DEFINE-rev to mix it up this time around. Wish me luck!

Thanks to Define Body & Mind for giving 5 free classes to a lucky winner! To participate just follow the instructions on my post on Instagram, good luck and see you at Define!

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