Tips to a more active lifestyle
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We all know that exercising is good for us, but it just seems extra hard to actually start. I personally watch SO many fitness videos but fails to do them most of the time. The good news is, once we begin and start feeling fulfilled with our results, it is a lot easier to continue. Working out can also become more pleasurable if we actually enjoy what we do or find it meaningful. Elaine Hao, a high school student in Taipei, started going on regular morning runs around the neighborhood since the beginning of this year. She began running because she saw it as an excuse for her to eat more and get fit at the same time, but within a few weeks, running itself became a motivation for her to wake up as early as 5AM in the morning. She finds herself being really happy during and after the run, and that makes it easy for her to continue. So really, the first step we should all take before deciding on what workouts to do is to figure out which we find most fun and meaningful. Try out yoga, dancing, sports, as many workout tutorials you want for a week, and decide which one is most suitable for you. Here are a few starter packs for different types of exercises that we put together:
Yoga: Yoga is not only good for the body, but also for the mind. It improves flexibility, builds strength, increase endurance, and fosters mental calmness. Beginner yoga routines are more slow-paced and allow you to work on slowly strengthening your muscles without tiring them out. One youtuber I highly recommend is Boho Beautiful. It only takes 10 minutes and doing it at any time of the day refocuses your mind and relaxes your body.
Workout: there are many workout routines all over the internet, but there is one specifically that I personally have benefited largely from. It is the HIIT workout by Pamela Reif. This workout is most amazing for being able to still burn as much as 200 extra calories in the 14 hours after workouts end. According to studies, two to three times of HIIT per week is enough, offering you plenty of time to rest!
