Your Body Positive workout
Following on from my last blog, Body Positivity, I thought it would be a good idea to share a body positive workout to celebrate movement and feeling good in your body, rather than focusing on tracking numbers.
Firstly, why is working out seen as a chore, something that must be done but that we can never find the time for? Exercise is always the first thing that we cancel if something else comes along, but why? We need to change how we look at exercise. This is something that you can do on your own, with friends, whenever you want to do it, however you want to do it and it’s something that will contribute to better health and fitness as well as better mental health and well-being, not to mention the release of those wonderful endorphins that give you an instant high! So, what’s not to love?
A body positive workout starts with your thought process and how you talk about it. If you say ‘oh no I’ve got to go to the gym but I’m tired, I don’t have the time or I don’t want to’ then you’re setting off with negative thoughts in your head, but if you say positive things such as ‘I’m going to the gym to have some time for me, to work my body so I can be stronger or to help me with my mental health and well-being’ then it suddenly becomes something very different. Just as we fuel our body with food so that we can function properly, saying body positive affirmations fuels our emotions, and is emotionally nourishing.
Working out makes you feel amazing as it improves mood as well as physical activity. It releases chemicals in the brain that can leave you feeling happier, less anxious and more relaxed. Exercise is great for boosting confidence and self-esteem, which in turn makes you feel better about yourself.
There are many ways to have a body positive workout including dancing, running, walking or taking a class such as Yoga, Body Blast or Zumba. We’re going to concentrate on a structured workout with weights to get you feeling body confident in no time at all.
Put on some feelgood workout music and try the following body positive workout. Let us know how you feel afterwards:
Warm-Up
Start with 5-10 minutes of light cardio to get your heart rate up and prepare your muscles for exercising. Repeat the following 2-3 times:
- Jog for one minute
- 10 x star jumps
- 20 x butt kicks
- 10 x side-to-side shuffle runs
- 10 x rocket launchers (stand and bend so that your hands are touching the floor, then propel yourself up into a jump taking your hands above your head)
Main Workout
Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each of the following exercises. Make sure to keep your core muscles engaged:
- Squats. Hold a dumbbell or filled water bottle in each hand either at shoulder height or by your sides. Push your hips back as you lower down into the squat and come back up by pressing your heels into the floor.
- Deadlifts. Use a couple of dumbbells or filled water bottles. Stand with feet hip width apart, holding the weights against the front of your thighs. Push your hips back as you slide the weights down your legs. Keep your back straight and keep your head and chest up. Don’t try to get to the floor with the weights – only go as far as your hips will allow you to.
- Static Lunges. Stand with one leg in front of the other with a wide stance. Holding a dumbbell or filled water bottle in each hand, slowly bend both legs until your back knee almost touches the floor, keeping your back and shoulders upright. Drive back up through your front heel to standing, and lower back down on the same leg. Perform 10-12 reps on each leg.
- Bent-over rows. Hold a dumbbell or filled water bottle in each hand. Stand with feet hip-width apart and hinge forward from the hips. Pull your elbows back, keeping them close to your body. Lower back down slowly and repeat.
- Alternate reverse shoulder press. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your arms above your head until they are straight with palms facing forwards. Bend one elbow to bring the weight to the side of your head (so that your upper arm is parallel with the floor) and push back up. Repeat with the other arm.
- Core. Complete 10 ab crunches, 20 flutter kicks and a plank for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times through.
Ab crunch – lie on the floor with your legs bent and your hands by your temples. Squeeze your core and lift your head and chest off the floor. Breathe out as you lift up, then lower back down to the floor.
Flutter kicks – lie on the floor with your legs straight and off the floor. Do small up and down scissors, squeezing the core. The lower your legs are to the floor, the harder this will be.
Plank – start on your forearms and toes so that your body is in a straight line. Make sure not to dip the hips or lift your bum too high, and keep your core squeezed tightly.
Stretch/Cool Down
- Shoulder/arm stretch. Take one arm straight across your chest and gently pull in towards your body (don’t pull on your elbow). Hold for 10-20 seconds and release. Repeat with the other arm.
- Triceps stretch. Take one arm up towards the ceiling, bend at the elbow and take your fingers down the middle of your back. Gently push with the other hand and hold for 10-20 seconds. Repeat with the other arm.
- Glute stretch. Lie on the floor and take one ankle over the other knee. Place your hands through your legs and pull your leg in towards your chest. You can use your elbow to push your knee out, if you want a deeper stretch. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.
- Hamstring stretch. Lie on the floor with one leg straight on the floor and the other straight up with your foot pointing towards the ceiling. Grab your leg and pull it towards your chest whilst keeping the leg straight. Hold for 10-20 seconds. If it starts to feel like it’s getting easier, pull the leg towards your chest a little further. Repeat with the other leg.
- Ab stretch into child’s pose. Lie on your front with your hands by your shoulders and push yourself up, stretching the abs. Hold for 10 –20 seconds then push yourself back so that your bum is on your heels and hold for 30 seconds to release any tension from your back.
Hopefully, you are now feeling amazing!
Remember, the goal of a body-positive workout is to celebrate what your body can do and to focus on the joy of movement. Move your body in a way that feels good and brings you joy. Let go of any pressure to perform or achieve specific results and simply enjoy the experience of being active and alive.
Your body is amazing so look after it. Think of all the things that it can do and that it allows you to do. Treat and respect it as you would your most precious possession because that’s what it is 😊
Much Love
Caroline & Hannah xx