Stay Home Fitness – Good Habits, Bad Impact
The stay-home measures, unless there is a necessity to go out, has seen an increase in home-based fitness activities. Indeed, working out and keeping healthy helps to build the immune system that aids in warding off potential ailments both of the body and mind.
But as good as a habit such as keeping fit, things can still go wrong.
A good morning?
Chances are, we’ve all woken up with aches and pains from a previous day’s fitness session. This is to be expected, as it is the body’s way of telling us that it is in the process of recovery and building. But instead of listening to our body, what do we do? We engage in the same routines only to further aggravate the affected areas, and this results in permanent injuries.
A dumbbell curl, for example, is a simple exercise (movement) that can be done without an actual need for dumbbells, which makes it ideal as a home workout. If done wrong or overdone, it can lead to muscle tears, which are not only painful, may even require corrective surgery.
That is if there are indicators, as in this example, in the form of pain.
Bad habits are such a pain
Our bodies react to pain, and we take immediate notice that something may be wrong. There are however seemingly non-indicators, and that is when we are lulled into taking things for granted.
Soreness after exercise is expected, but it does not necessarily mean we are doing it the right way. And because of this, we keep doing them without realizing that we are repeating mistakes and when something is repeated, it unknowingly becomes a habit – a bad one particularly if they are mistakes to begin with.
Good habits are harder to form because they require the effort to be conscious of what we are doing. Bad habits, on the other hand, seeps in effortlessly precisely because they require no effort.
Physical to mental
The physical pain we experience from doing things the wrong way can inadvertently affect us psychologically, leading to conditions such as mild depression. Exercise releases endorphins and makes us feel good, so having to stop abruptly due to injuries and whatnots can damper the spirit and truth be told, lead to a sense of loss. We will dwell in this loss and the inability to do something about it.
The lack of knowledge is often the reason behind doing things wrongly. Is it because we truly are not aware of it or are we too concerned about keeping fit that it takes precedence over the fact that it needs to be done properly to reap real benefits while avoiding injuries? This could potentially cause more severe issues that could affect the mind.
It boils down to us. These are trying times indeed, but we should never lose our focus, especially when we are intending to do something beneficial like exercising. Take some time to explore and look for reliable information on how to execute a certain routine the proper way. The benefits are not only for the body but equally important, for the mind. If you need help dealing with issues like physical pain or mental stress – never shy away from seeking help. Your wellbeing is the most precious thing that you have. Stay home, stay safe and stay informed.
