Spring is HERE, and it’s the perfect time to reevaluate your health and exercise routine (or to simply start one).
Lockdown has hugely impacted our routines in the last 18 months so why wait for summer to roll around when you can jump-start your fitness goals now? Spring is the perfect transitional season to help you shake off those winter lockdown blues and, well, spring into action with a renewed sense of invigoration and focus. Here’s a few of our favourite things about spring that aren’t just great for your physical health, but promoting mental and emotional wellness too!
ENJOY THE SUNSHINE
For the team at My Supplement Store, the worst part of winter isn’t the cold weather or the stay at home orders, but rather the soul-sucking lack of sunshine that not only motivates us to workout but increases feelings of depression.
According to the Mayo Clinic, decreased sun exposure has been associated with a drop in serotonin that can lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a form of depression that is triggered by changing seasons. You’re more likely to experience SAD in the winter when the days are shorter and the nights are longer.
With daylight savings comes longer exposure to sunlight, which means you’ll be feeling the boost of Vitamin D and feeling a boost in your overall well-being.
GET OUT INTO THE GREAT OUTDOORS
With lockdown ending soon (fingers and toes crossed), increased exposure to sunshine comes the opportunity to simply get outside again. You may have missed your local gym (we all have), but you can’t deny that warmer temperatures, blooming flowers and green grass all make for a beautiful, motivating setting on a run, hike or walk.
SPRING CLEAN YOUR NUTRITION
Spring is the perfect time for fruits and veggie lovers to stock up on fresh, local, in-season produce that is harder to come by in the colder months. Even if you struggle to eat your veggies, spring offers you a greater variety of easy additions to make to your next meal or snack to up your nutritional game. Mangoes, strawberries, radishes, peas, greens––the possibilities are endless. So grab your favourite tote bag (we have our new reusable bags coming soon) and hit up a local farmer’s market for a fun activity that is great for your health!
TREAT YOURSELF TO ESSENTIAL SPRING SUPPLEMENTS
During spring, it is important to consume supplements that will keep you healthy and allow you to participate in outdoor activities. Taking supplements will ensure that you consume enough nutrients, vitamins and proteins to be able to thrive in the beautiful weather. Supplements are useful for filling in gaps in our diets and preventing deficiencies or other significant health problems. Check out our large range of Nutrition Supplements.
GET SOME FRESH NEW WORKOUT CLOTHES.
This may seem superficial, but who doesn’t feel more empowered when wearing a great pair of leggings or new sneakers into a workout? Thanks to the pandemic, we have become accustomed to wearing pyjamas for days on end. And now that working from home is a constant for most of us, some days we don’t even get out of bed to do my work. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology actually introduced the term “enclothed cognition” to describe the measurable impact that one’s clothes have on their psychological processes. The idea can be applied to the activewear too. So when you’re spring cleaning your closet, take inventory of what workout gear you have and toss anything that doesn’t fit or doesn’t make you feel good while wearing it. Go ahead, get that new super sculpt high-waisted yoga legging or Nike Air Max 270 that make you feel like a million bucks. Science says it’s a good idea.
SET A REALISTIC TRAINING SCHEDULE
Once the weather warms up, it is very easy to let the warmer days tempt our body to do more than we’re ready for. But setting a schedule and sticking to it will hold you more accountable on the bad days and the good. After being cooped up for a few months, it’s important to ease the body into longer mileage and faster paces.
Get a piece of paper, and write the days of the week along the side, then choose what you’ll do each day: workout or rest. To begin, plan to workout five days per week and rest two days. For most people, this is more than adequate for getting good results. Keep in mind that every workout day will not be a day of intense training or insane mileage: some days will involve hard training, others will involve only recovery or accessory work.
GRAB A FRIEND AND GET MOVING
It’s always easier to get yourself out the door if you have a partner. Even if you are at different fitness levels, finding someone to workout with once a week helps you both to hold yourselves and each other more accountable. Set a day that you’ll meet up for a workout and stick to it. Maybe even sign up for the same training program or virtual personal trainer together so that your training plans overlap!
DON'T BE HARD ON YOURSELF
Okay, so you missed a few workouts this lockdown. The jeans you bought before lockdown aren’t fitting just right. Who cares?! Fitness is a progression and working out is a positive and healthy contribution to your life. Placing pressures on yourself to get to a certain point takes away from the euphoria it should bring. Enjoy the fitness journey, soak up the sunshine, and set yourself attainable goals!
Spring is known as a season of growth and renewal, so why not apply the same mentality to your workout and overall health goals?
