Short workouts that pack
a punch

As we move through this month of PURESelfLove, we hope that you are turning your focus inward and looking at new ways you can make YOU a priority—or how you might find ways to do better. Lately the buzzword “self care” has been thrown around a lot. But what is real self-care and what does it mean to you?

Self-care is not an indulgence. Self-care is a discipline. It requires tough-mindedness, a deep and personal understanding of your priorities, and a respect for both yourself and the people you choose to spend your life with.

If we’re being honest, self-care is actually kind of boring. Which is why self-care is a discipline. It takes discipline to do the things that are good for us instead of what feels good in the moment. It takes even more discipline to refuse to take responsibility for other people’s emotional well-being. And it takes discipline to take full and complete responsibility for our own well-being.

Self-care is also a discipline because it’s not something you do once in awhile when the world gets crazy. It’s what you do every day, every week, month in and month out. It’s taking care of yourself in a way that doesn’t require you to indulge in order to restore balance. It’s making the commitment to stay healthy and balanced as a regular practice.

Ironically when you truly care for yourself, exercising all the discipline that requires, you are actually in a much stronger place to give of yourself to those around you. You will be a happier parent, a more grateful spouse, and a fully engaged colleague.

Those who take care of themselves have the energy to take care of others joyfully because that caregiving doesn’t come at their own expense. And those who take care of themselves also have the energy to work with meaning and purpose toward a worthy goal. Which means they are also the people most likely to make the world a better place for all of us.

SELF CARE THAT MOVES YOU: QUICK-HIT WORKOUT LIST
When you look at your typical day, your typical week, what does it look like? How much time is allotted just for you? Outside of grocery shopping and work demands and laundry and driving kids to band and soccer…carving out small bits of time just for you probably feels like an indulgence. But it’s NOT. It’s a conscious decision to put 30 minutes on your daily calendar to do something that centers YOU.

Exercise, even in small increments, can be a great energy boost and can keep your mood elevated—not to mention it’s good for us! Whether you exercise regularly or you’re thinking of getting started, here are a few short workouts from Fitness Magazine¹ that will either shake up your current routine (which can sometimes start to feel stale) or get you off the couch without being intimidating or seem like too of a commitment too fast:

 

Quick-Start Morning Workout
5 moves you can do in your bedroom to start your day strong

5-minute Arm Workout with Dumb Bells
Say yes to sleeveless this summer in just few minutes a day—that’s a no-brainer.

Equipment-free Total-Body Workout
Work multiple muscles with the same intensity as a boot camp class, without all the heavy breathing. Say hello to a lean yoga physique.

From Flab to FAB: Tone up in 15 Minutes
Stop muffin top, nip hips and trim thighs. This Pilates and plyometrics routine tones every trouble zone.

Quickie Calorie Crushers: 15-Minute Cardio Workouts
Looking for speedy routines that count as your exercise for the day? Done.

1. Fitness Magazine
   https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/