Exercise is so much more than burning calories or focusing on weight loss. At its core, exercise – even short ten-minute workouts like yoga, stretching and gentle walks¹ – makes us feel good, and that’s what we should focus on.
 

If you’ve always been tied down with the idea that exercise is a form of self-punishment, it’s time to rethink your routine.

If you’re dreading your next workout, it might be a sign that you’re getting bored of your routine. Try adding something fresh into your training program –If you have been doing one particular type of exercise (for example HIIT), try adding in some new types of training into your routine – like some strength sessions or following a running program. Or, mix up where you are doing your workouts – especially as we start to get closer to Spring, try taking your session outside or working out with a friend (or both).
 

If you’re after something a little more fast-paced and groovy, dance workouts are also an awesome way to get your heart rate up – bonus points if you do it with a friend. We’re laughing the entire time, and we feel amazing by the end of it. Sometimes we take ourselves (and exercise) too seriously, so it’s nice to let go and have some fun every now and again – getting a good workout at the same time is just the cherry on top.
 

That’s not to say the new addition to your routine must consist of high-intensity exercises. Take Pilates as an example. It’s great for people looking for a lower impact at-home workout with no equipment. All you need is your mat, and you can get an awesome full body workout. I usually do two to three Keep It Cleaner Pilates classes every week to strengthen my legs, glutes and core.

Social media is part of my job, but now I try to limit it. Sometimes you do need to remember that you are in control of who you follow and how much time you spend on there. Every now and then, I take time to clean up my social media to make sure my feed is a source of inspiration – not feelings of inadequacy.

 

I also try to limit unproductive screen time, like aimlessly scrolling. It’s not easy –sometimes I switch off, but then work stuff will come up and I just can't. I’ve decided that's just the way it is, and I’ll control it whenever I can. And if I can't, I try my best to make it work. For example, I’ve enabled the pop-up screen time notification on my phone, and I do my best to make sure that if I'm out with friends or having dinner with my partner, I'm totally off my phone.

 

But social media isn’t completely toxic – it can play a positive role for our body image. Through what we do at Keep It Cleaner, we've been able to reach out to tens of thousands of women and inspire them to exercise and to feel good. I think it's a really good tool for inspiration, as long as it doesn't cross the line of comparison.

 

When you think about it, the people in your life who you spend the most time with will have the greatest influence. And if you spend a lot of time on your phone, it's the same thing. Have a check-in with your feed from time to time. Are you spending time following people who don't make you feel good and don't have a lot of purpose? Maybe it’s time to hit the unfollow button. Why not choose to follow women who are doing amazing things in science, in politics? Spend some time with them, instead.

 

I choose to move my body for the way it makes me feel. I never measure a workout’s effectiveness by the number of calories I burn, because that’s simply not the point of exercise. If you measure the effectiveness of your workouts from calories burned, you’ll end up limiting the variety of activities you can choose from, which can negatively affect your enjoyment and relationship with exercise. Variety is the spice of life, and being open to all forms of workouts can help keep you interested in staying active.
 

This goes double when you’re exhausted and need a break. Rather than forcing yourself to go through a high-intensity workout, you can still achieve an effective workout by doing lower intensity exercises like yoga or stretching – you'll still feel great at the end without unnecessary fatigue.
 

It’s important to remember that we don’t need to spend an hour each day working out. If all you can manage for the day is just five minutes of stretching in the morning, that’s perfectly fine. Every little step we take counts, and whatever you choose to do, it’s always better than doing nothing.