Out With the Old, in With the New: My 2021 Top Fitness Do’s, Don’ts, Tips and Tricks
It’s the end of December 2021, fitness buddies. Season’s Greetings to you and your family! My mantra this month is out with the old, in with the new.
You would think after a year of COVID, another year under pandemic conditions would be a breeze. Nope, for me, this year was just as turbulent. To end the year, I decided to make a list of:
ten things I would never buy again because I feel like this would have helped me along my journey,
ten things I’d do differently to serve as a reminder of what I learned and
ten things I want to continue and start in 2022 because motivation is everything.
Click to pin to Pinterest.
Let’s dive in:
10 Things I Would Never Buy Again
Fast food. This one is more of a hard try. Since the pandemic started, I learned that you can make ‘anything’ (wink wink) with a great recipe. Following a recent visit to a local fast food joint, I was sorely disappointed by the quality and quantity of food. Hence, my declaration today. As a reminder, I stuck the receipt on the fridge with a note saying “never again”.
TIP #1
With a winning attitude, anything is possible. Thus, in the case of food, a great meal could be one recipe away.
Make-up wipes. It all started when I forgot my make-up wipes at home and had to resort to coconut oil (which I had in my gym bag for my post-gym-haircare routine). This encouraged me to explore alternatives that 1) were low cost and 2) were multi-use. I found that and coconut oil and petroleum jelly covered the criteria I listed.
Gym bag with no or limited pockets. Quite frankly, I have accepted that I need pockets. It makes me feel organised and makes packing more efficient, mainly when checking to see if I missed items.
A cap for running. Ever since I found visors, I never looked back. Yes, they may be a bummer while running in the rain, but I feel much cooler wearing them while exercising. FYI, I live in Trinidad and Tobago.
Hook strapped gym bras. Under normal circumstances, hook strapped bras are effective and very versatile. However, I learnt that, personally, they don’t work as well under gym conditions. A recent purchase led me to this conclusion. The straps came out of the slot multiple times.
Cell phone holder for running. I have lost cellphones to excessive sweating and unexpected downpours. What works for me now are waterproof devices (I recommend the ones for swimmers, it works).
Cotton gym bra. One word, chafing. I discuss this in my blog, It’s All About the Fundamentals Bra Basics.
Light-coloured yoga mats. I am all for durability with slight cuteness. However, I’ve learnt that these two sometimes can’t coexist. I now prefer function over beauty for certain workout items.
TIP #2
Dark coloured gym wear/accessories age better.
Wireless headsets. My ears are tiny. I have not found any Bluetooth headset that can fit my ears and stay on while running in my entire fitness journey. Hence, my default is a wired headset (preferably the shorter ones) and a headband to keep the headset in place while running.
TRICK #1
Headbands are great for holding headsets in place for smaller ears. Remember, I am all for acquiring items that are cost-effective and multi-use.
Low-waisted tights. I just can’t go back there; the high life is so good.
10 Things I’ll Do Differently
Stop procrastinating on certain activities. Balance is vital in all aspects.
Learn to accept help. Being open and letting go is essential. Especially when it concerns relationships (with friends, in business, work and family).
Try, instead of finding reasons why not to. Sometimes the analytical side of you can limit you from experiencing new things.
TIP #3
Ditch the shoulda, woulda, coulda mentality.
Manage expectations better. There is always room to grow in this area.
Accept failures. Similar to number 4, accepting the downs in life is another area to be actively mindful of.
DON’T #1
Avoid inflating the losses. Sometimes we spend too much time wallowing in our failures. Developing and maintaining a healthy mind, body and soul requires learning to accept the shortcomings we may encounter.
Acknowledge the small wins. Sometimes we are so tough on ourselves and often overlook what we classify as small wins that should be rewarded. I am not saying to buy a car if you remember to drink your quota of water.
Meditate more. 2021 was a busy year for me. A significant consequence was my self-care routine, specifically my mediation routines.
Stick to the plan. It’s called a plan for a reason. I’ve learnt that straying too far from my plans have often derailed my progress in some areas of my fitness journey. Note, exceptions are inevitable; life is dynamic.
DO #1
Always respect the time and effort you spent preparing your goals and plans.
Read more. This is a core part of any self-care routine. For me, expanding the content I read is essential. I usually focus on work-related content throughout the year, which needs to change.
Walk more. When I head outdoors to exercise, I always want to up the ante by running, but playing it cool is just as effective.
10 Things I Can’t Wait To Continue And/or Start In 2022
Continue running and regularise my lighter days.
Maintain my mental health plan.
Prepare my content calendar.
Try a new meal/dish every month.
Start a workout regime with my aunt and mum.
Plant at least 3 crops (my aim is ginger, sweet onion, lettuce and tomatoes).
Do yoga challenges.
Start TRX training.
Learning a new skill (I’ve always been interested in mixology).
Drive more.
What’s your list for 2022?
Recap
DO respect the time and effort you spent preparing your goals and plans.
DON’T inflate the losses.
TIP, with a winning attitude, anything is possible.
TRICK for long-use gym items always purchase items that are cost-effective and versatile.