✹ Tips to work out ✹
Hi guys ! Camille here, ready to take you into an important part of my life — sport. I know, I know, a lot of us don’t like it. But, trust me, if you find your own way to workout, you will start to like the feeling of relief and freedom it gives you. Let me share with you some tips I wished I knew when I started to wok out.
My way to train is pretty connected with my mood, and I don’t have an exclusive sport - I’m more “touche à tout”. I remember, when I first began sport, how unsure and shy I was, way too much to go to the gym. That’s why I decided to train at home - I still do it now, because I felt in love with the freedom and the intimicy it gives me. Bellow the article, you will find some of my favourite YouTube channels to work out at home.
Enjoy & sweat well 💦
Dare to make the first step - you are able to do it. It will be hard, you will maybe not be able to finish the move, you will be slow at first. But you will do it. And that’s the most difficult part of all that you’re doing, so be proud.
Give you the time to learn. It doesn’t matter if, for an exercise of 30 seconds, you take 4 minutes to achieve it. No one began sport and kicked out the moves like a pro. Even those beautiful actresses/actors or instagram girls/guys you admire.
It is okay to give up. It doesn’t mean you’re a loser. Never think like that about yourself. Sometimes, it isn’t the best time to work out, you need to struggle with social, profesional, mental problems more important for you at this moment. Don’t listen to people who say you always can find the time to work out. If you need to rest in your couch after a long day, more than sweating, it is equally great.
Find your own place to train. We are not all made for working out at the gym, nor in groups. It also can be at home, in your kitchen, when you are sure no one will disturb you or look at you. You need to be in the best condition to do sport. The place where you train doesn’t mean nothing about your involvement or your progression.
Don’t train the same body area two days in succession. Your muscles need to rest. Each workout injures your body. If you force it, by working the legs a whole weekend for example, you hurt yourself. It is counterproductive, and you risk to really make damages that will ask for a long period of rest. And stop those “1 month plank/squat/... challenge”, it is dangerous.
Don’t work out too much. It is easy, if you find a sport you like and you start to fix your personal goals, to work out a lot, because you want to see quick results. But by acting like that, you risk to tire or hurt yourself. You need an equal moment of workout and rest. Relaxing is as much benfical and important for your mind and body than working out, never underestimate it.
Find your moment to train. Some of us are made to train in the morning, others in the afternoon, or in the evening. You have to find your best moment. If you have an obligation at that moment, find an alternative. For example, if your moment is the afternoon and you are at work, do your big workouts during the weekend, and make more slight and relaxing exercises in the evening or in the morning during the week, once or twice.
If you think to train, do it as soon as you can. To be sure the motivation will not go back because you waited for too long. If you’re at school or at work, a great way to keep your motivation intact is to move as soon as you can. Walk during the lunch moment, or do some discreet calf exercises under the table, for example. It will satisfy you, and the fact that you move, in a way or another, will have a positive psychological impact.
Stop focusing on the physical success. It’s the best way to stop. You will not have that perfect booty in four weeks, even if some instagram/tumblr/youtube stuffs promess it to you. It is impossible. Focus on the psychological benefits, the pride when you achieve a difficult move, the feeling of relief when you cool down. Workout for it, without waiting for something specific. And one day, you will see the results, without really waiting for it, and it will be even a better surprise this way.
Don’t diet. Eat properly, learn how to cook and shop correctly, but don’t enter in the diet business. It is the worst you can do to your body and spirit. And guess what ? It is the goal of those persons. They don’t work to make you truly feel better, but to be sure your money will come back to them as soon as possible.
Stop looking into the mirror every day. You will not see it, and it can lead to dangerous psychological states. Give you a moment to look at your body once every two weeks. You will clearly see the differences, that came with the time, and not by magic during the night.
Don’t weigh yourself. Take your measurements once per month, it is more exact. Put on weight when you start to train is normal - your muscles grow up, and are heavier than fat.
Don’t use body goals that are not your height and morphology. If you absolutely need to take an example, search a possible one. And remind yourself that all bodies are unique, so no, you will never totally look like your favourite instagram person. And that’s okay, it doesn’t mean you failed.
Make a list of what you like in your body. You will find it, courage. Update it each month, when you are in a positive state.
Find what kind of sport interests you. For some people, it is all about one sport only. Others need to change regularly to not be bored. Learn how you work.
Accept that all bodies can be healthy. You don’t have to be thin or have the thigh gap (impossible for many morphologies) to have a good and toned body. It means that you can achieve it too, sport isn’t reserved to a specific size, weight, morphology.
Define your body goal. What would you like to feel good ? Bulky, lean or toned ? Only you can say what is the best for you, since the only one who has to be seduced by your body, is yourself. Stop living in the clichés, a woman can be bulky and a man can be lean.
Think to stretch. It’s not always what people prefer, but it’s really important when we talk about sport. A good stretching will help you, with time, to go further in your moves, and train new areas you couldn’t reach before. Don’t use stretching as a warm up ! It’s not, since you push your body at its limits. Always finish your workout session with a stretching, and then with a cool down.
Warm up and cool down are no options. You need to tell to your body it has to wake up. If you don’t, you will have difficulties to make moves, and you can easily hurt yourself. To avoid stiffness, think to cool down after your workout. Sore muscles mean a body already hurted.
Create a health journal. It’s quite the same as a bullet journal, but totally focused on your health habits. It doesn’t only includes sport, but also food, mental health, stress tracker and positive body image. Writing your progressions, or your doubts, your desires, your goals, will help your mind to understand how you work, what are your personal traps, what doesn’t work for you, what makes you feel good.
Speak about it around you. Choose the people who will know, they have to be positive and watch over your new habits, to make sure you don’t do anything dangerous.
Be proud of your body. A thing I learned with sport, is that you know you take care of yourself. Once you start to feel it, mentally first, and then physically, you are less strict with your apparance. You’re curvy even with 6 hours of sport a week, and so what ? You will learn to love it, because you know you are in a good health, and that’s the most important.
Try exercises to improve your posture. It’s already good for your back, for your belly, and also to appear more confident in public. You also seem more lean and tall. Your body will thank you at the end of the day, when you will no longer feel that light pain in your back and your neck.
Always ask yourself if your way to workout and to eat is objectively good for you. You know that eating only apples in a day is not a way to lose fat. Hoping for it to work doesn’t mean it will help you to feel better.
Never punish yourself for your habits. You will only feel bad, and will train your negative vision of yourself. Start now to congratulate yourself when you make a new step. You finished your first workout ? Reward. You walked to your home instead of taking the bus ? Reward. You thought to train for the first time in months, even if you didn’t ? Reward.
List of youtube channels I like and follow (they are all free) :
Sissy Mua - langage : French. She is the first one I followed, and she made me discover the fitness. She is more based on musculation, which is why I don’t go on her channel anymore, but she proposes you complete sessions and had created some month programs.
Georgia Horackova - langage : French. Not really active for now. But she has done some challenging videos, and is a sweet and adorable woman.
Blogilates - langage : English. One of the most known youtube channel. She has made a beginner program, and you also can find a calendar each month. She is really motivating, is all about pastel and cute decors, is inventive.
Alivia d’Andrea - langage : english. An absolutely adorable and positive girl, with some really great videos to train and think to your health, physical and mental. Her stretching videos are really great to get into it.
Millionaire Hoy - langage : english. The total american instructor package, but it’s quite effective. If you want to do some cardio, but are afraid of burpees and other difficult exercices, he will help you to find the perfect way to train. He offers a lot of 30-40 minutes workout, adapted to each level.
The Fitness Marshall - langage : english. If you are more into dancing, even if you’re not a pro, you will love him. He’s totally cool, never stops and proposes cardio sessions.
Kkardio Dance - langage : english. Same concept, dancing to brun calories, but this time, made for the k-pop fans. Don’t worry about what you look, just follow them and sing like a queen.
Lazy dancer tips - langage : english. If you want to try ballet or if you are a classical dancer and want to also workout at home. She is my favourite of all. Adorable, motivating, challenging, she is really great.
Yoga with Adriene - langage : english. If you want to try yoga, or if you are already a fan of it, that channel is made for you. Her voice is peaceful, she made programs for beginners, and a plus, she also do a lot of videos to improve your mental health, which is really important and sadly rare.
Yoga with Tim - langage : english. Another yoga channel. It can be great for some of us to train with a man (since fitness, pilates or yoga aren’t only for young women).
— With love, Camille ✧
