A new year routine

I went back to work early this month after an amazing 2 weeks of leave.

That first Monday morning, when the alarm went off I brushed my teeth and put on my workout gear. Hubby and I then went for a 1 hour walk before we started our work day.

Time outdoors felt so good and so began a routine that has made such a big difference in just a few weeks. Having a 60 minute workout first thing in the morning has been amazing in so many ways. These include:

  • Prioritizing fitness. Since it is done so early in the day, I don’t have the chance to find excuses.

  • It has been wonderful to do this with hubby and we have such fun on our morning workouts. Sometimes we run for a few km’s, sometimes we just walk but either way it has been a great way to start the day.

  • Time spent outdoors has done wonders for my stress levels. I’m starting the day with fresh air instead of coffee gulped down between e-mails.

  • I noticed I am sleeping better. I also go to bed earlier so am getting more sleep and waking up feeling a bit more refreshed.

  • Once I’m out the shower and in front of my laptop I feel completely ready for the day and my energy levels have improved a bit.

  • Starting the day doing something for myself before tackling e-mails and messages has made my work/life balance easier. Something I really strived to do last year (my word for the year was balance). The 1 hour is 4% of the day. But that 4% is 100% for myself and I love that.

There are days when I cannot fit in a 60 minute workout - office days for instance and I feel the difference. On those days I try to get as many steps in as possible - taking a lunch break and walking around.

Have you started any new routines this year? Let me know in the comments.

xx

Photo credit: @areksan via unsplash