This week we have two time guest blogger sharing ideas on how to round out and balance your personal fitness. She has some great ideas in here and we hope you will enjoy them and put some to use. Please reach out if you would like to be a featured blogger on Yoga Living Project at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Balancing Your Fitness Routine With Overall Self-Care

Are you feeling like your life is out of balance? Do you feel run-down? Are you always prioritizing other people’s needs at the expense of your own?

If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, you should probably think about investing in a self-care program. Self-care is the action you take to stay healthy, while fitness is the state of being physical fit and healthy. Establishing a balanced approach to fitness and self-care is essential considering that 80 percent of Americans with gym memberships don’t use them.

Practices fluctuate from one person to another, but self-care as whole leads to similar results: productivity, increased happiness, more sense of control, and reduced stress. During stressful moments, practicing self-care appears to be the first thing people ignore, when in reality it is the antidote! If you remain committed to self-care by integrating it into your daily, weekly, or monthly routine, you will experience significant impacts comparative to the time you invested.

Here are the tips to balance your fitness routine with overall self-care.

Stretching to Relieve Stress

During a perceived crisis, adrenal glands release the stress hormone, also known as cortisol, into the body to maintain blood pressure and fluid balance. Although an optimal amount of cortisol can be lifesaving when in “survival mode,” a continuous release of cortisol can lead to serious problems. Excess cortisol increases blood sugar, suppresses the immune system, and decreases libido.

Stretching can help you keep stress at bay, particularly when you breathe deeply as you stretch. This process significantly reduces the chatter in your brain and enhances muscle development as well as flexibility. A great way to add stretching to your routine is to take up yoga. When practiced with mindfulness and meditation, yoga can be an incredible stress reliever.

Use Meditation

Meditation helps center your mind and enables you deal with stresses associated with a hectic life. It can also improve concentration and make you happier. You may even consider creating a designated space for meditation in your home.

The Power Associated With Group Fitness

You can benefit in more ways than one when you work out with colleagues, family, or friends. A study by Psychology of Sport and Exercise revealed that by engaging in a group workout, you challenge your perceived limitations and exert yourself to a greater extent. What this means is that you are more likely to enhance your physical fitness and self-care when you feel in harmony doing so with others.

Advantages of Outdoor Exercise

Getting in a fresh air environment more often reduces blood pressure, while strengthening the immune and digestive systems. As a rule, a balanced exercise routine should be comprised of outdoor recreation since fresh air enables the lungs to dilate and eliminate toxins more effectively. In addition, outdoor exercise reduces obesity with greater efficiency and provides an opportunity for friends and family to bond.

Looking for Ways to Keep Workouts Fun

One way to keep your workout fun is to include your dog to help you both stay in shape. Studies show that pets can provide their owners social support, and dogs make perfect companions. Apart from the benefit of exercising, running or walking with your dog can also keep you motivated to exercise often, boost your mood, strengthen your bond with your pup, and lower your blood pressure. Similarly, your dog improves the health of his lungs, joints, heart, and digestive systems due to the exercise.

Benefits of Positive Affirmations

To inspire yourself on your fitness journey, use positive affirmations. You do not need to change to please anyone other than yourself. The tools you need to build the life you desire should be eating right, exercising more, and pursuing weight loss. The positive choices you make are essential for you to feel happier, gain confidence, and live longer.

It’s important to balance your fitness routine with self-care. By stretching, exercising socially or with your dog, working out outdoors, keeping things fun, and learning to meditate, you’ll get the most from your exercise regimen.