When you perform drills and exercises at full-tilt, your body’s stronger muscles overpower the small-but-all-important stabilizers. Those little muscles play a huge role in protecting you from injury.

If you slow things down and force those tiny muscles to work, the results can be profound as 30-year-old former pro lacrosse player Roy Lang discovered.

“Slowing down is the hardest thing,” Lang says. “The lacrosse mentality is that if you aren’t moving as fast as you can all the time, you aren’t working hard. Everything I did throughout college and high school was about how to be the fastest and how to do the most reps.”

So it was surprising, to say the least, when Lang launched into his first-ever Elev8d Fitness workout and “got my butt kicked.” How could that happen to a guy who trains sometimes twice per day? Because when you focus on movement quality, rather than quantity (number of reps), resistance (how much weight is on the bar), or speed, you challenge your body in an entirely different way. It’s a training technique that Lang wishes he’d tried years ago.

“The reason I got injured after college was because I wasn’t paying attention to those little things,” Lang says.

Like many gifted athletes, Lang got by on raw talent, strength, and speed for years. Those traits took him far: He earned all-everything honors as a captain at St. Ignatius College Prep, one of the top-rated lacrosse high schools in California. He was then recruited by Cornell University, where he played in the National Championship and the Final Four. He was a First Team All-American Midfielder, a two-time First Team All-Ivy, and a two-time Academic All-Ivy. Lang was then drafted by the Rochester Rattlers and played two years professionally. But early in his pro career, he paid a hefty price for his all-out, all-the-time approach to training.

“My lower back gave out at 24,” Lang says. “It was the off-season. I was doing a workout with heavy power cleans and heavy squats when a shooting pain went through my left leg. I’d never missed a game in my life, but suddenly I couldn’t lift my leg for a few months.”

The injury, along with some of the financial realities about playing lacrosse at the pro level (let’s just say there isn’t NBA money in it), led Lang to switch careers. He’s now a salesman at a Silicon Valley software firm. And while he walked away from the pro athlete life, he’s just as demanding on his body as ever, regularly competing in basketball and club-level lacrosse, and training in the weight room to stay sharp for both.

Lang’s hardcore workout regimen is evident when you meet him. He’s tall and chiseled with formidable shoulders. Visible veins run down his arms and marble his forearms. How could someone who’s already in such great shape benefit from adding Elev8d’s short workouts?

Related: Low-Intensity Interval Training: Better Results by Doing Less

“An extreme athlete can view this training as a ‘work up’ rather than a ‘workout,'” says Brian Bradley, director of Elev8d Fitness. “Consider it like the dynamic warm-up soccer teams use in Europe.”

Elev8d Fitness is an alignment-based, home workout program co-founded by Pete Egoscue, renowned physiologist and creator of the Egoscue Method. There are two elements of method that make it even more effective than a typical dynamic warm-up. First, the moves help you develop better body awareness. Second, they are distinctly effective at improving your alignment and balancing your musculature. So not only do you get a great workout, but the benefits last long after your training session ends.

Lang, who did an Elev8d Fitness workout before training and games with his club team, says he noticed big differences.

“[During workouts] I noticed that I was ready to go a lot faster,” Lang says. “I used to need the first 5 to 15 minutes of a game to loosen up. But having those muscles activated helped a lot. I definitely plan on using it before lacrosse from now on.”

Meanwhile, off the field, Lang is standing a little taller, feeling more energized, and generally has a better idea of what’s going on with his body overall.

“I’m slowing down and actually listening to my body,” Lang says. “You start to realize how you’d let some things go, like hip mobility and alignment. Now, I can tell when my hips are tight—and I know how to fix it.”

Related: How Working Out 4 Times a Week Will Change Your Body

Those are a lot of benefits to reap from workouts that can take as little as eight minutes to complete. (Some old habits die hard, however, so Lang consistently took on the 16-minute versions.) As his new job has taken up more of his time and led to some travel, he found that the workouts gave him a way to stay in shape on those days.

“I think I’ll be doing Elev8d Fitness even more as I get older. I have kids and can’t spend an hour and a half at the gym,” Lang says.

Lang wanted to be clear, however, that he’d recommend Elev8d Fitness to any athlete, especially younger ones. In fact, it may be even more important for up-and-coming athletes because the program helps strengthen the things that other training methods miss.

“My advice would be to take it slowly and seriously. I would recommend [Elev8d Fitness] even more than yoga because it’s strengthening the joints. And the joints are what goes first,” Lang said. “You’ll find a lot of value in correct posture, hip strength, and mobility. This is 100 percent about taking care of your body.”

Boost energy and athleticism and feel amazing with Elev8d Fitness! Try the Move Better, Feel Better, Look Better Workout Series or the 16-Minute Challenge Series.

The post The 8-Minute Cross-Training Workout Every Athlete Should Do appeared first on Sonima.

“The fitness world has convinced us that you can be fit only with extreme effort,” says Pete Egoscue, world-renowned physiologist and co-founder of Elev8d Fitness, the new home workout program from the experts of Sonima. “They’ve convinced everyone that fitness is hard and that the key is the more effort you apply, the better your results. In essence, more is better.”

But the focus on quantifying anything and everything in your fitness routine is counter-productive. Doing so takes the focus off of the goal—being healthy—and puts it on numbers and ever-increasing levels of effort.

First, there’s no correlation between an increase in numbers and fitness. We’ve all seen the guy with hulking arms who can bench press 400 pounds but can’t lift his arms over his head. In no way should that lack of mobility be construed as fitness. Indeed, one of the primary ingredients that defines fitness for Egoscue is a full range of motion. So much of what we do, especially in gyms, provides zero benefit for our range of motion.

But there’s another reason that obsession with numbers can lead to an unproductive cycle: It’s not very fun. “That’s why so many people who join gyms stop going after a few weeks,” says Egoscue, who considers fun the second ingredient that defines fitness.

Remember How to Play 

In an effort to track and quantify, we’ve lost our ability to simply play. Think about play in decades past—a sepia-tinged, nostalgic vision of kids playing. It’s one part Calvin and Hobbes, one part summertime stickball, a dash of “Ring Around the Rosie”—all innocence and effortless joy. No one calls it fitness; they call it childhood. There’s no counting reps or judgments about whether Sally ran faster today than she did yesterday. It’s just about having a good time.

Related: How Your Feelings Affect Your Workout

“Play is fun because there are no judgments associated with it,” Egoscue says. “There’s just the joy of participation. There’s the joy of self-actualization. That’s where games came from. That’s where sport comes from. All sport started with a sense of play.”

It may be tough to scare up enough players for a game of stickball in the street, but it’s probably not especially difficult to go for a run in the woods. Or instead of today’s trip to the gym, why not head to the local playground for a half-hour of tag with your kids and see how you feel afterward? Or say you do go to the gym. Rather than follow a prescribed workout, just do what you feel like doing. Jump around or do a few somersaults. A sense of play can breathe life into your fitness routine. You just have to let it.

Fun Is More Effective

I ran a lot one summer and fall, training for the New York City Marathon. Spend 15 seconds Googling and you can find any number of marathon training guides, every week mapped out, each day with its own goal. (Even rest is programmed.) I had a GPS watch that I’d wear on training runs, which told me how fast I was running, how far I went, and how many strides I took per second. I was constantly aware of numbers, times, speed, and more. Information overload.

On one long run, I left the watch at home. I had an approximate path mapped out in my head, but I let my body guide me. If I wanted to turn left, I turned left. If one street looked interesting, I ran down it. I saw my surroundings and enjoyed the run. And when I got home and checked my time, I realized that I ran faster than I had previously. By letting go and having fun, I improved.

Related: This 8-Minute Beginner Workout Will Make You Love Exercise

Elev8d Fitness is predicated, in large part, on having fun. It’s full of exercises that recall childhood freedom. The workouts get you down on the ground and moving around in ways many of us haven’t in far too long. What’s more, there are no set numbers. Yes, the workouts are structured in eight, 16, and 24 minutes, and within each workout, each exercise is prescribed for a timed interval. “But you don’t have to do it for the whole time,” Egoscue says. “Do it as long as you can. If you can only do it for 15 seconds, fine. No one’s judging. That freedom takes away all the sense of drudgery and duty with fitness.”

The key to returning to play is to change what you’re experiencing. When it comes to working out, you should be looking to have a good time, have fun, experiment, and enjoy. Forget numbers and reps, and the neurosis of perfection. You’ll love the change and see the benefits.

Take it from Egoscue, a man who knows: “If you’re not having any fun in life, then what’s the point?”

Looking for more fun, playful workouts? Try the Elev8d Fitness eight-minute Get Back in Shape Workout or the Weight-Loss Workout Series.

The post The Secret to a Better Workout? Have More Fun with It appeared first on Sonima.

We asked Brian Bradley, fitness director for Elev8d Fitness, the new home workout program from the experts at Sonima, to tackle three frequently cited tips on creating a healthy routine. Below, he debunks each and offers a fresh, flexible way of thinking.

Old School Rule #1

Leave your gym clothes out at night so you can exercise first thing in the morning.

New school advice: Work out at a time of day that feels right for you.

If you’re an early bird with time to spare first thing, fantastic. But what if you need to be at work at 6 a.m. or work the night shift? What if you tend to wake up as Crabby McSloth and don’t feel human until your coffee kicks in? “The advice has to fit your lifestyle and your personality,” explains Bradley, a self-declared non-morning person. He also notes that morning workouts are often endorsed for their ability to jumpstart your metabolism for the day, “but a night workout can increase your metabolic rate in a similar way, keeping it elevated all night long while you sleep.” With an eight-minute Elev8d Fitness workout, specifically, “your body will be awake and more functional for the following 23 hours and 52 minutes, no matter what time of day you do it.”

Related: How Your Feelings Affect Your Workout

Another point to consider: “Scheduling tough workouts for the morning can be dangerous because your spine isn’t necessarily ready,” Bradley says. “As you spend all night in a horizontal position, the discs in your back are rehydrating with fluid. When you stand up in the morning, it takes time for those discs to return to a healthy thickness. Before they do, they have less give, leaving you more vulnerable to injury.” (That’s also why bending over first thing in the morning often feels so uncomfortable.)

Old School Rule #2

Set aside 30 minutes to an hour every day for exercise.

New school advice: Work out for eight to 16 minutes.

Elev8d Fitness workouts emphasize alignment and quality of movement so that you yield results without diminishing returns. You’ll break a sweat, but for less than 20 minutes. In other words, you can get the job done in far less time and with much better results, and still have 30 minutes left over to read a magazine, nap, play with your kids, or just veg out. Elev8d Fitness strongly believes that, when it comes to improving your fitness, alignment, and health, quality matters far more than quantity.

What’s the point of slogging away for 45 minutes on a recumbent bike if your body functions the exact same way afterward, if your hip flexors are just as tight, if your glutes still aren’t activated, and if your upper body hasn’t gotten a lick of action? Bradley likens the phenomenon of whiling away an hour at the gym, mindlessly bouncing from machine to machine, to a family staying home to spend “quality time” together…while everyone is glued to their phones.

Related: Low-Intensity Interval Training: Better Results By Doing Less

Elev8d Fitness rallies against the “more is better” philosophy and prioritizes sequence and efficiency. The eight core movements that underpin the program are designed to align the load-bearing joints (shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles), so that your body can function as it was designed to—as a unified, synergistic system. And the exercises are arranged in a specific order intended to align your body, activate deeper muscles, and take your joints through a full range of motion in fun routines that take only eight, 16, or 24 minutes. (Try the 8×8 Challenge.)

Old School Rule #3

Schedule your workouts in your calendar.

New school advice: Find your motivation.

Scheduling your workout in your smartphone calendar or day planner makes it feel like something to get out of the way. But you should enjoy moving, not think of it as a chore that needs to be ticked off your to-do list. Schedule your work meeting, not your workout.

Instead, find a workout you love, that feels joyful, free, and fun, and you won’t feel the need to slot it into the same “must-do” category as “dentist appointment”.

Bradley wants you to create an inherent motivator, or as he likes to say: “Find your why.” Your why is your main motivation for exercising. It doesn’t matter what it is—health, appearance, stress relief—so long as it speaks to you and gets you moving. Once you’ve tapped into your inspiration, fuel it with moves that set your inner kid free: jumps, crab walks, bear crawls, and backbends. The more you do them, the less they feel like work and the more fun they become. Pretty soon, these eight to 16 minutes will organically weave themselves into your everyday routine—no calendar alarms required.

The post The New Thinking on Old-School Workout Advice appeared first on Sonima.

For the next three minutes or so, you will perform the following series of movements to the beat:

1. Start with burpees and arm circles.
2. Transition to shadow boxing.
3. Dive into crocodile push-ups.
4. Do a crunch variation that Elev8d Fitness calls “polar opposites”.
5. Finish up with a little core work.

By the end of this speedy session, you’ll be feeling pretty darn tough. Go for round two and play it again if you have the time and energy!

If you enjoyed this workout, you’ll love more of Elev8d’s quick, effective routines. Check these out:

8-Minute Weight-Loss Workout Series

Do-Anywhere Total-Body Workout Series

16-Minute Challenge Workout Series

Related: Low-Intensity Interval Training: Better Results by Doing Less

The post Try This Awesome One-Song Workout appeared first on Sonima.

But of course, staying active can be a challenge. That’s where Sonima’s Elev8d Fitness plan can help. The Elev8d program focuses on eight core body movements that are combined into a variety of exercises and workouts designed to target specific fitness goals such as weight loss, increased strength, or overall functionality. Most important, Elev8d uses the power of your body’s own weight to deliver a complete workout that can be done virtually anywhere—your apartment, your yard, your park—it’s your choice.

Elev8d Fitness workouts range from 8 to 24 minutes and provide total-body results because they utilize the larger, deeper muscles rather than just the smaller muscles closer to the surface. Engaging these deeper muscles burns more energy in a shorter amount of time and maximizes the overall results.

Try it for yourself with any of our free workouts below—and keep moving! (And check out the Sonima Elev8d streaming platform for the full library of all of the workouts.)

8-Minute Total-Body Transformation

This is a quick and efficient way to tighten every limb, move every joint, and target every major muscle. And you’ll feel fantastic!

8-Minute Sculpted Butt and Hips Workout

Everybody wants a tighter butt. And the way to it is through the calves, quads, hams and hips. This workout targets all of these areas, giving you an enviable rear.

8-Minute Get Back in Shape Workout

Need to get back in the fitness swing? This workout reboots your body in just 8 quick minutes. You’ll be on your way back to doing all the fun things you used to love to do in no time.

16-Minute Flat Belly Workout

Flat abs look great, but they also support the whole body. This workout has you moving your arms and legs so you have to engage your abs to stabilize the rest of your body. And that leads to a flatter and stronger belly.

16-Minute Core Stability and Strength Workout

A strong core provides muscle stability throughout your system, but because of postural dysfunction, many “core” workouts actually don’t reach the core. This one does. You will feel the difference right away and every day after.

24-Minute Fat-Loss Workout

The most efficient way to burn more fat is to engage more muscles. This workout focuses on all the major muscle groups, helping you drop pounds.

The post 6 At-Home Workouts That Will Keep You Moving appeared first on Sonima.

As organic bodies, we are designed to move in diverse ways—through all the planes of motion; going over, under, and around; working our joints through their complete ranges of motion; and more. Moving in all the different ways nature intended keeps our bodies healthy. “When you move in diverse and functional ways, you free up your range of motion and unlock your body so you can move more efficiently,” says certified personal trainer Brian Bradley.

This type of all-over-and-around movement is intrinsic to outdoor adventures, but today’s gym culture has removed the innate human necessity to get outside and run around in the fresh air.

If you tend to stick to indoor exercise, you may want to reconsider your workout environment. “Low-level aerobic movement in nature tends to be more powerful than movement in a fitness studio,” says holistic coach Jator Pierre, C.S.C.S. Here are six reasons to take advantage of the remaining warm fall days and, as winter approaches, to layer up so you continue to reap the benefits of outdoor workouts.

Outdoor Workouts Are Powerful Stress-Relievers

Plenty of research finds that simply being surrounded by nature has the power to relieve stress, increase creative output, and soothe both body and mind. And pairing a natural environment with movement amps up the benefits.

When we’re stressed, the body releases neurotransmitters and hormones to shift us into fight-or-flight mode. While this is super helpful if the stress is caused by a bear chasing us, if the stress is something like a work deadline and we can’t move, glucose, cortisol, and adrenaline can build up in our bodies, leading to oxidative damage to the tissues, Pierre says. On the other hand, moving in a natural environment helps us use those natural chemicals, in turn lessening our angst, he explains.

Related: Do-Anywhere Weight-Loss Workout Series

Additionally, other studies have demonstrated that, compared to working out indoors, outdoor exercise helps people feel more revitalized, energized, happy, and satisfied.

Nature Forces You to Be “in the Moment”

“When you go for a run and get out in the wind and the trees, it requires you to be present, and this can make a huge difference in your workout,” Bradley says. Your run is more efficient because you’re paying attention to your surroundings, drawing energy and joy from your interaction with the trees. In turn, rather than feeling like your workout is just another item on your to-do list, it becomes an experience—one that can pull you out of a stressful day or your autopilot functioning.

You Move More Naturally

“Running on a treadmill or even on a track gives you zero variability in your ankle and your foot,” Bradley says. “You lose the effect of the ankle on the leg, and that does nothing to activate the load-bearing joints.” Research confirms that runners who work out on treadmills have decreased range of motion in their ankles compared to those who move outdoors in nature, a change attributed to foot strike. The research suggests that natural shifts in landscape and terrain offer opportunities for a full range of motion. Other studies have found outdoor exercise to be more challenging than indoor exercise, in part due to hilly terrain and wind resistance. You’ll naturally work a bit harder on a three-mile run outside than on a treadmill, thus making the run and the time spent more efficient.

You’ll Keep Coming Back

Spending time in natural environments positively influences our intentions surrounding exercise, increasing the likelihood that we return to fitness time and time again, according to a research review of studies involving more than 1 million people. It makes sense: When you feel good and have fun in your daily workout, you want to keep doing it.

Related: It’s Time to Bring Happiness to Your Workout

Being Outdoors Enhances Interactions

If you work out with others, your conversations are sure to be better outside. In his book Blue Mind, marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols discusses the ability of a seascape—in the absence of technology and the day-to-day hustle of modern-day society—to change the nature of conversations, giving way to more meaningful and thoughtful discussion. The same can be said about green and natural spaces. “Getting outside moves you to another level of consciousness,” Bradley says. “It gets you to think differently.”

Getting Outside Removes Limitations

Taking your workout to a nearby park, beach, or simply your open backyard provides unrestricted space to move your joints through their full ranges of motion and be active in the setting that nature intended. You don’t have to worry about square footage, turning around once you hit a wall or furniture, or other people’s space. Walking to your outdoor workout space of choice also tacks on more movement to your overall daily quota—an important aspect of overall health and well-being. For an added bonus, when you arrive, take off your shoes to walk in the grass or sand. It’ll help you take in your surroundings and connect even further to your activity.

Another easy way to get more from your workout? Do less! Try the Elev8d Fitness 16-Minute Challenge Series. The low-intensity interval training targets both the larger, deeper muscles and the smaller stabilizing muscles, firing up your entire body for maximum results in only 16 minutes.

The post The Easiest Way to Get More Out of Your Workout appeared first on Sonima.

Boost Energy: Straighten Your Spine

In a 2018 San Francisco State University study, 125 college students were asked to subtract 7 from 843 sequentially for 15 seconds while either sitting up straight with their shoulders back and relaxed or while slumped over. Fifty-six percent of the students reported it was easier to perform the math while in the erect position.

“The slumped-over position is a defensive posture that hinders abstract thinking,” says study co-author Erik Peper, PhD, professor of holistic health at San Francisco State University. “Think about it from an evolutionary perspective: A tiger is coming at you, so you curl up to protect yourself. You don’t care about the future or the past, just the present. When you’re in a slumped over or slouchy position at your desk, it essentially shuts the brain down so you can’t think as clearly.”

Peper says math is a metaphor for any cognitive activity, regardless of whether you’re a web developer, teacher, doctor, musician, or public speaker. Try a few of his suggestions for improving your posture—and thus your performance—at work:

• Ask a colleague or friend to snap a sideways picture of you when you’re not expecting it. This will give you an unbiased view of your work posture.
• Set an alarm on your phone, watch, or computer to go off every 15 to 20 minutes. When it sounds, get up and move your body in some way: Take a short walk or march, skip, or dance in place. Previous research conducted by Peper found that skipping significantly increased students’ energy levels after sitting in a long lecture.
• Have your vision professionally checked. Many instances of poor posture are the result of people leaning in toward their computer screen because they can’t see well.
• Working on a laptop? You’re almost surely collapsing your posture, bringing your head down to see the screen. A simple fix: Buy a detachable keyboard and raise your laptop on a riser or some thick books.

Boost Energy: Fit in a Mini Yoga Session

The more muscle mass you have, the more energetic you’ll feel, says Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, who is the Jenkins/Pomkempner Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan. “Even a 1% increase in muscle mass will give you a metabolic increase, and that translates to more energy.”

Moyad does pushups to break free of a desk rut. Lunges and squats will work too. Or try this desk-friendly vinyasa sequence designed by Katy Hanlon, a yoga instructor at Studio Three Yoga in Chicago. The poses stimulate energy and focus, and your body is all the weight you need to build muscle mass:

Seated Tadasana with Cactus Arms

• Sit up tall and ignite your abdominals, stacking your head directly over your torso.
• Keeping a soft bend in your elbows, extend your arms above your head. Palms should be facing out, fingers spreading wide, and wrists aligning over your shoulders.
• Inhale through your nose, reaching high with your hands without shrugging your shoulders to your ears.
• Exhale through your nose and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you bend your elbows out to the sides until your upper arms are at shoulder height, creating “cactus” arms. Lift your heart toward the ceiling and, if you have no neck issues, release your head back slightly.
• Repeat 10 times.

Related: How Yoga Provides a Natural Energy Boost

Boost Energy: Move Your Lymph

“Increasing energy is all about improving lymphatic flow,” says postural alignment specialist Brian Bradley, vice president of Egoscue. The lymphatic system consists of the spleen, thymus, tonsils, and adenoids, as well as multiple channels and nodes throughout the body. While it plays a role in protecting you against infection and disease, it also contributes to our energy levels.

“Lymph travels through the joints in your body—your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles,” Bradley explains. “When you drive to work, sit at a desk all day, drive home, and relax on the couch, you’re not moving your joints through their full range of motion and, as a result, lymph becomes trapped and grows stagnant.”

Bradley recommends moves that re-align your joints to get your energy flowing again, such as the Overhead Extension:

• Stand with your feet pointing straight ahead and about one fist’s width apart.
• Extend your arms in front of you, drop your shoulders, interlace your palms, and point them away from you.
• Bring both arms overhead so your palms face the sky. Gaze upward toward your hands as you actively work to keep your arms straight up without leaning back.
• Hold for 30 seconds as you breathe deeply.

The post Desk Exercises for an Instant Energy Boost appeared first on Sonima.

“Discomfort is a layered process. We expect the physical discomfort of a workout and maybe even the emotional, but if you then add discomfort with big groups or discomfort with boredom, that amplifies the pain,” says certified mental performance consultant Angie Fifer, PhD, executive board member for the Association for Applied Sports Psychology and owner of Breakthrough Performance Consulting in Pittsburgh, PA.

In other words, forcing yourself to do things that feel unnatural—making small talk with strangers before class starts, motivating yourself on a solo run—is going to make your workout more difficult and less enjoyable. And when you think about what it takes to form ingrained habits—whether it’s to get to yoga class every day this week or to become a lifelong runner—enjoyment is everything.

“In your typical gym scenario, people work out because it’s habit—it’s what they’ve always done or what they think they’re supposed to do,” says postural alignment specialist Brian Bradley, vice president of Egoscue. “But this makes them not truly present, which means they won’t really enjoy it, they won’t push themselves, and they’ll never make any progress or get that satisfaction that makes them want to stick with it and come back day after day.”

Finding a Fitness Routine That Aligns with Your Personality

Forget the new class your friends are raving about, the best new routine you read about in a magazine, and maybe even your current go-to exercise method. The questions below will help you take a step back and consider what type of workout works best for you and you alone.

1. How comfortable are you when trying new things around other people?

“Extroverts not only enjoy the energy of others but are also more willing to get out of their comfort zone in front of others,” Fifer says. A study from the British Psychological Society found that extroverts were more likely to exercise at the gym. Fifer adds they’re also likely to enjoy group runs, group fitness classes, and anything new and challenging that involves other people.

Introverts, on the other hand, can be quite perfectionistic and prefer to try things out on their own. They enjoy running solo, using a home gym, and following workout videos in the comfort of their own living room.

2. What are your goals?

“Regardless of personality type, the only way most people stick with a workout routine is if they get the results they’re looking for,” Bradley says. If you’re looking to burn fat quickly, you probably won’t be happy with the results from a slow-moving sport. High-achievement-motivated individuals—people driven by success—usually want something they can see tangible gains from, like an increase in speed or strength, Fifer says, so they’re better suited for endurance sports, powerlifting, and high-intensity interval training, where you typically see big results fast. Then again, your concept of success might always be in a constant state of flux, so it’s important to check in with this on a regular basis.

3. Are you competitive?

While the desire to win drives high-achievement-motivated individuals, there’s a whole class of people for whom simply finishing is enough—they won’t be shattered if they don’t hit a personal record or make it on the leaderboard, Fifer explains. “They are the average people who want to go and do their workout to gain the health benefits, but it’s not going to ruin their day if they miss it or if they aren’t the sweatiest at the end of a spin class,” she says.

If seeing how you stack up compared to others doesn’t drive you, consider steering clear of uber-competitive CrossFit or HIIT workouts, which burn you out fast. Instead, stick with lower-intensity routines with less risk for injury, such as walking. “It’s one of the most sustainable forms of exercise, making it great for people who just want to move their body and are happy to squeeze a workout in where they can,” Fifer adds.

4. What exactly motivates you?

We are all driven by either internal motivation or external competition. Each has pros and cons, and ideally you’re run by a mix of the two, but considering which side dominates for you can increase the chances you’ll stick with a new routine, Fifer says.

Those who are internally motivated compare themselves to themselves. They often enjoy endurance sports like running and cycling, which are solo but also involve a lot of data collection to gauge personal improvement, she says. Meanwhile, if you are the type to compare your success to the success of your peers, you will probably fare better in group workouts, particularly the kind where competition is encouraged, like spin classes with leaderboards or powerlifting.

Related: What’s Your Personality Type?

5. How happy you are with your current routine?

A lot of people find a workout or sport that speaks to them but over time lose motivation or joy in it. Don’t worry—it’s just a sign you need to make a small tweak or two, Fifer says.

Luckily, this is the easiest thing to do. If you love running, the shift can be as simple as switching up your morning route or as big as signing up for an obstacle race. “Keep doing the thing you originally liked and are good at, but add enough variety to get the body and mind re-energized,” Fifer says.

6. So what are you good at?

If a workout aligns with your personality, you’re more likely to enjoy it and stick with it. But there’s one exception to that idea: “If you’re good at a sport or a workout, that feeling of success often overrides feeling like an activity isn’t a match for your personality,” Fifer says. The draw of feeling good at something is worth a little bit of social or mental discomfort and encourages you to find work-arounds. So if you’re an introvert, you might want to try heading into a group fitness class right on the hour in order to minimize socializing and still get that rush of being good at cycling.

The post Are You Doing the Right Workout for Your Personality Type? appeared first on Sonima.

Here, we recount the greatest lessons we’ve learned and how to implement these strategies into day-to-day life. You’ll find that often the most effective approach is also the simplest—and that true wellness is a seamless process that works synergistically with the rest of your life. Pick up these pearls for 2019 to start the year off fresher, healthier, happier, fitter, and more relaxed than ever before.

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1. Eat Whole, One-Ingredient Foods

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be confusing. Clean eating is fairly simple, says best-selling cookbook author, culinary nutritionist, and wellness expert Amie Valpone. It’s all about focusing your diet around one-ingredient whole foods—a full apple, an avocado. Eating foods in their original state helps your body naturally detoxify, manage blood sugar levels, and fill up without overdoing it. Simplicity is key. Focus on recipes such as salads, soups, and bowls that call for whole foods that promote both health, well-being, and longevity.

2. Focus on Your Hips

“Your hips are required in every moment you make,” says postural alignment specialist Brian Bradley, vice president of Egoscue. Your hips are the epicenter of the body, your anchor when you’re walking, sitting, throwing a ball, or swinging a golf club. Yet, too often, the hips are ignored.

Incorporate daily movements to activate and align the psoas, (the strongest muscle of the hip flexor group). Doing so creates a cascade of functionality throughout the body to the spine, the shoulders, the knees and ankles. When your body is connected and functional, your workouts and everyday movements are more efficient and effective. To light up your hip flexors, try these power moves.

3. Adopt a Bedtime Meditation Practice for Deep Sleep

Have you ever slept a full eight hours only to wake up feeling tired? It’s likely because you didn’t spend adequate time in a deep sleep state—the sleep phase that’s crucial for rejuvenation, recovery, says Sanjeev Verma, Sonima’s Vedic astrologer and meditation advisor. Reaching deep sleep states involves entering a complete state of relaxation. Fortunately, it’s something that can be fine-tuned in your waking hours.

This 10-minute meditation from Verma works you through a checklist to ensure you’re relaxed for sleep. You’ll check in on the tension throughout your body, learn to let go of stressful thoughts, and bring positive memories front and center. In time, deep sleep comes easier and you wake up refreshed and energized.

4. Embrace the Power of Repetition

There are times (in life and in yoga) when we’re unsure about how to move forward; when we feel disconnected from our true selves. These times of ambiguity or challenge can be accompanied by a tendency to drift from our regular practices or to switch back and forth between teachers. But receiving conflicting advice can inhibit you from progressing, says Andrew Hillam, Sonima’s yoga advisor. Maintaining a consistent practice with one teacher, however, builds progress over time.

“By staying with a single teacher, practicing a single kind of yoga, and concentrating the mind in only one direction—those kinds of difficulties (sic) are less likely to arise and can be more easily overcome if they do,” he says. Instead of fearing challenges? Face them head-on with consistency.

5. Work Smarter, Not Harder

In our fast-past society, fast-paced workouts, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), have gained traction. But Bradley says most people exercise with incorrect form, creating harmful compromises. “Usually, people go through a HIIT movement so fast that they become shoulder and arm dominant, and they’re no longer using their hips to drive the exercise,” he says. It’s something that can further stress the body and have counterproductive results in the long-run.

But when you slow down and focus on form and alignment through low-intensity deliberate movements, you do the opposite. This favors functionality over speed and activates deep, stabilizer muscles that contribute to balance and mobility.

Low-intensity training requires just the minimum effective dose of movement so that you yield results without diminishing returns. “The low-intensity moves teach your body’s parts to work better together. It will clear up imbalances and help re-establish functional movement patterns stemming from your hips and pelvis,” says Bradley.

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6. Commit to Your Community

Seeing others practice will motivate you to also practice. When you build relationships with other students and teachers, and work together with a group of people, you more fully integrate your practice into all aspects of your life. This builds momentum and positive energy in a way that a solitary practice might not be able to.

“It is very important to have a connection to a local yoga shala,” says Sharath Jois, the lineage holder of Ashtanga yoga. “In many respects, a yoga shala is not unlike a temple, or a place of worship where we go to get connected, detach from material things, and dedicate our efforts to a practice.”

7. Teach Your Children to Meditate

“Meditation is a lifelong practice,” says Verma. That means that children are no exception. “By laying the foundation of mindfulness for your kids—or any child in your life—you’re providing them with an invaluable tool that will see them through life’s inevitable ups and downs,” he says.

Instilling mindfulness into children’s routines can help them gather self-knowledge, become aware of their breathing, and relax—all skills that stay with them and help them build healthy lives, Verma explains.

Age is an important consideration in properly introducing your child to meditation. This guide explains how to introduce kids of all ages the fundamental practice.

8. Never Drink Cold Water

“Water has a deep and rich history in Vedic tradition, the basis of both Ayurveda and yoga,” says professor of Ayurvedic medicine Jayagopal Parla. But Ayurveda follows certain rituals for hydration. For one, Ayurveda suggests that you never sip cold water. “Warmer water is thought to have metabolism-boosting benefits in Ayurveda, as well as health-promotive effects on the gut and digestive systems, and may help to prevent gas and bloating,” he says. To maintain good health, keep your water warm or room temperature when you’re feeling thirsty.

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9. Expand Time with Meditation

In a culture of busy-ness, meditation offers a great benefit: more time. “When the mind is more present and focused, you have an enhanced understanding and comprehension of a given topic or task,” says Verma. “When that becomes a regular part of your working style, it profoundly impacts your ability to learn and work at a high level.”

Greater focus helps you to be more efficient with your everyday tasks and responsibilities. What’s more, this higher level of concentration improves the quality of your work and being. With a strong meditation practice, Verma says you might, for example, be able to complete a 30-minute task in just 20 minutes. “Through meditation, you can relax, and you can transfer that aura of calm to your efforts,” he explains. With leftover time, you might find more moments for relaxation or dive into your tasks in a deeper, more focused way.

10. Practice Yoga to Keep Distractions from Derailing Your Spiritual Path

No matter how well-intentioned, even the most disciplined people can’t control life’s everyday unpredictabilities. “Too often, we let distractions and other situations outside of our control affect us as if we could have done something to create a different outcome,” Jois says. “We think too much about our desires for something better, or become anxious about tragedy or loss.”

Focus your attention on your inward journey with yoga. It’s one way to remove outside stressors and craft a stronger inner peace. “Regardless of the method, when yoga is approached without the chatter, in a silent and humble manner, the more effective yoga will happen within you,” says Jois.

11. Wake Up on the Right Side

In Ayurveda and yoga, a commonly practiced tradition is to fall asleep on the left side and wake up on the right. Why? “Falling asleep on the left side encourages secretions of the liver. It also positions the stomach at the bottom of your body as well as leaves the right nostril open and the left nostril closed,” says Parla. In yoga, the left side of the body is the thinking or creative side, and the right side is the accomplishing or completion side, he says.

Optimize your positioning by turn toward the right when you wake up. This will increase the movement of your bowels, creating an urge to go to the bathroom. “If you do this for 10 to 15 minutes when falling asleep and waking up, that’s enough to reap the benefits,” says Parla.

12. Learn to Tune into Emotions, Needs, and Body Language

To cultivate positive and healthy relationships it is essential to be a conscientious and active listener. Make a daily commitment to pick up on how receptive people are to what you’re saying and how you are behaving. Learn to take in sensory data in your interactions with others, including facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and choice of words. Be present and consider your own choice of words and demeanor.

This level of attention locks you in the present moment, helping you collect clues for how to respond next in conversation and move gracefully forward through your relationships.

13. Master the Art of Theta Through Meditation

In an increasingly hectic world, it’s all-too-easy for our internal peace can be drowned out. However, tapping into a strong, grounded base helps you meet life’s demands when they come knocking. This 20-minute meditation from holistic health expert Lisa Hedley guides you back—toward a state of mind that helps you free up tensions, stressors, and anxieties. Throughout your time spent in the meditation, brain waves to drop into what’s known as a “theta state,” where deep levels of healing can take place. The result: a stronger, more resilient you.

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14. Get Outside

“Going outside moves you to another level of consciousness—it gets you to think differently,” says Bradley. “Nature gets you out of your head and into your heart. And your heart is your instinct.” Yet, today, children and adults spend less time outside than ever—approximately 13 percent of their time. The result, argues Richard Louy, author of Last Child in the Woods, is something called Nature-Deficit Disorder, a lack of outdoor time that takes a toll on quality of life.

Time in nature has been shown to positively affect symptoms of ADHD, reduce stress, and improve cognition. Getting outside—in a park, forest, or a swim in the ocean—should be an everyday priority.

15. Remember, Progress Requires Patience

Rewarding progress comes only when the body and mind are ready, and no sooner. Even with complete dedication, it can sometimes take years to master new poses or move onto more advanced sequences. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, or discouraged by that. Unfortunately, your desire might outweigh your abilities.

But there’s nothing wrong with the plateaus. Be patient while you master the basics—this is the foundation of more complicated work. Turning your attention to your body, breathing, and mind will help build the strength and mental capacity that progression calls for.

16. Acupuncture Can Aid Fertility

The 3,000-year-old practice of acupuncture—in which thin needles are inserted into acupoints on the body—has powers when it comes to pregnancy. “Women come in not only because they’re frustrated with Western medicine, but because of the success we’ve seen over the past 20 years in helping women get pregnant and deliver babies,” says licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist Liz Carlson, LAc, co-founder of Common Point, a modern acupuncture clinic in Tribeca, New York.

It’s thought that the practice allows women to decompress, something that can play a role in fertility. “Inserting the needles prompts a release of endorphins and feel-good chemicals, like norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine, which help move the brain out of stress mode. It essentially stimulates the body to heal itself,” she says. It’s often far more affordable than IVF, too.

17. Chronic Pain Can Be Emotional

It seems all too logical to blame pain on physical injury, a repeated strain or harmful event. Yet, sometimes, pain is coming from a deeper, emotional place—a psychosomatic manifestation of stress or negative feelings. After all, when we experience stress, the body absorbs it. And some researchers believe that the mind can repress emotions, funneling pain to the body, which might show up as back pain.

A dedicated and trusting yoga practice can provide the confidence and calmness needed to hear and heal your body and eliminate stress. When stress is seen for what it truly is, physical symptoms serve no purpose and might very well go away.

18. Add Moringa to Your Plate

“A tree native to India, but also grown in tropical environments around the world, moringa has been used medicinally for centuries, which is why it’s often called the ‘miracle tree,’” says Janet Zand, Sonima’s naturopathic medical advisor. The leaves of the moringa are nutrient-dense and preliminary research suggests that the tree might have anti-diabetes properties and may help protect the brain.

Moringa is most commonly seen as a powder. Incorporate into your daily tea or smoothie for a boost of calcium, potassium, iron, vitamin A, protein, and amino acids!

The post 18 Wellness Tips that We Loved in 2018 appeared first on Sonima.

Donations from the fall run allowed the Singita Grumeti Fund to host three girls’ empowerment events for more than 1100 local high school girls. At the events, they delved into an array of important topics, ranging from reproductive health and menstruation to career development and confidence-building.

The young girls weren’t the only ones who benefited from this unique experience. Below, Vetere shares her personal story of this life-changing adventure as told to writer Cassie Shortsleeve.

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Related: A Mindful Runner Shares What Drives Her to Train for the First-Ever All-Female Run Across the Serengeti

When I first arrived, the 400 girls were all lined up in their uniforms. They looked so professional—long skirts, maroon sweaters, shoes, purses. Most of all, I noticed their quietness. They didn’t seem free. I wanted them to be able to express themselves. Knowing that many of them had short hair, I took off my baseball hat and let my long hair down. They all went crazy.

Before I began my keynote speech, I could feel the energy. I had them say, “I am beautiful,” then got them hugging each other and dancing. I had them repeat “I’m beautiful” once again and added the chant, “I can do it.”

Afterward, altogether, we ran 3.8 kilometers. The girls were singing, dancing, running, and asking questions about the upcoming five-day run across the Serengeti. They were thirsty for details and so smart. The next day, the challenging multi-day, 55-mile run kicked off.

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When I had visited the Serengeti, staying at various Singita Resorts in June, I had met a female guard named Helen. I was so moved by her that I requested that she join us on this run. She is one of the only female guards to work for the government. When I saw her, she hugged me tightly and told me how thankful she was just to be a part of this.

I have to admit, the first three miles of the Serengeti run were overstimulating. This is not Central Park in New York City. It’s not what I’m used to. We were running with guards, protecting us from wildlife, including the big five, like lions, buffalo, and elephants.

But then, I got into the groove. Folks’ energy levels eventually calmed down, evening out, and we all broke off, running at our own paces. We all got into our zones. The middle of the Serengeti is so tranquil, inviting us to focus. I tried to lift my head up and enjoy the moment.

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Training is a big part of my life, but 55 miles was nothing to blink at. It was challenging. At times, I thought, ‘I don’t want to get injured. The terrain is different.‘ You have to watch out for rocks and mud. But my mind was also with the girls and the run we had done the day before.

I made close bonds with women, who were initially strangers, too. One of the women, the only local female running the 55-mile distance, wanted to give up during a part of the run. I ran with her and repeated, “You’re not giving up.” After the run, she sent me a message saying “thank you” for the encouragement to keep going. She was so proud of herself. Me, too! A communal effort can be very powerful and motivating. We all came to this event from different places and we are now bonded for life.

That’s what’s sticking with me: After the journey is complete, what you’ve accomplished hits you.

I traveled 237 days overseas internationally last year for work, but this re-entry to my NYC life has been different. I ran a race no one has ever done before, connected with people and organizations that want to make a difference, took a leap of faith, and immersed myself in nature. Now, I’m back in my concrete jungle and, somehow, I feel more connected to everything. All that active meditation in a wonderful place with genuine people, opened my mind to appreciate experiences far more greater than “things,” which is a good feeling to having entering the holiday season. This wasn’t just a run in the Serengeti with lions. This was a bigger event holistically.

Related: Can Running Really Be a Form of Meditation?

Looking back, one moment stands out the most. It was during the community run with the school girls. Out of the blue, one came up to me and grabbed my hand. We ran three miles together singing a Beyonce song in Swahili. I wouldn’t let go of her tiny palm and neither would she. You could feel the pulsing, the sweatiness, that “I am free” feeling. She had this big, beautiful smile. Her eyes were sparkling. The girls’ energy, I have no doubt, will carry them.

For me, at the end of the day, I’m thankful. You could give yourself a million reasons to cancel out of things—we’re all busy in life—but these are the moments you have to embrace and be present for.

I’m taking each moment one second at a time right now, channeling energy to make a difference to the bottom line at work and in other people’s lives.

>>This unique running safari will be offered again in October 2019 for up to 20 runners. To learn more, email KatherineC@grumetifund.org or BeverlyB@grumetifund.org.

Video Courtesy of Black Bean Productions

The post The Invaluable Gift of Experiences appeared first on Sonima.

“Inner form informs outer form,” says Bethany Lyons, co-founder of Lyons Den Power Yoga in New York City. “Inner form is our own story and personal world; it’s our personal self—how we view and see the world and ourselves. It shapes what we can and cannot do, and it shapes what we can and cannot say. The inner form is the heart and soul of the outer form.”

Pete Egoscue, an anatomical physiologist since 1978 and creator of the Egoscue Method, agrees: “The experts tell you that they know more about you than you do, which is complete nonsense.” Egoscue argues that reaching an ideal level of fitness is all about happiness; if you can reach a place of non-judgment and joy, the physical goals will follow.

Here are six inner form checks to keep in mind throughout a workout to help you benefit physically, mentally, and spiritually from exercise.

1. View exercise as a form of self-care.

“There are different ways to hold exercise,” says Adam Perlman, M.D., an integrative health and wellbeing expert at Duke University. You can feel guilty about it (maybe you’re sacrificing time with your family to work out), feel like it’s a chore (something you have to do to lose weight), or you can view exercise as a part of your self-care routine, he notes. “You deserve to care for yourself and exercise is a part of that,” Perlman says.

Focusing your mind to complete a workout in the way that is best for you, and being grateful that you are able to move in such a way can also help you feel strong and empowered, adds Ariane Machin, Ph.D., a psychologist and co-founder of the Conscious Coaching Collective.

2. Set your intentions before a workout.

Entering into exercise with purpose helps you make the most of your time, says Suze Yalof Schwartz, founder, and CEO of Unplug Meditation. “You have a choice when you go to the gym—you can go hard or go soft. If you want to maximize your workout, inner form helps you be present and intentional, resulting in better results physically and mentally.”

Stepping into your fitness routine with a specific mindset keeps you on track if/when your thoughts start meandering to the others in the room. “You see people running five miles and you think you need to run five miles to ‘get in shape’ even if it is something you don’t enjoy,” says Machin. “This movement is being guided by anxious and tense energy, and will deplete us before we even begin.”

Egoscue echoes this sentiment: “If what you’re doing isn’t something that allows you to put down the rules and have some fun, it’s not of any value.”

Rather than follow this negative energy, stop and ask yourself: Why am I here? The more we understand our own intentions, the more we can make sure that we’re acting in a way that’s consistent with that intention. For example, if your goal is to feel at peace and you consistently return to that intention, then you might realize that running (if you don’t enjoy it) isn’t at all in line with your personal plan. In other words, be clear about what it is that you want from exercise.

3. Notice potential distractions, then ignore them.

“There are many ways to practice mindfulness and exercise is a great opportunity,” says Perlman. But being more present with your workout—and strengthening not just your body but also the mindfulness muscle—requires focus. The more you can train your brain to focus, the more mindful you’ll become. Unplugging from a constant flow of emails, text messages, and news can help you tune into what you’re feeling during the workout. It can also clarify what doesn’t fuel you—maybe comparing yourself to others on social media, notes Machin.

Related: Stay Present in Distracting Situations

4. Breathe a little deeper—it feels so good.

Your mind is going to drift. That’s normal. “We have between 50,000 and 80,000 thoughts a day,” says Yalof Schwartz. But if you really need to zone in, try a 16-second meditation—easy to do while you’re holding a yoga pose or on a walk.

Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale audibly for four seconds, then hold for another four seconds. “When you count and breathe, you can’t think at the same time,” she says. “You’re sending a signal to your brain that everything’s okay and you’re also getting present.”

5. Watch your tone and language.

We talk to ourselves internally all day, notes Lyons. Check in with your internal dialogue from time to time. What are you saying? If you notice negative talk or unhelpful commentary, try saying something new. Lyons suggests a mantra or phrase that makes you feel grounded, supported, and fierce. “It can be as simple as ‘breathe in and breathe out’ or it can be a statement about what you are stepping into: ‘I am courageous.’”

6. Listen to your body—it’s talking to you!

Don’t push yourself beyond what feels healthy and gratifying. “We have adopted a rule set in fitness. If you are doing five reps, 10 reps is better. If you have this BMI, it’s not as good as that BMI,” Egoscue says. You berate yourself for not adhering to these so-called rules and expectations, which, in turn, creates a tailspin of self-reproach. “Your instincts are telling you that these rules aren’t in your best interest,” says Egoscue. Bottom line: You know what is best for your body health.

The post How Your Feelings Affect Your Workout appeared first on Sonima.

The 2013 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll found that exercisers report having better quality sleep than non-exercisers, despite both groups getting the same amount of sleep. Vigorous exercisers even reported fewer sleep problems, like having trouble falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night and failing to drift off again, or getting up in the morning and feeling groggy and tired rather than refreshed.

Related: Tired All the Time? This Home Workout Program Is the Solution

Other science supports this idea of exercise improving sleep quality, particularly if you combine resistance training and aerobic exercise. And more research says that exercise can actually help alleviate symptoms of sleep loss such as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance.

Here’s the catch: Despite how important it is to put your head to the pillow, only about 10 percent of Americans prioritize sleep over other activities like fitness, according to the 2018 Sleep in America poll. An ideal solution? Combine the two with a routine that’ll prep your body for bedtime.

That’s where this quick pre-sleep sequence comes in to play. Designed by Brian Bradley, fitness director of Elev8d Fitness, a new total-body fitness program developed by the experts of Sonima, this routine focuses on deep or diaphragmatic breathing to increase oxygen throughout the body and induce better sleep. The trick, Bradley explains, is to prepare the body for a position where the upper back is more stable and the diaphragm is stronger, thus making deep, restful breathing easier.

This quick and easy series of exercises works to get your body in that proper breathing position. First, you’ll loosen up the spine, then you’ll work to engage the abs and hips, and the final exercise stabilizes the hip flexors and spine. “If your day is like mine, you’ve been going non-stop, and in the evening you sit down to decompress. Notice your posture: The upper back is rounded, and you’ve molded the sitting spine position right before bed,” Bradley says. “The simple movements below will help break that mold and help wake up the diaphragm, leading to 35 or 40 percent better breathing.”

Follow these three moves below. Then check out the at-home Elev8d Fitness 8-minute weight-loss series to slim down in less time, without changing your diet.

Wobbles | 15x

1. In a seated position, bend your knees and pull them towards your chest.
2. Hug your knees tightly, then roll backwards on your hips and spine and then roll forward back to the seated position.
3. As much as possible, avoid using momentum on the roll and focus on using your abs more to return to the seated position. Repeat for 15 reps.

Itsy Bitsy Abs | 5x Each side

1. Start on your back, knees up, feet flat on the ground, and lift your right leg straight up.
2. Pull the toes back on your right foot, put both hands on your right thigh, then walk your hands up towards the ankle and back to the thigh, using your abs to lift your upper body and to control it back down. Be sure to lift with your chest and chin, not your forehead. Your head should not crunch toward your knee.
4. Repeat with the left leg. Do 5 per side.

Static Squat | 30 Seconds

1. Spread your feet just wider than your hips, pointing them straight, and extend your arms directly in front of you, palms down.
2. Drop your hips but keep your pelvis rolled forward so that there’s a small arch in your back.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

The post Sleep Better Tonight with This 90-Second Workout appeared first on Sonima.

How do you do this? We asked Pete Egoscue, Sonima’s pain and anatomy advisor and co-founder of Elev8d Fitness, the new home workout program brought to you by the experts of Sonima, to share his top advice for overcoming fitness obstacles and achieving your goals. Here’s what he says.

1. Change Your Perspective on Exercise

“If you view fitness as an obstacle to overcome, then you’re producing stress and getting less and less in return,” says Egoscue, who holds that the best workouts are the ones that are measured in joy, not in the number of abs visible in a bikini. When your instincts tell you something is stressful, painful or unpleasant, that’s when people stop going to the gym.

Instead of thinking about fitness as a chore, think of it as an opportunity to do something you enjoy. This may involve changing your routine or your go-to workout method. Celebrate playground-esque moves, like bear crawls and jumping up onto benches, because they’re fun. They allow you to be in the moment, rather than worrying about your to-do list or what you need to work on to alter your body. An exciting workout keeps people coming back, so make fun your focus.

Related: Our #1 Diet Advice Has Nothing to Do with Calories

2. Realize That You Know Your Body Best

According to Egoscue, the only obstacle you really need to overcome is buying into the “perception that somebody else knows more about our body’s health than we do.” We are constantly measuring ourselves up—against often unfair benchmarks—and then we get down on ourselves for not overcoming the obstacle we identify as holding us back. “The fitness world says, ‘You have to work hard and be dedicated. In other words, you have to suffer, and we apologize, but these results will be worth it. So buckle down, grunt it out, get dedicated,’ it demands,” says Egoscue. The truth is, physical activity doesn’t have to be an unpleasant feat. You don’t need to slug through a workout counting down the seconds until it’s over. Instead, find the exercises and the routines that work for you and make you happy, even if that goes against what other people tell you to do.

3. Shift How You Measure Success

Instead of worrying about how you’re stacking up against that guy doing 8-minute miles without breaking a sweat, ask yourself a few other questions. “Are you living a life of compelling presence? When you take away everyone else’s judgment, are you doing those things that provide you joy? Are you having fun? How’s your energy level throughout the day? Are you experiencing a life well lived? That’s up to you to define, not up to you to let the experts tell you what that looks like and how to achieve it.”

Fitness is a feeling, not an objective measurement, and it differs from person to person and from day to day even. Stop all the banter about excuses, and just listen to your body, suggests Egoscue. “I don’t believe there are obstacles to overcome. I believe there’s a life to be well lived,” he says. And the key to doing that is finding the things, people and purpose that you love. When something is fun, it’s easy and pleasurable to do. Even better, it allows you to live in the moment, not stressing about a long list of must-dos, but actually loving and enjoying your life—sweat and all.

The post 3 Unique Ways to Overcome Fitness Obstacles appeared first on Sonima.