Make This A Daily Practice 👀

Published: Mon, 11/23/20

It's Time To Prioritize Daily Movement

Hello ,

Over the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about physical activity and the role it has played during the pandemic. As a personal trainer, I spend a lot of time toeing the line between motivating clients to log a session while acknowledging the grace we all need to navigate COVID.

We all know we should be incorporating physical activity into our daily practice, but yet for many of us, finding the self-motivation to workout just isn’t there. On one side, there are trainers yelling at us on Instagram telling us to completely ignore the pandemic and then there’s the camp telling us that the pandemic gives us permission to skip hard things like exercise altogether and to just focus our energy on staying afloat.

I think both sides are wrong and the answer lies in the grey area - we need to incorporate physical activity into our routines AND recognize the mental stress and grief that we’re all collectively experiencing due to COVID.

So today I’m writing to you with a reminder - your body needs intentional exercise, even on hard days. Why? Because according to the CDC, not only is it good for heart health and other bodily functions, physical activity reduces your risk of depression and anxiety and helps you sleep better - things we can all benefit from during these times.

If you’re wondering what counts as physical activity, here’s a short list of ideas:

Going for a walk or hike
Playing with your kids
Riding a stationary bike or riding a bike outdoors
Household chores
Workout session or class

You don't have to commit to hard workouts everyday. Instead, make a plan to incorporate 30-60 minutes of some physical activity at least 5-6 days a week. Let's start today. But , there’s one condition. If you want to make this a weekly practice, you have to do your very best to set yourself up for success. That means blocking off time and adding it to your calendar or schedule. Setting out your gear the night before if you have to. It also means if you miss a day, you can’t beat yourself up. You’ll just figure out a way to make it happen the next day.

It’s going to be an interesting week but with consistent physical activity, I think you’re going to feel good. If you need some accountability, reply to this email and I'll personally check in with you in a couple days to see how it's going.

Takia

Co-Founder, City Fit Girls

Strength Club Price Increase: If you’re interested in joining Strength Club, our subscription based workout program, this is your last chance to join before the price increases to $15/month for new members. That means subscribe before this Friday at 11:59PM EST, and you’ll be locked in at $10/month.

Tips for Surviving Your Thanksgiving at Home

Thanksgiving is going to look very different this year but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy delicious food at home. Here are a few recipes and tips to navigate the week:

Make an ultimate Thanksgiving Day playlist. Make the playlist as long or short as you’d like. Or if you’re like us, you can just find a dinner playlist on Spotify to get the job done.

Plan your menu (and make sure there’s a dessert). Since you’re in charge, you can make pretty much whatever you want. Here are some ideas:

40 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
Easy Lemon Rosemary Chicken
21 Thanksgiving Green Bean Recipes That Are Actually Exciting
Buy the pie pre-made. Also, we support rounding out your meal with canned anything, especially biscuits. No shame.

Oh, and save yourself some time. Teach your relatives how to use Zoom before Thursday.

Our Workouts for the Week

Strength Club: We made it to the end of the cycle! It’s going to be a fun week and we’re kicking it off today with our final Upper Body workout for the month. Let’s set some PRs this week and prep for our brand new cycle that is kicking off next Monday. Remember, there’s no live workout this week but you can drop your questions and videos in the TrainHeroic app at any time! | Join Strength Club today.

Cardio fans: Try this workout with Tracy Anderson

Bookmark this: Calm and Steady - Yoga for the Holidays

What We're Meditating On This Week: Fresh Starts

The beautiful thing is that a Fresh Start is available to us not only when we get disrupted or stumble … but in every moment. Every day. Every new meditation or workout or work session. Every new meeting with someone, every new conversation. Every new breath. - Leo Babauta

Meditate with Kiera every Sunday for free at 7 PM. Register today and add these sessions to your calendar! You will receive a reminder before the class begins.

What We're Reading & Enjoying This Week

Takia here - Here are a few things I’m enjoying. There’s an interesting piece on depression, an Instagram account worth following for laughs and more.

Trade Coffee Co. - At the start of quarantine, I subscribed to Trade Coffee Co, a coffee subscription that sources all of its coffee from independent cafes. If you use this link, you can get your first bag for free - (limited to 6 people so don’t miss out if you’re interested)
Living With Depression and Anxiety During a Global Pandemic - As a person who’s dealt with more anxiety this year than I ever have in my entire life, I found this article to be super helpful.
Need A Good Laugh? Follow Design Sponge on Instagram and watch their stories.
What I’m Reading: Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. (Yes, I acknowledge that I just sent you to Instagram in the above link. Balance.)
As Always - Your Horoscope This Week

Thanks for reading City Fit Girls Newsletter #259. We'll see you next Monday! In the meantime, follow us on social media using the links below.