The Ocean Rx Blog

        

    3 Things To Think About Before You Snap A Gym Selfie

    Posted by Evans Erilus

    Oct 4, 2014 3:38:00 PM

    Oh exercise… why do we do it? Is it for that extra attention when you walk into a room? The tried and true health benefits associated with it all? Maybe it’s a means by which to build up some self-confidence and knock yourself out of a rut? The truth is, it is probably a combination of all of these things… but we’d be foolish not to recognize how outside influences affect all of us in one way or another.  If that were not the case, something tells me spanx would have gone out of style a long time ago.

    I say all that to say this: exercise should be about no one but yourself, and a way to make improvements along that spectrum. With that said, here are a few tips to help you focus on health and wellness, and move away from the cultural phenomenon known as the “gym selfie”:

    Gym_Selfie
    •          Throw out the scale: This one here is kind of all encompassing, but the key to embracing a healthy lifestyle is throwing out tangible numbers where possible. There are surefire benefits to tracking calories, keeping a scale handy, and using a fitbit/fuelband/fitness tracker. However, it can become easy for these things to consume you, and make it difficult to focus on how you feel.  Instead of weighing yourself every morning, maybe focus on how much roomier a pair of jeans may feel. Instead of obsessing over how many calories you consume and/or the types of foods you are eating, focus on feeling satisfied after eating or drinking, and the difference between how you feel after eating a hearty salad versus a triple whopper with extra grease.
    •          Breathe it all in (and out): The most important part of exercise, hands down. I’m not talking about inhaling and exhaling specifically during cardiovascular or resistance activity, I am speaking about something much more specific… breathing through the movement. For example, when you are in down dog during yoga, breathe through the movement to maximize that stretch, and feel the muscles around your spine loosening and lengthening. When doing a bench press, breathe through the lifting part of the movement, and feel your pecs squeeze at the top. This may sound like minor things, but it goes a long way in maintaining quality technique, learning how your body parts respond to different movements, and improving your overall fitness. 
    •          Surround yourself with like-minded fitness folks: Maybe the most important factor here. Positive energy is invaluable as you travel along your journey through fitness. Take The Ocean Rx, for example. The people that belong to this community share a passion for clean and healthy living and water sports and activities. People with the right intentions, and a commitment to learning the proper execution behind connecting exercise to a truer sense of holistic health tend to find each other. When you come across a like-minded person, hold onto that relationship. No one is perfect, but it is those individuals who will be able to serve as a support as you experience the highs and lows, help customize your own wellness, and share different ideas in bringing all of this together. 

    It’s not a end-all or be-all to getting it all right, but at the very least… maybe you’ll think twice before you go for that daily selfie.

    Topics: Gym, Health and Wellness, Exercise, Health Tips, Yoga