We love working out to sculpt sexy muscles, improve our cardiovascular health, sleep better, increase bone density, and look amazing in jeans. But many people don’t untap one of the greatest powers of exercise — improving unpleasant moods and sensations. When you understand how to workout so no bodily inconvenience can hold you back, exercise becomes a driving force in the success of your life. That feels pretty empowering, doesn’t it? Creating an exercise routine to meet your goals is important and awesome, but learning to listen to your body and understand its needs is a vital part of making that happen.
If you’re tired, sore, bloated, uninspired, or drained, the right workout can bring you back to life and help you conquer your next deadline, task, meeting, or you guessed it, training day.
We’re breaking down the most popular daily discomforts, so many of us deal with and giving you exercise recommendations for each. Right here, right now.
The Best Workouts For When You’re Feeling…
#1 Stressed or Anxious and Need Help Reframing Your Mind
When we feel overwhelmed, our minds can get the best of us. When we go into a place of stress, our breathing becomes shallow and irregular, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the body and disconnects us from our internal source, and we’re unable to receive the good in our lives.
But, when creating an exercise routine, you can be intentional about which workouts you choose on days where you’re feeling stressed or anxious.
Try: Focusing on your breath and using visualizations is one of the most powerful ways to reframe your thoughts and come back into a good energy space. This is exactly what Julianne Hough teaches you in her 12-minute KINRGY Aether Receiving routine that focuses on the breath, movement, and visualizations to bring your back into the light.
#2 Frazzled and Want to Let Off Some Steam
Sometimes our minds can go in a million directions, our emotions can get the best of us, and we just want to, well, scream. Go ahead — we fully support you screaming into your pillow. But maybe just as, if not more, productive is to press play on a high energy workout.
Try: Breann Mitchell’s 14-minute Cardio Kickboxing routine. This workout uses the power of boxing to get your heart rate up and help you refocus your negative emotions into your workout to clear and release them.
#3 Burnt Out and Craving an Afternoon Pick-Me-Up
Exercise improves your circulation, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, increases your happy hormones (serotonin and dopamine), and releases endorphins. The result? A powerful and natural energy boost. However, when you’re feeling burnt out, doing an intense HIIT workout or lifting weights may feel like a stretch. Luckily, you can get the same benefits by doing a moderate workout.
Try: Jeanette Jenkins 21-minute Low Impact Cardio Blast.
#4 Bloated and Need Some Relief
When you feel bloated or are suffering from indigestion, the last thing you usually want to do is move. However, including some gentle exercise, like yoga, may help release the discomfort and get things moving. Yoga also stimulates your circulation and has been shown to help ease feelings of stress and anxiety.
Try: Relaxing yoga workouts, like Sydney Benner’s 16-minute Peaceful Seated Yoga class when creating an exercise routine based on what your body needs most.
#5 Sore and Tight and Want to Stretch it out
When we’re feeling sore and tight, it can be tempting to stay sedentary until it passes. Unfortunately, this can backfire. Some light stretching can actually decrease the amount of time you’re feeling post-workout soreness or tightness from sitting all day long.
Try: Vytas’ 18-minute Stretch to Restore routine. While creating your exercise routine that’s unique to your individual needs, don’t forget to add some stretch days into the mix!
Here’s to Creating an Exercise Routine That Helps You Feel Your Best
Some days your body may be telling you to take it easy, and we think you should always listen to it. However, a lot of the time, some of the right types of movement can help your body and mind feel better quicker. When this is the case, always start with some light movement and always tune in to your body’s needs when creating your exercise routine. You’ll be surprised how amazing you feel after, especially when you’re selecting workouts based on what your mind and body may need that day. Heck, you may even be inspired to workout longer!
