One of the most common themes among new clients of mine, is in their patterns of loving one particular exercise and doing lots of it. For example; I have a client who absolutely loves to run, but despises stretching. The result: constant shin splints, shortened hamstrings, an achy back and feet that cramp; a lot. Now, I am not opposed to running, and I have never been one to tell someone not to do what gives them joy. But the issue here in the lack of balance in this routine. By my client not supplementing her running routine with a good stretching session, she prolongs her body’s recovery time and opens herself to unwanted injury and stress; which defeats the purpose of exercising.

So what does your fitness routine consistently look like? Do you gravitate towards one or two types of exercises, but don’t counter balance it with recovery? Or do you only do restorative exercises, but no strength training? There’s no right or wrong to the type of exercises you ‘should’ be doing. Every woman’s body is different and we should of course engage in activities that serve our bodies, minds and spirit. But in an effort to feel completely satiated in our workout experience, we mustn’t skimp on the details.

Balance.

Here are some ideas to keep you on track when creating balance in your fitness routines, and in keeping your bodies strong, flexible and fully relaxed during recovery:

• Alternate a strength training exercise with a stretch that focuses on the same muscles.
• Sandwich-in the exercises you seem to forget about and start and end with the exercises you love.
• Try a new type of exercise that naturally combines your favorite exercises, such as yoga, hooping or pilates.

To your health and wellness,

Kenya