BY Suzanne Banker

When you were a kid, you thought nothing of hopping on your bike, jumping on the trampoline, shooting some hoops or running relay races with friends. Movement was just part of your day… it was fun. When did we grow up and take ourselves so seriously? The evolution of the fitness industry has brought us some truly amazing tools and modalities but also brought a lot of competition, injury, expectation and dread. What if – just what if – we could come back to moving in a way that was enjoyable, challenging, energetic, safe and, dare we say, fun again!?

 

What research has shown us over and over is that you are way more likely to do what you enjoy and truly connect with when it comes to exercise. If you want success and consistency in any area, you must find a way to derive meaning and fulfillment from it.

 

My name is Suzanne Banker, and I am the owner of Free Flow Yoga + Bounce. After being a fitness trainer for almost a decade, I have seen a lot of trends come and go. There are only a few things I have seen consistently work no matter what movement your jam is. I am going to share a few things with you in hopes that at the start of this new year you can cultivate consistent habits that result in a stronger future!

I have heard too many times people jumping into a program for a wedding in the spring, a vacation in the fall or a number on a scale. Here is the thing, work first on your relationship with your body image and the deeper issues within, so you can come to a place where you move just to feel better. The world needs who you were created to be, and you need good health to carry out your life’s mission!

 

There are very few people driven and motivated enough on their own without the need for connection and accountability. Knowing someone will say, “I missed you in class yesterday!” or “Hey, join me for a walk after dinner!” can be what you truly need to stay inspired. This magic sauce is what I call collective energy. There is nothing like a big room of excitement at the end of a class when you want to give up, but everyone is smiling and high-fiving, and it feels so good to overcome together!

 

Maybe you love yoga or cycling or barre or long walks. Awesome! Do more of those things. You are more likely to do what you are excited about, and any movement is better than no movement. Also, make sure you are cross-training and incorporating workouts in different planes, levels of intensity, duration and focus. If you move the body in the same way all the time, you will stagnate and fail to work neighboring muscle groups that are needed for long-term function.

 

I do not care who you are or what your age is, just find more ways to incorporate strength training. As we age, we lose muscle mass, decreasing approximately three to eight percent per decade after age thirty and even higher after age sixty. At some point, you will not care if you looked good in a bikini at twenty, but you will care that you are able to run around with your grandkids and get up off the floor easily in your later years.