Fall into a Healthy Routine with Fun, Rhythm and New Experiences
Fall is a great time to reset and incorporate fitness in your routine because you are going to create good habits for the holiday season and upcoming winter months. Here are some simple ideas:
1. Take Advantage of the Weather.
Fall can be a treat for the senses: crisper air, clearer skies, plus tasty autumnal foods like roasted squash, pumpkin crêpes, spiced whiskey sours... While Beijing may not have a gorgeous fall foliage like New York's Central Park, these months are a great time to exercise outdoors and enjoy cooler temperatures. So why not give the tuk tuk a break and take a walk home? Visit the Temple of Heaven and spend an afternoon in the sweet aromas of the ancient cypress trees. Hike up a new section of the Great Wall, or take a quick stroll in the hutongs then go play in Beihai Park. Get up, look around! Take advantage of Autumn to incorporate outdoor activities that spice up your daily/weekly routine.
2. Play Some More.
George Bernard Shaw once said, "We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing." Exercise is not boring if you can play with it. If you have wanted to learn to tap dance or salsa or capoeira, just start with a class! If you're taking kids to soccer practice, why not jog around the field? Exercise does not require much effort if you try to have fun with it.
For many of us, Gyrotonic is a fun way to workout because it's just a game between your hands and feet! The huge variety of movements you can do on the machine ensures that every session is a new discovery. Regular practice fosters increased mobility, assists the body's regenerative capacity, opens energetic pathways, increase blood flow and oxygenation. It gives a renewed sense of vitality and well-being!
If you inject more play into your life and approach exercise as a game (not a chore), you'll start to clear your mind, which means you'll see things in different ways and have better ideas. Then you'll be better equipped with energy to enjoy and face life's challenges.
3. Remember the 30-day rule.
It takes about 4 weeks for the body to adapt to lifestyle changes. When you do start a fitness programme or new activity this fall, try to stick with it for at least a month. After a month, behaviour patterns will have adapted and it will be much easier to stick to your new routine.
4. Strive for the double-Cs: Commitment, and Consistency.
First, exercise takes commitment. We are all busy, that's just part of our lives. Come up with a better excuse. You have to start planning exercise just like you do everything else, like meetings, dinners, or getting groceries. Prioritise feeling good. Put exercise on the calendar, because later always turns into never. Second, exercise has to be consistent. Anything worth having takes work. I rather see someone put in 10 minutes every morning to attend to their physical health - than an hour a month. It's like brushing teeth. You cannot do the brushing once a month and expect your teeth to be clean. It just doesn't work. Commit to playing and being healthy and young, and exercise consistently and with intent.
5. Rejuvenate yourself.
Fall is the time to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. Reward yourself with a massage after a good workout. Read a new bestseller. Learn how to cook. Treat yourself not just with exercise but other activities that promote wellness, so you can feel good physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
6. Find your motivation and go after it.
People are motivated by different things. Discover what your individual goals are, whether it's strengthening, fixing your back, or shaping up to prepare for an event. But goals aren't enough to get you there. You have to be motivated by the day-to-day workouts. Find something challenging and new, it usually makes learning more interesting. Then work with someone whom you trust and who is encouraging, for positivity and accountability are important in achieving your health goals.
7. Experiment with simple ideas.
We spend an incredible amount of time with our phones, our laptops, iPads, tablets, which is isolating in terms of body functionality and causes stagnation. So turn these frequent tech interactions into a game! The possibilities are endless: See if you sit straighter than your colleague. Or, stretch out your back whenever you play Candy Crush. How about getting up for a lap around your apartment every time you check email? Shoulder roll whenever you reach for the phone? For my students: Do some arch and curls whenever your WeChat makes that funny message sound (I guarantee your next class will be a breakthrough!!). Our lifestyles have progressed dramatically with technology, but don't let technology take your health away.
Core Principles of Gyrotonic
By request, I discuss core principles below. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
- Narrowing of the Pelvis, which applies in all positions (sitting, standing, lying down), facilitates the creation of space between each vertebrae. Through opposition, where parts of the body simultaneously reach in opposite directions, the body’s energy spreads upward to elevate the spine, while the legs and feet connect to the ground, spreading energy downward. These motions create space in the pelvic area. Consistent training helps build up the deep inner muscles that support the spine’s movements and the disks. Read more..
- The Fifth Line, a way to integrate the body's own internal energetic support into exercise. Think of four lines on the leg being the anterior, posterior, medial and lateral, and the Fifth Line would be the centre. It's a continual flow of energy, awakening stagnant spots within. Read more..
- The Seed Centre, or the innermost core below the naval, is that place of germination where the life force begins. It's where the body's energy is activated, where one's strength and vitality originate, releasing blocked or dormant energy. We find the seed centre through pumping breaths, which we incorporate in every Gyrotonic session. Read more...
Contact and Classes To see how Gyrotonic can be customized to fit your unique goals, please email info@bodychromatics.com to schedule a private consultation or visit here.
Not to miss! November 20, 19:45-21:00
Please email us if you would like to be reminded or sign up at
Participation: 150 rmb | person. Cash payment only.
Special Perk: Those who attend the workshop are entitled to a FREE private class with Jireh, including consultation and a session on the Gyrotonic machine (original price RMB 600/session).
Miss Jireh Li is a Certified GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Instructor and taught extensively in New York before moving her practice to Beijing. She has completed all Core Certifications with the GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® International Headquarters. She trained extensively with internationally renowned Authorized Masters Sebastian Plettenberg (GYROTONIC® Manhattan) and Erika Hassan in New York, Miami and Tokyo, as well as completed trainings in Hong Kong and Jakarta. GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® are registered trademarks of Gyrotonic Sales Corp and are used with their permission.
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Maika Endo