How often do you allow yourself to be creative? Flexing those creative muscles may seem like a luxury, but I invite you to think of it more as a necessity. In fact, many studies have shown that creative expression is linked with lower rates of depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. Some have even found a link between creativity and increased immune function!
These findings have often lead me to wonder, if creativity is so good for us, could being creative with a wellness routine double its benefits? I imagine it doesn’t hurt to try. If your fitness routine, nutrition, or mindfulness practice is feeling a little dry the following might encourage you to spice things up:
-Experiment with your strength training: One of my favorite things to do when strength training is to combine different modalities. This often means infusing weight lifting with a bit of yoga and a touch of dance. Think about how you like to move outside of the gym. Do you play a sport or enjoy going for long walks? Adding some footwork drills into a circuit or walking to and from your gym workout may be just the thing to keep you coming back for more.
-Play with your food: Personally, I have a thing for superfoods. I like seeing how much nutrition I can pack into a recipe without downgrading on deliciousness. While this might not be what turns you on, my point here is to think about good nutrition as a process of addition rather than subtracting. Is there a healthy food you have not yet tried but are curious about? Pick it up and throw it in a salad. Have you heard the buzz around spices like turmeric but are not sure if it’s for you? Pick up a bit to add to a stew or make a latte.
-Mix up your meditation: My favorite way to meditate is in “legs up the wall pose” but the other day a bit of congestion urged me upright. Although I was irritated at my nasal passages for making me switch, it was actually quite pleasant once I embraced the change. It’s easy to get attached to meditating in a certain position or place but changing it up can be empowering. Subscribe to a seated practice? Try a walking meditation. Never meditate outside of yoga class? Give a home practice a go with one of the many apps available.
For more mind expanding ideas head over to the Joyful Gym Rat page on Facebook or follow on Twitter!
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T, flexing his creative muscles
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