You’re probably familiar with the concepts of introversion and extraversion; the topic has been widely discussed on the internet over the last few years. If you’re an introvert, you probably don’t like to spend all of your time around others.
You might prefer to either do things alone, one-on-one or in small groups. That might mean that going to the gym four or five times a week after work and being around all of those people feels like more of a chore than it does to your more extroverted friends.
Rest assured, there are plenty of ways to keep your body
in shape and get those endorphins pumping if you’re more of an introvert.
Following
are some of the best fitness ideas for introverts:
1.
Swimming
Swimming
is almost always a solitary sport. You’re only competing against yourself,
which is likely to appeal to the average introvert. Swimming requires the use
of more muscles than any other cardio exercise, helps to counter the
issues caused to your back by sitting for prolonged periods of time, and
correlates with a whole heap of life-extending health benefits.
It also
gives you time to think and have time for yourself while getting your workout –
what introvert wouldn’t love the idea of that? For a beginner’s fitness
program, try a warm-up followed by swimming 100m four times in freestyle
(with a break in between each length) and gradually increase the number of
lengths you swim each time you work out.
2.
CrossFit
Crossfit might, at first, feel completely out of the question for an introvert – it’s known for large, loud classes and a huge number of followers.
True, if you
choose to do Crossfit, it may not be a solitary workout, but Crossfit is known
for its sense of community: its devotees are generally welcoming to newcomers
and will be supportive of you, as Crossfit is not competitive.
While
you might enjoy working out alone, for the most part, it’s possible that you’ll
miss this kind of support, so why not join a Crossfit class once in a while?
If you
don’t feel like talking to dozens of people, you can focus on making a few
close friends in your class so you’ll have workout buddies for those times that
you don’t want to be alone. If you do truly want to go it alone, you can follow
the workouts from Crossfit’s website.
Crossfit’s
benefits speak for themselves: the fitness program will help you to increase
flexibility, build muscle, and improve your stamina by using your whole body in
your workouts.
3.
Creating your own fitness program in the comfort of your
own home
Perhaps the most obvious solution when looking for a workout for introverts is the idea of building a home gym and creating a personal fitness program.
Initial costs
may be steep, but solo workouts are great for introverts: you don’t have to
focus on what others are thinking about you, you can have quality time to
yourself, and you’re free to focus on whichever aspect of your fitness you
desire.
Variety will make sure you don’t tire of working out at home, and you’ll be able to construct your own workouts with ease if you have plenty of equipment.
It’s easy to see how getting started with exercise can be a challenge for introverts, who might find gyms overwhelming and the group nature of many workouts exhausting.
Trying the above fitness programs will help you to embrace your introversion
and create and maintain workouts you can feel comfortable doing.
