Denver Fitness Routines rooted in Community
- awakengst
- Jan 12, 2021
- 5 min read
We are Stronger:
We are on a Denver fitness journey, and we are connoisseurs of a highly-marketable culture that tries to fill us to the brim with a quick-fix. There is a pill for everything or an online video we can watch in the comfort of our homes that hypes us with language like ‘get the body you’ve always wanted’ or ‘become empowered to find your hidden success.’
But damn. Sometimes taking a pill, or doing a Denver workout solo makes us feel alone in our pursuits. Who will be around to keep us accountable if we decide NOT to do the 5-Minute Abs vid, we ask ourselves. We’ve been taught from a young age, to rise to the top – hell, the world out there is competitive, and we hear phrases like ‘it’s a dog eat dog world.’ But because we are looking at the world through what we are ‘doing’ or ‘not doing’ individually, we crave daily Denver routines and being a part of a larger movement or community to help us feel inspired.
Here are some examples of things we can do everyday to stay accountable and on track, along with reasons we are able to progress even further in our Denver fitness ventures if we have a supportive community around us. We are individuals, but we crave a sense of belonging, accomplishment, and human connection (mentally and physically).
Make your Routine a Ritual I’m not a huge ‘self-help’ fan, generally this seems a little too ‘new-agey’ for my liking. However, I recently discovered a Podcast by Tim Ferriss (NY Times Best-Selling author of ‘The 4-Hour Work Week’) on morning rituals. In the Podcast he talks about the need to create a morning routine so that regardless of what else happens in our day, we feel accomplished and satisfied.
I listened to the Podcast and modified to my Denver lifestyle and liking, printed it off, and taped it to my fridge. Each morning I follow my ritual list: I make my bed, brew coffee, meditating for 10 minutes, do 10 minutes of handstands, and journal. The entire ritual takes about half an hour, and easily fits into my life. I feel not only individually accomplished, but somehow more connected knowing that every human on the planet does a similar routine – whether intentional or not. The goal with this, is to make it a ritual – one that you make a priority every day.
If you live in Denver the morning is buzzing, especially at early morning classes at Awaken Gym. Many classes start as early as 6 a.m., just in time to get an hour workout in before you head to the office – sure to give you your daily dose of ‘feel good.’
Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe Just as there are seasons of weather, there are seasons for relationships. We may be close with the same friends we’ve had since high school, or we may have influxes of new people in and out of our lives. As we constantly evolve and grow, so do our circles. When training for the best bod of your life, or when making your health a priority, you’ll notice that you attract similar people into your life, naturally. The community at Awaken, Denver’s best gym, is a mirror of this philosophy. If it weren’t for the one-on-one attention from the coaches, or the people I met throughout my training, I wouldn’t feel nearly as motivated in my Denver fitness journey. Making plans to go to class with like-minded friends, or showing up and being greeted by students and coaches makes us feel like a part of something bigger: a family, a community, a tribe that helps us stay accountable to our goals. We can push each other harder, support each other in healthy eating habits, and create life-long friends. There have been many times where I’ve gone into class only to make plans with other students to go engage in healthy Denver activities like hikes, park walks, clean eating and excursions to well-deserved sushi dinners (just say no to pizza and beer), or chats at coffee shops (should we nix the milk in our cup of joe after that kick-ass workout?)
Community is so important to our lives as social beings. If you’re looking for a Denver community that offers a sense of well-being, inspiration and love for health, make classes at Awaken a part of your life’s routine. The vibe from this tribe is worth more than any membership fee, and the gains both physically and mentally, are top-notch.
Touch and Partner Work There is nothing quite as comforting and soothing as human touch. We all crave it – we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. In our everyday lives, physical touch can be loaded, and there aren’t many opportunities where we can comfortably touch the people around us. But we’ve all felt that genuine hug from a friend or co-worker, or that neck rub from a friend giving you a ride home that fills our cups. At Awaken Gym, there is a heavy emphasis on working with partners in warm-up stretching, spotting, and in cool-down massages. There is a comfort level with all of the students and coaches at Awaken that differs vastly from any other Denver fitness facility. And as you’ll quickly learn, it takes just as much training and work to become a great spotter for your partner in a handstand or side-lever as it does to actually work on the skill. It takes both partners to create a successful Denver workout, and to get better at each progression.
When we use each other to work out we are in more direct contact with how to become better: We can stretch deeper with pressure in a pancake stretch; we can understand the straddle-up handstand if our partner spots our hips with assertion and care; and we feel so much better after a tough workout when we give our partners a much needed massage as we stretch them. Physical touch, and working directly with each other makes the pleasure centers in our brains hungry for more – keeping us accountable to our Denver workouts, and success in our lives.
Affirmation, Encouragement, Cues We all know what it is like to hear a compliment, or be given validation for our goals and improvements. It feels like a fresh ray of sunshine when we are witnessed for the work we put into creating our best selves. Giving and receiving words of affirmation feels so good – on both ends. At Awaken I’ve made a lot of friends through taking various classes, and the bonds that have formed are deeper than just a Denver gym friend. We give each other encouragement, give each other compliments on the nice rear muscles we’re developing, the strong shoulders, the deep stretches, or the sexy legs. This is a big part about the community at Awaken – we are honest with each other. We cue each other to do the progressions in correct form, we help each other make adjustments, and we are there to give affirmation when we get it right. ‘Nice extension,’ ‘good depth,’ ‘beast-mode’ – these phrases make us want to get better, and work harder. When our brains hear both room for improvement and encouragement as well as being recognized when we do something that looks badass with great form, we are more likely to continue to strive for that world-class Denver performance we are looking for in our lives.
If you’re in Denver, there’s no excuse not to come in to Awaken. We’ll help you progress through the best exercises in Denver that will make you feel and look amazing.
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