Halicia Loren has been a fitness instructor for years, at one point teaching a mix of Pilates, barre, HIIT, and kickboxing a dozen times a week. But the COVID-19 pandemic instantly changed her schedule — and her relationship with wellness. "Once 2020 hit, instead of it being a job, I had to learn how to be active and realise this is actually mental health," Loren said. "I wasn't working out to reach a goal. I was working out because if I didn't, I would be depressed and in a bad mood."
As opposed to seeing exercise as a chore or a necessary evil to get "summer ready," Loren used her time in quarantine to connect movement to deeper aspects of her life. "It's changed from trying to be cute in a bathing suit to like, 'Let's have our mind, body, and soul connected,' and realising it's a part of who I am and not just something that I do," Loren told POPSUGAR. Something she realises doesn't connect to her mind and soul? Cardio — and that's totally OK.
Not everyone will find the same enjoyment in every type of exercise, and one's opinion on movement could change from day to day. So, some days Loren will go hard at kickboxing, then the next she'll want to counterbalance that intensity with the controlled calm of barre. "If you just stay consistent, make it part of your lifestyle, then you can enjoy it," she said.