Movement
Does the word “exercise” invoke an immediate stress response in your body? Sweaty palms, knots in your stomach, shallow breathing? Well, exercise is just a fancy word for MOVEMENT!
Moving your body regularly to work up a little sweat and heavy breathing is a main pillar of improving your health. But if you are just starting out, don’t let the thought of intense workouts be intimidating or prevent you from taking the first step!
Our lymphatic system (which produces immune cells and gets rid of toxins) activates through our movement. Unlike our cardiovascular system, which is moved by our heart pumping, our lymphatic system needs our muscle contractions to get itself moving and cleanse our bodies! Some easy ways to get your lymphatic system going and boost your immunity are stretching, brisk walking, and good old fashioned jumping jacks!
Movement also helps to relieve stress and keep our cortisol levels in check. Too much cortisol can cause weight gain - especially around your stomach area. So, finding ways to destress and move your body will also help you reach your wellness goals more quickly, if you are trying to lose weight.
Here are our tips for getting your body moving, no matter your experience level:
Set a small goal - then make it smaller! Take small steps towards consistent movement. Rather than trying to commit to an hour workout 5 days per week and potentially letting yourself down, set a goal that you know you can reach. Keeping promises to yourself is so important!
As your body adjusts, you can set new goals as well as try new movements and ideas such as meeting up with friends for fun movement hours (how about walk and talk instead of meeting over coffee or sweets?). Your improved wellness will help excite you to keep going and your new habits will create lifelong healthy habits very quickly!
Check in with yourself! Ask your body, “What type of movement do you want to do today?” The movement should be pleasurable and all movement counts - even if it is just a few minutes at a time! While you may not have motivation to move every day, having the discipline to do so will get you much farther. So, keep the promise to yourself to move by finding something that works for you each day, no matter your motivation level.
Brainstorm options! You are allowed to have fun with movement! Write a list of things you enjoy, activities you used to enjoy and want to do again, ideas for rainy day movement, ideas for when you are in a time crunch, and ideas to be used when you have an afternoon to really do something different! Place the list where you will see it each day, check in, and choose a daily movement. Then go for it!
Some fun ideas to get you started: Bicycling, rollerblading, jumping rope, hula-hooping, dancing, tennis, frisbee, playing tag with your children, hopscotch… the options are endless!