Made to Move
Today we’re jumping into one of the things you need to block out time for daily; taking care of your body. Our bodies were made to move, bend, flex, stretch and recover at all ages and all phases of life. We were made to move.
You don’t have to do crazy workouts. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym. You don’t have to make yourself so sore that you can’t move for days on end.
In fact the goal is opposite. The goal is to take care of yourself. The goal is to find a kind of movement you enjoy doing, can progress in, gives you the kind of results you’re looking for and maximizes your time.
The magic number for sustaining an elevated heart rate is actually only 20 - 30 minutes a day. You can do more but that’s the target to get the benefits. At or around the 20 minute mark your brain starts releasing good endorphins into your system. They are like a feel good drug that your body naturally produces which leaves you feeling energized, awake and alert. Many people note a feeling of motivation post workout as well.
Increasing your heart rate trains your body to move oxygen and blood to your muscles more efficiently, helps you burn more calories and lowers your cholesterol. Plus, doing something physically challenging increases your sense of accomplishment, pride and confidence.
We often hear and talk about advancing our skills in areas of career, relationships, keeping mentally sharp and having a place to share our feelings. We should be thinking about our fitness in the same way. Increasing the number of push-ups or squats, increasing weights, increasing duration of time spent walking, jogging, running, swimming, biking, hiking, rowing, etc…
Deciding to work on your fitness is not a ball and chain to a gym membership either. Absolutely go for it if you want to, however, there are lots of ways to workout at home through online programs, Youtube, dvd sets OR go outside. Walk the neighborhood, jog at a nearby park, hike in the great outdoors near you!
And as important as it is to be functionally strong, able to do daily movements without fatigue, like getting off the floor, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, our mobility and flexibility are also extraordinarily important.
Being flexible and having mobility in our joints allows us to catch our balance to stop from falling, recover more quickly if we sustain an injury, and bend without breaking so to speak. Working on your flexibility and mobility is as simple as stretching regularly after working out. Having days of active recovery where your focus is not on lifting heavy weights or running a great distance but yoga, pilates, barre, etc… are great choices to improve both mobility and flexibility.
As we age we are fighting against gravity. Gravity wants to pull us to the ground. The fight is harder as we get older because we tend to lose muscle mass, flexibility and endurance but we can work to change that through blocking out the time at any age to start caring for our body.
I know that adding another necessary task to your day may be overwhelming but here are a few ways to make the most of your workout time so you can get the benefits of exercise without taking up too much of your day. Here are a few ideas:
Use high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, which alternate short bursts of intense activity with periods of rest. HIIT workouts can be very effective and can be completed in as little as 20-30 minutes.
Fit in a quick workout during your lunch break or before or after work. Even a short 10-15 minute workout can help you improve your fitness and reduce stress.
Break up your workout into smaller chunks and fit them in throughout the day. For example, you could do a few push-ups and squats in the morning, go for a walk during your lunch break, and do some stretching in the evening.
Find a workout partner who can help keep you motivated and hold you accountable to your fitness goals.
Consider using a fitness tracker or phone app to monitor your progress and stay on track with your workouts.
Plan ahead and make sure you have all the equipment and gear you need to complete your workout. This can help reduce the time you spend setting up and getting ready to exercise.
Join me on the online platform Bodi for at home workouts of all varieties, stretching, meditation and nutrition plus accountability. You can find more info here on my website or message me.
At the end of the day our body is a precious gift. If we don’t invest in our health and fitness now with nutrition and exercise we will invest in it later with doctor’s bills. Start now. Start loving yourself and showing yourself love by doing what you were made to do - move. Feel your heart pump, have to catch your breath, feel the sweat drip. The burn stops when you do but the residual effects keep going. You will gain more from losing 30 minutes of sleep, tv watching, social media scrolling to workout than you can account for. Block out the time and get in a daily workout.
