I like to focus on movement because for many, exercise is such a loaded word and concept. Take a moment to define for yourself what exercise means to you. Many of us have a preconceived notion or personal rules set that in order for exercise or movement to count, there must be a minimum amount of time and maximum amount of output.
My goal for you is to worry less about exercise and begin to incorporate some form of movement in to your routine every day. From 5 minutes to 45 minutes, it all counts and is important. Being sedentary is as much of a health risk as smoking cigarettes.
When I sit with patients, and we are addressing fatigue, stress and possibly weight concerns, motivation for exercise is often lacking. The desire is often present, but the ability to find time or enough energy to exercise is missing.
If you make a commitment to yourself, to move every day, even if for only 5 minutes, you are doing something for YOU! 5 minutes can turn into 10 minutes and before you know it, you are finding more time to move and then your brain is functioning better too, experiencing the endorphins, the sweat, and the feel good parts of a job well done!
So how do I do it? I am motivated by my apple watch and getting my movement rings. Some of you may have a Fitbit or another type of watch or step counting device. If they work for you, then use them. My new favorite app is the Peloton app. The reason I like it is because there are so many options. Yoga, stretching, walking, running, biking, boot camp, core, meditation and more! The classes are from 5 minutes to 75 minutes. When I wake up in the morning, I determine how much time I have and am always able to get in some sort of a sweat filled workout (10-45 minutes) followed by a yoga cool down (10-30 minutes). I never thought I could do yoga everyday but with this app and guidance it is easy and fun. I love the music, choreography, and encouragement the coaches offer. It is very reasonable, free for the first month to try it out and then $12.99 a month ongoing.
Commit to yourself, release the limits you set, and create flexibility in your movement goals each day! You will feel so glad you did it!