Get Your Body in Rhythm
A few weeks ago, I lied to you. Well, kinda. I wrote a blog about how to track your habits and why it would be the very top, number one thing I recommended for anyone to do. And I stand by that to this day.
But I have one more habit to add. (Now I understand why my mom always told me she had 2 favorites.)
The other very top, number one habit I’d recommend for anyone is to get in the habit of moving your body every day! We all know this is important, and yet, we so often do not prioritize our physical activity. Every single coaching client I’ve ever had wanted to make personal goals about their physical fitness. Why? Because we instinctively know that our bodies’ health is important and affects every other area of our lives.
Now, there is a lot of body shaming posts right now about “Forget freshman 15, I’ve gained COVID-19” and getting ready for a beach body. I promise, that is not what this is going to be about. In my opinion, all of that is more harmful than it will ever be funny.
Continuing on…research after research shows that increasing your physical activity each day does wonders to every other aspect of your health. It decreases symptoms of mental illness, depression, anxiety. It has lasting effects on your heart, lungs, brain, helping prevent or lessen the effects of diseases like heart disease, dementia, obesity, diabetes, etc. (one of the thousands of scholarly articles out there. keep reading. ) Not only that, during physical activity, our body releases happy endorphins that help us maintain positive mindsets and energy throughout the day.
In my public health days, there was a commercial I loved. We watched it in my exercise science and mental diseases class. The slogan was “Sit on your ass for 23.5 hours a day.” The idea behind it (no pun intended) was: moving your body for just 30 minutes a day is all we are asking for! Of course we know the less stationary a lifestyle, the better it is for our health, but I still love the extreme nature of this campaign: just give us 30 minutes. Just 30 minutes has positive effects.
That’s 2% of your time each day.
It sounds so simple, and yet there is a reason that each of us struggle with maintaining physical routines. Actually, I can think of 3 obstacles we face when it comes to moving our bodies:
Time and space and sometimes, money. This is where the 23.5 hours campaign breaks down a bit. It takes time to plan an exercise routine, change clothes, drive to the park (or gym when it’s open), to work out, to shower & change after, to drive home. Often we claim we don’t have the time it takes, but I’d challenge you to find it somewhere in your day. And it takes a lot of room to work out—even if that’s simply clearing your living room for a video at home. Busy schedules and weather and space all affect how often we are able to move our bodies. When it is not a priority, this process can feel cumbersome. Which is why we really need to create a habit, dedicate a space and time in our days to prioritize it. We also need to have back up plans for weather or location changes.
Comparison/Feeling Inadequate. Let me say this clearly: how you move your body is dependent on your body’s needs! Often, if exercising does not come naturally to us, we can freeze with inexperience or try more than we can handle. That leaves us with sore muscles and a bruised ego. Comparing ourselves to others is never a healthy habit, especially because all of our bodies and abilities are different. You don’t need to do the cardio routine of someone you follow on insta. You don’t need the fancy leggings some actress is selling. Work out within your own means. Moving your body is still moving your body no matter how you do it. It’s a lot of trial and error at first as you learn what you can do. Gradually you’ll strengthen yourself and your routine.
We get out of the habit and lose motivation. We’ve discussed before how motivation comes from action. Anyone who’s signed up for a gym knows this is true. The first day we have to drag ourselves there, but afterwards the endorphins are pumping and we are more ready to go the next day. So we have to prioritize this time. One of my clients phrased it like this, “I treat it like any appointment I’d have with another person. If it’s on my calendar, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” However, when we do not account for obstacles or something breaks our habit, we immediately forget the motivation and benefits moving our body brings. That’s why we have to prioritize our exercise goals, too. Goals remind us where we are heading & give us something attainable to work towards so we can keep track of our progress.
The routines in which we get our body moving should always be a top priority for us! To put it frankly, other future goals do not matter if we are not healthy enough to complete them. But now, more than ever, getting outside and getting our blood pumping is crucial. Not only will it strengthen our immune systems, physical activity will strengthen our minds, ease our restlessness, and give us more time to contemplate and work through our anxieties.
So, what does moving your body look like for you at this time and space?
Some More Questions to Consider
What goals are you working towards when it comes to your physical health?
Is there anything you need to research to make sure you are safe before you get started?
Is there a professional you may need to seek guidance from to know what’s safe for you?
What are some options you’d like to explore?
What activities have you enjoyed in the past? Which ones have you disliked?
What was it about each of those categories? How can you incorporate the good and plan around what doesn’t suit you?
What would be a good time of day for you to do this?
Where can you exercise while continuing to social distance?
Technology is wonderful, how can you incorporate it to help track your routine or give you new fitness goals?
What mindsets do you have about your body and fitness? Are there any mindsets you need to exchange for healthier, more helpful ones?
Make a plan: when are you going to exercise this week? For what duration? What movement will you do? Is this an healthy plan for you and your body?
What obstacles may you face? What’s your plan for overcoming these obstacles?
Lastly, it’s important to ask yourself each time before you exercise: Why am I exercising today? What feels healthy today? What is my body telling me it needs today?
Keep cultivating!
