MOVE YOUR BODY
Originally I was going to write this blog about exercise recommendations. However as I began to jot down notes and ideas to prepare for the blog I reflected on my own exercise choices and how exercise has evolved for me from childhood, teenage years, through my 20’s, having babies in my 30’s and to my present choices as I get closer to 40. Instead, I have decided to write about the importance of movement.
Exercise, like diet, goes through its fads and we have to be careful not to get swept up in an exercise dogma. There are no rules when it comes to your choice on how you would like to move your body. Movement is creative, playful and opens up the doors to health and exercise.
I love variety. As you’ll see from my social media reel related to this blog post I use numerous forms of movement choices for exercise. I like to set an intention or a goal and keep it interesting. Usually the goal is related to a skill that I would like to work on. For example if I want to work on my handstands, I will need to work on the skill itself but I know that I need to practice drills that will improve my strength and endurance in the parts of my body used for the handstand. The same applies for a tennis serve. I have a goal this summer to get over my fear of roller skating so that I can enjoy that activity with my children.
Keep it simple. Dance on your own with curtains closed and music blasting to your favourite songs for 15 minutes. Depending on the music choice and how you dance that could be the equivalent of 15 minutes of cardio. If you sweat and are slightly out of breath its cardio.
If exercise becomes a chore and something we feel that we have to do it will be harder for most of us to be consistent. For example, after my second daughter, I used the busyness of life as an excuse to drop my running routine. I know that running is good for me and I feel fitter, healthier and have more energy when I run regularly. So last year to get back into a consistent pattern I used my love of music to train myself. I ran for a song and rested for a song and repeated this over and over for weeks. Eventually I was running for two songs, then three. Pair what you don’t enjoy about exercise with something that you do enjoy. I love running again now and look forward to it. We can change our mindset. It just needs a helping hand at times.
It is the lack of movement in our modern world that is causing health problems. Sedentary behaviour is any behaviour where we spend most of our day seated or reclined. If we sit in a car, or on public transport on our way to and from work, sit at a desk for the majority of our working day and then return home to sit on the couch we are living a sedentary lifestyle. It is a great help to our health to go to the gym, join an exercise class, walk or run before or after work. The research also shows that in addition to this it is important to put more movement in throughout the day. Limit long periods of time seated or reclined. Perhaps walk for part of the commute. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Creativity is needed for the individual here and it can’t be the same for everyone as all our lifestyles and circumstances vary. It is up to us to be the driving force to make healthy choices and changes in our own lives.
Resources and references:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/16d3c-keeping-active/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/why-sitting-too-much-is-bad-for-us/
https://www.humanpatterns.net/blog/2018/6/22/what-is-movement-practice — This is a wonderful read!!
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
