The stress of the holidays can leave us exhausted. It’s way too easy to keep going, going, going . . . only to run out of steam. Keeping an evening and morning routine can help you stay calm, focused, and more yourself during busy times. Today, we’ll focus on the importance of moving your body every day.
Keep reading to learn
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benefits of moving your body every day
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Small actions you can sneak into your day
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Tips for when you have more than 2 minutes
Why we should move our bodies every day
Whenever you feel “bleh” do you ever think back to how much you’ve moved your body? When I do this, I realize that sure as poop I was not moving my body much. My body feels…stuck and tight. I am always amazed at how moving my body benefits not only my physical health but mental and emotional health.
There’s many reasons to move our bodies, here’s a few……
Gets blood flowing
Moving your body gets your heart pumping and blood flowing. Since blood carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body this is a great benefit.
Encourage the flow of lymph
The lymph system consists of channels and nodes throughout the body. Through it moves lymph fluid. This fluid contains infection-fighting white blood cells and removes unwanted toxins and bacteria. This system has no pump, like the circulatory system. Instead, it relies on your movement to circulate lymph fluid.
Enhance mood
Moving your body helps improve mood, and can even combat anxiety. It can’t prevent you from feeling stressed. But, it can help maintain a more positive mood and prevent stress from accumulating in your body.
Helps with digestion and elimination
Movement increases blood flow, which can stimulate intestinal circulation that encourages regularity. Studies have even found movement to influence the bacteria in your gut. Amazing!
We know the benefits of moving, but there are a lot of reasons why that can be difficult. You may have a busy career, a house to keep tidy, kids to raise, aging parents, or a sick spouse to care for. I get it, I really do. Let’s focus first on small actions we can take to incorporate more movement daily.
Don’t underestimate small actions. They can lead to big impacts.
Small actions you can squeeze into your day
Drink more water
This one makes me laugh a little, but it works! Not only will you hydrate your body but you’ll have to get up to pee, frequently. And boom, more movement.
Park further away
Your holiday shopping may be done, but any other time you’re out and about don’t look for the closest parking spot.
Get up during commercials
Nowadays we aren’t always watching something that actually has commercials. But if you are, make it a habit to get up and move around during commercials.
Declutter often
Decluttering your house can get you moving. If you’re anything like me, clutter in the house makes for a cluttered mind. As you declutter, you’ll not only move your body, but you’ll also tidy up your house and mind. Bonus!
Tips for when you have more than 5 minutes
Take a walk
Get outside for a walk. Fresh air is good for the mind and body. Have a dog? Take your dog for a walk. Don’t have a dog? Borrow one. Our dog would love for you to take her for a walk! I’m kidding. But seriously, getting outside is refreshing for the body and mind.
A short walk after dinner can help with digestion, especially if you ate a little too much and feel super full.
Practice yoga
Of course, I’ll bring up yoga as a great way to move your body. But for good reason! Yoga can help reduce anxiety and stress. It can even improve memory. You don’t have to set aside 60 minutes to benefit. A regular short practice can lead to big changes. But you do have to start. Start small. Below is a link to a short video of mine.
This practice warms the core and is great if you don’t have a lot of time.
Ask yourself what small changes you can make to move your body more each day. Remember, small actions can lead to big changes. Start small, you may be surprised at the momentum it starts.
Here’s to moving your body every single day as we move into the New Year!
Sources:
Guszkowska M. (2004). Effects of exercise on anxiety, depression and mood. Psychiatria Polska, 38(4), 611-620. https://europepmc.org/article/med/15518309
Childs, E., & de Wit, H. (2014). Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in physiology, 5, 161. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2014.00161
Monda, V., Villano, I., Messina, A., Valenzano, A., Esposito, T., Moscatelli, F., Viggiano, A., Cibelli, G., Chieffi, S., Monda, M., & Messina, G. (2017). Exercise Modifies the Gut Microbiota with Positive Health Effects. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2017, 3831972. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3831972
Li, A. W., & Goldsmith, C. A. (2012). The effects of yoga on anxiety and stress. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic, 17(1), 21–35. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22502620/
Gothe, N. P., Hayes, J. M., Temali, C., & Damoiseaux, J. S. (2018). Differences in Brain Structure and Function Among Yoga Practitioners and Controls. Frontiers in integrative neuroscience, 12, 26. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2018.00026
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