How do you move your body on a daily basis? Do you have room to add more activity in your day?
Life can be a balancing act. When challenges arise, regular exercise can have a way of ending up on the bottom of the priority list. Having some ideas to add more movement in your day can make a world of difference. Here are 5 simple ideas and tricks to make moving easier.
Movement Tip #1: Multi-task
Most of us have a number of routines in place, even if we don’t think we do. Things like brushing our teeth, bathing, driving to work. They all just sort of happen and don’t require a lot of thought or planning. Why not multi-task where we can and add in a bit of movement to spice up our regular routines.
Some ideas: Do squats or standing lunges while you brush your teeth. Stretch your muscles while you have a shower or bath. Contract your abs and buttocks during you commute to work. Do calf raises while you wash the dishes. Enjoy a walk on your lunch break. You get the idea. These are just a few of the many possible ways you can get creative and move while you go about your day. You could skip to work or school if you really wanted to add some fun and freedom into the mix. Make it be whatever works for you and think outside of the box. Exercise doesn’t have to be reserved for the gym.
Movement Tip #2: Set a Reminder
I love setting reminders on my phone. I have one that comes up hourly to drink up and enjoy a glass of water. It might be fun to set a reminder to have a spontaneous dance party with yourself (no matter where you are), or to get up and jog on the spot, stretch your muscles, or hop on one foot.
Setting reminders is yours by design. You could create reminders using technology. You could also elicit the help of a friend who will hold you accountable and check in to remind you what you said was important.
The idea is to plan a bit ahead so you don’t have to think about it. All you need to do is be brave enough to follow through. You never know, you may start a movement through your movement!
Movement Tip #3: Visualization
Never underestimate the power of visualization. I love to visualize while I’m running or exercising. I imagine how good it feels to be in a strong, healthy body. Sometimes I think about an upcoming holiday or event. I picture myself there feeling awesome in my body and confident that I’m healthy and strong.
When you put your focus on what you want to feel like, it has a way of creating that feeling in the moment. This is such a better alternative than beating up on yourself for not looking or feeling a certain way. When you imagine how you want to feel, it has a way of opening up your mind to the idea that it’s possible and attainable. Visualization helps with accountability because you’re more apt to make choices that are in line with this end feeling you’ve connected with.
Some ideas for using visualization to move more: Before you drift off to sleep, imagine how good it will feel to lace up your shoes in the morning and get some exercise. Spend a few minutes each day visualizing so it becomes a habit. Imagine yourself feeling really great in your body while you are moving. Picture yourself doing something you love while feeling healthy and strong.
Have some fun with this practice and see what might be stirred up within you by visualizing how you most want to feel in your body.
Movement Tip #4: Get More Sleep
A good night’s sleep makes everything feel better. Adequate sleep gives us more energy and motivation. After a good night’s sleep, it’s so much easier to lace up your shoes and get moving. This is a simple fix that’s easy to apply. If you want to have more pep in your step, then you need to know when to say goodnight and stick to a regular routine of getting enough pillow time.
Some tips for getting enough sleep: Set an alarm for bedtime. So often, we are programmed to set an alarm to wake up. Why not set an alarm that signals it’s time for sleep. Remove distractions from the bedroom. Instead of using your smart phone as an alarm, invest in a good old fashion alarm clock. That way you won’t be tempted to stay up late scrolling on you’re phone. It’s the out of sight out of mind rule in action.
Sleep is the foundation for setting yourself up to feel good. Get back to basics and see how you feel after several nights of restful sleep. After recharging, you may be surprised by how natural it feels to get moving.
Movement Tip #5: Set an Intention
Setting an intention to do something, is often the first step to getting there. With clear intention comes direction. You can use intention-setting as a tool to add more movement in your day. It’s as simple as waking up in the morning and consciously setting an intention to move more. You may want to write down a few ideas in the morning for how you intend to move in your day. Or perhaps it may work best to say it aloud. Or create reminders to incorporate your intention into the plan for the day.
It all comes down to where you choose to focus your energy. When you’re focused on an intention of moving more throughout the day, you’re more likely to choose options that will result in doing that. Like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Having a business meeting combined with a walk. Getting up for more stretch breaks throughout the day. Getting up in the morning and starting the day off with exercise.
Create intentions that are personally meaningful. You’ll be more likely to stick to them. Give it a try and see what shifts when you set regular intentions to move in a way that feels right to you.
❤ Emily
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