Move Your Body
Truly one of the most difficulty things to do is being active or to put it better exercising; at least for me. In my part of the world, we drive everywhere by default; sit long hours at work; busy schedule and so on.
When 2022 started one of my goals was to get stronger and fit. To achieve this goal I needed to be more intentional about exercising consistently. Fast forward to March; I still was not being consistent to the point where I could say my stamina and strength had increased. Biking season seems too far away to wait around. You all know by now that biking is the one thing I do consistently when the weather is warm.
One of my friends at work encouraged me to join Orange theory, which I did but ended up canceling after 2months, I will share the story on the OT experience another day.
Now I was at a point where I was beginning to get stronger; (thanks to OT) but I really needed a sustainable lifestyle to help me reach my goals of becoming more fit.
Aside from the high cost of gym membership, finding the time to actually go is one of the barriers I have had over the year in my fitness journey. To help me conquer this I have incorporated some things into my daily life to help me increase my fitness.
The Apple Watch: One of the most useful thing in this small but powerful machine is the Activity app. This app has totally changed the way I think about my health. I know I’m late to the parade but …. The activity app tracks your activity and prompts you to do more like stand. I will not go into the details of the capacity of this app; there are many articles and video online to help with that. It does not have to be Apple Watch, any app or watch you can use to monitor your activity will do. Using the Apple Watch to set a goal of the number of steps I plan to take everyday holds me accountable to move. Currently my goal is 10K step which is approximately 5.2 miles.
Walking: Some days I use my tread mill; other days I walk in my neighborhood; when I’m not able to go out, I walk around my house; doing chores or nothing; but just walking. I have a treadmill but I like just walking around and meditating at the same time or simply listening to music.
A Sit/Stand Desk: I sit a lot at work; as I guess a lot of people do as well. I started standing using my sit/stand desk. I just don’t stand at interval, I move my legs and walk on the spot while at my desk. Even when not moving; standing burns more calories than sitting. It has been said that sitting is as bad as smoking.
Resistance Training: Although I currently can carry very small weights (25 to 30) at the moment, I started smaller. Resistance training helps to strengthens the muscles and also tones the body. There are many videos on YouTube that you can use.
Engaging my Hobby: I have not started biking this season but biking is my go to activity. Add your hobby to the mix helps to keep things from getting boring. if you do not have any hobby; consider biking; dancing; rock climbing; swimming ; hiking and running.
The Benefits of Exercise
Most people talk about weight-loss but beyond weight loss there are many benefits to becoming active.
I have an increase in my energy.
My body is becoming more flexible.
My strength is increasing.
I am not getting tired easily.
My mind is sharper.
Where are you in your fitness journey? You can start small today. According to CDC, 150 minutes of moderate exercise in a week is recommended; this translates to 30minutes a day for 5 days a week. You can dance, walk, do house chores all is that is required is that you MOVE.
Join me this month of May for a 30 days Movement Challenge.
Remember to Choose You by Choosing Health & Wellness.
