Get Moving!

July 24, 2009

Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Does the word “moving” conjure images of sweat, grunts, and aching muscles? Have you enjoyed a Zumba class on a Friday after work, only to rise Saturday morning with a stiff back? Or joined a gym with the best intention of managing your weight, gaining energy, and becoming fit, to find that after a valiant initial 6 week effort you have become quite skilled at finding more and more excuses that prevent your maintaining a workout schedule?

Moving does not have to be an Olympic effort. Movement should not be “hard”, unpleasant, or expensive. What moving should be is fun, varied, stimulating, and within your comfort zone.

What’s important is to GET MOVING! You’ve heard this before: park your car on the opposite end of the lot so that you walk a good distance into the store or movie theater; take the stairs instead of the elevator; push the grocery cart out to your car instead of allowing the nice young man to do it; find every and any excuse to move throughout the day. Take three minutes each hour to push your chair away from your desk to stretch your shoulders and neck; stand on your toes then rock onto your heels; do some wall pushups, squats, or bicep curls. Get creative! For every three minutes of activity at your desk, you will enjoy a burst of energy and productivity.

A routine physical activity program (notice my avoidance of the E word) is an individualized approached to health and fitness that takes several factors into account:

Do you have any physical limitations to consider, i.e. knee or back injuries, diabetes, coronary disease, or high blood pressure for example?
What are your personal preferences? Indoor or outside activity, in a group or by yourself, little to no cost or pay a membership, use of equipment or not, to name a few considerations.
When will be the most convenient time of day to set aside for activity? Early in the morning before the dog needs a walk, lunch gets made, clothes are ironed; or mid-day when you can create a natural break in your routine; or before dinner, before cooking, reading mail, and watching TV?

If you have a routine physical activity program already established—congratulations! If you do not, stay tuned for upcoming articles in which I will write more about exercise safety and considerations.

About
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Robin Mallery

Robin Mallery is passionate about food! Starting from where and how it's grown, to how far that food travels to the dinner table, to how it is prepared and savored...Robin blends shopping, cooking, and eating tips with her unique Kitchen Zen and mindful meals approach to enjoying real food.

While you are waiting for her to finish the upcoming book, "Kitchen Zen: The Journey to Nourish Body and Soul in Our Changing World", you can find Robin's sporadic blog posts here or on FaceBook.