The Power of Movement
Growing up, I moved naturally, all the time. Everything I did was outside. Whether I was playing outside with friends, walking around town, or hiking with family, I was naturally moving. I didn’t think of this as exercise, it was just a part of life.
Moving to America put a stop to that. Here, it’s a driving culture, not a walking culture. My movement became limited to walking between classes, grabbing food, or walking around the house.
I still didn’t realize the connection at this point, between how I felt and movement. Then, I played varsity soccer. I was the 12th person to show up to tryouts, which is how I made the team, but weekly practices forced me to move. And move I did. Nothing else changed in my life but I dropped weight fast and I felt better. My body felt better, and my brain felt better. It still wasn’t until later that I made the connection and yet even today, knowing this, I find it hard to choose movement in my day.
I have self-studied this topic for a while now. I know about how endorphins are released and how they help reduce stress and anxiety, even depression. We humans are built to move, we are not built for the sedentary lifestyles we have seemingly chosen as a society. And that’s not just related to work. Even outside of work, we largely choose the easiest way between point A and point B, and that usually involves the least amount of physical movement possible. I know that’s what I do.
It’s harder in America, I think, to fit in natural movement, when the car reigns supreme and most towns and cities make it impossible to safely get around without one. Contrast that with Scandinavia, where people hike and bike as part of daily life and a car is a means to an end, not the end all be all.
Beyond just feeling better, physical movement helps with memory and concentration. Even writing this today, I have more focus than over the past few days when I have tried starting this article. The difference? Today I exercised. I feel better and clearer. Is this the only reason I feel better today? Maybe not, but I know enough to know that exercise helped.
I don’t have any particular issues with sleep but after heavy physical movement, I always sleep better and deeper. If you have sleep issues, chances are, introducing physical movement into your routine could help you sleep better.
As with any physical changes, please ensure you consult your doctor to ensure that as you move from a sedentary to an active lifestyle, you do so within the confines of your physical abilities.
Our bodies are made to move. When we restrict ourselves from movement, we could end up dealing with the repercussions, such as lack of concentration, difficulty sleeping, and more anxiety in our day to day lives.
Before you look for shortcuts, try adding physical movement into your everyday routine for at least 3 months and see what happens. It doesn’t have to be a full-on workout every day. I workout 3 times per week. On the other days, park further away when you go to the store. Don’t put off doing yard work. Clean your house. There are so many ways to introduce more movement without having to do a long and complex workout.
For your workout days, if you choose to go that route, experiment with different types of workouts. Maybe you want to go to a gym. Maybe you want to have a personal trainer tell you what to do. Maybe you want to take a class. Or maybe you are like me, and you prefer working out at home.
For me, one of the things I do is walking. I will usually couple that with watching a current favorite TV show. This helps me focus on something else other than walking when things get hard. I also prefer walking inside because I don’t have a good area to walk outside and it’s simply too hot in the summer. Safety is always first on my mind too and walking inside takes that worry away for me.
Start slowly, build up time and intensity. Start with just 5 or 10 minutes, start at 1.5 mph, or whatever speed and time works for you. Do that for a few days and then increase either the time or the speed. Not both at the same time.
I also do weightlifting with light weights to build my strength on a different day or do a combat workout or a dance workout at home. On days where I don’t feel well, or when it’s the time of the month, I give myself grace. It’s ok to skip a day but do some movement. Maybe it’s just parking further away if you have errands to run, but maybe it’s just a slower workout or a shorter workout. Listen to your body.
I like more intensity so when I slow down, I will do something like yoga. I like the way it makes me feel and if I up my workout days, I will likely choose yoga as something to do regularly, but for now it works as a good substitute for me. Maybe you are the opposite, maybe yoga or pilates is your go to and then you might add running or biking as another layer of physical activity for yourself.
If you are just starting your journey with physical movement, start by setting small and realistic goals. Workout once per week. Tidy your house once a week. Build from there. You gain nothing by going all in, burning out, or worse yet, getting hurt and more discouraged.
Learn to find the joy in movement. Keep showing up for yourself. Easier said than done, I know. This is the part I struggle with the most, consistency. Momentum is easy until we crash and burn. Consistency seems like drudgery but it’s the cornerstone of everything.
I will choose to show up for myself. Will you show up for you?
