Exercise vs. Body Movement

Exercise. We all know we should. We all know it’s been proven to help prevent a myriad of dis-ease. We all know how we feel when we do it regularly. We feel guilty and defeated when we don’t do it. We feel guilty and overwhelmed when we think about making sure we get it in daily. Who has time? Or the energy? So many negative and limiting beliefs about the word or concept of ‘exercise’. What if we thought of exercise as body movement instead?

Body Movement

Body movement opens up a whole new set of possibilities. Movement implies positive change, joyful transformation, making forward progress. Like you, I am also busy. But I do find time to move my body. According to the American Council on Exercise, the “body was made to move.“  When we don’t move, our bodies let us know in several ways. For me, if I don’t do at least 30-45 minutes of moderate activity for 2 days in a row, I’m drained, don’t sleep well, don’t make good food choices, don’t concentrate well, struggle with creativity and new ideas. Not feeling well is not an option. I like to feel good, feel productive, so I choose to move my body. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed a plethora of different ways to move my body. I’ve done classes, the gym, equipment, strength training, videos, walking, trails, bike-riding, skating, skiing, housework, yard work, gardening, fence-building, home and building maintenance, animal care, alone, with others.  Some people need the comeraderie and accountability a gym or classes provide–and that’s OK.  Personally, my favorite forms are those that also serve another purpose, or may be called manual labor, such as cleaning, yard work, construction and taking care of the animals. My overall favorite is weed-eating. Living on an acreage, I get to do that several times every summer.

Saving Time while Moving More

Moving more doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. As you can see above, you can reap the benefits of cardio, strength and even some meditative movements in by cleaning, raking, picking up sticks, washing windows, etc. You don’t need expensive shoes, clothes, equipment or memberships. Yes, it all helps: taking the stairs, getting up to go to the bathroom every hour (and drink another glass of water!), getting up to stretch, or do some lunges or squats, bicep curls with a milk jug, you get the picture. The key is to do it more often. Even standing more than sitting helps. As a school nurse, I was flabbergasted by the number of people who drove 2 blocks between the high-school and elementary buildings. I timed it once with another staff member. We both left one office and arrived at another office at the same time. I walked, she drove. And this happened several times a day! Not only was this a missed opportunity to move more, there was an environmental and economic impact as well as the modeling we do for students. Loving the return of spring & warmer weather, I took advantage of the sunshine and did quite a few things outside this past weekend. I raked rocks off the lawn where the snow was piled, getting in some cardio and strength-building. I also walked a few pastures picking up larger branches as well as metal and stones the frost pushed up (living on a farm site built in the 1880s, you never know what you’ll find!) I was able to move and do something constructive at the same time. The movement was rhythmic and didn’t take a lot of thinking, making the experience soothing and meditative–a time to connect with God in his creation,.

Coming Soon!

In the next week or two, I’ll be launching the Pray. Eat. Move. 7 Day Challenge. In it you’ll find (among many other things to help you pray often, eat well and move more!) a different way to move your body every day. Are you struggling to incorporate ways to move your body on a consistent basis? Would you like an accountability partner to help you create and maintain healthy prayer, eating and movement habits that work for you? I have a few coaching spots open. Email me at julie@juliegrunklee.com to schedule a free 20 minute discovery call to see if coaching is right for you.

How do you like to move your body? Let me know in the comments!