I Like the Way You Move…

That is actually the name of a song that I have on my phone, “The Way You Move” by OutKast – specifically on a playlist I titled “Get Moving” — a collection of music that gets me motivated and into motion. In today’s world, living a healthy lifestyle has become imperative, as most of us lead very sedentary lives. Always in front of a computer and our resting time is sitting in front of a TV, this is the reason why I decided to write this blog, to bring consciousness to the importance of “Get Moving”.

The more you get moving, the more calories you burn.  The more regularly you exercise, the more it revs up your metabolism, helping your body burn calories even faster. And even more so, your brain works better as your body produces chemical substances that help with the overall balance of your mental health.

Debunking the Gym Myth

So maybe you are not ready to devote 45 minutes to an hour every day on a fixed cardio routine.  Yet, we are going to explore some great alternatives. We are under the impression that exercising means going to a gym or having some kind of equipment to perform it; however, let’s change our minds and take every movement that we do during the day as an opportunity to “exercise,” and if we can make it fun, even better!

This is really interesting:  In 2010, a study came out warning that even really disciplined people-the ones who get an hour of exercise most days, but are sedentary most of the other hours-may be putting themselves at risk. (Read more here:  http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/)

It is healthier for us to exercise at intervals throughout the day; Getting up from a sitting or reclining position every couple of hours and finding ways to move, increase the heart rate, and send blood pumping to the extremities may be the ideal way to jumpstart your magnificent metabolism.

Make it Fun!

I saw this in an online article and thought I would share here because I love the idea of a family pillow fight: “Slip exercise into everyday life, and make it fun. Head outside and go ice skating with friends or shape a snowman with your kids. You can even stage a pillow fight in your living room. That burns 82 calories in 20 minutes, plus you’ll laugh the entire time!”
–Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Speedy Sneaky Chef.

Here are some fun ideas to get moving:

1. Create playlists of music that motivates you to get moving and play them every so often during the day.
2. It’s fun to dance with the family. Sometimes I enjoy just grooving to the music alone with no one to watch but the dogs.  In fact, they absolutely love to dance with me and need the exercise, too!  When they see me put on my socks and get the music going, they know it’s dancing time, and they get very excited.
3. If you have stairs in your home, always double up: If you need to get something from upstairs, go up and down an extra time to burn some more calories.
4. When getting up from a chair, do a set of 5-10 squats.
5. If you need something from another room or part of the house, dance, hop, or shuffle your way there (sometimes I put on socks and slide around on the wood floors).
6. Get a large exercise ball and bounce on it in front of the TV. I also love them for doing abdominals as well as sometimes using them instead of a desk chair.
7. Consider ordering a mini-trampoline or rebounder and do intervals of jumping or jumping jacks. Not only does this boost your metabolism, but it also clears your lymph nodes and lubricates your joints.
8. Do a little research on isometric movements. You can do push-ups against the countertops in bathrooms and kitchens that are less strenuous on the muscles.  I do chest tightening exercises often while watching a favorite program with my husband.
9. Now I leave my laptop on top of a high dresser so that several times throughout the day, when I check emails or have to write short responses, I am standing up while working.

All in all, we have many tools to make exercising fun and trick our body and brain to do it more often. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t need to be boring; with a bit of creativity and the willingness to have fun, we can create a different and more fulfilling way of living. This is part of a holistic approach to becoming our better selves, to leave behind boredom and reconnect with our true essence.

The Natural Wellness Academy offers different programs targeted to improve our lives and the ones we come in contact with. Visit our website and find the course that best fits your desires.  Every specialty niche certification is developed around the concept of holism – and centered around a mind, body, spirit approach.   Each certification program will also take you on a transformational journey while preparing for an exciting new career with confidence! Visit our All Courses page to learn more.