I am totally dating myself here, but do you remember the song by the Brady Bunch “When its time to change you’ve got to rearrange”? Remember the episode? They had a big recording session scheduled, but Peter’s voice starts to change. It was so stressful. 😉 Were they going to be able to perform? Maybe they should cancel? In the end they decided to embrace change and made it work! (so inspiring!) (If you are too young to know what I am talking about or just want to reminisce, here is a clip from the show)
Lifestyle changes are more challenging when we don’t account for the fact that life is always changing. The weather, your schedule, the needs of loved ones, your body, are all in a constant state of flux. When we set a resolution to exercise regularly, we don’t always account for this fact. That new years motivation is so strong, we can forget that it is not just a statement, it is a way of approaching life’s changing nature. If we don’t, when that dynamic state of life hits, it can seem like that resolution needs to go on the back burner until things return to ‘normal’.
Certainly, there are times we need to prioritize and exercise does need to go on the back burner. This will happen more often when you think of exercise as a means to an end, rather than something you do to enjoy more of life. When you think of exercise as a way to feel more like yourself through the challenging times in life, you are more likely to keep it as a tool you can use to stay grounded and reduce stress rather than a task to put off.
The key is knowing how much is enough to maintain your strength, stamina, mobility, and your sanity when life starts to get a bit overwhelming.
For your body, this is enough to maintain:
- Strength training: one day a week and one set of your usual exercises.
- Cardio: three days a week for 10 minutes at a moderate intensity.
- Mobility: Stretching for even just a few minutes once a day.
For your mind, this level is also enough to churn up some great mood boosting, stress reducing chemicals in your brain.
Isn’t that convenient!
Bottom Line: The way to keep moving and be well is to stay flexible with what you do, so when life changes, you simply rearrange.
Keep Moving, Be Well,
Janet
Keep Moving Weekly 