5 Simple Ways To Move More Every Day
When you commit to moving more every day, you aren’t just doing it for your physical health. Your mental health is also improved.
In today's society, we often find ourselves with over-scheduled lives. We run on empty physically, pushing ourselves to meet everyone’s expectations and demands.
As veterans and military families it’s something that is accepted as part of life, especially the life we have chosen. We keep up with the demands of military life, family life, and childrens’ schedules; often while planning our next PCS or career move. This leaves us feeling like we have no time to recharge and no time to get healthy.
As I sit here in the office waiting for my next client to arrive, I am reminded of a conversation with a high school friend who recently had a heart attack, and another previous coworker who had a health scare this week. Both of these people are fighting health battles and like so many of us put their heart health on the back burner because everything else seems more important.
How are we to take care of everything we have to do and keep everything running smoothly if we aren’t healthy? But where do we find the time in an overscheduled, time crunch of a life???
While I can’t give you more hours in your day; here are five ways to move more with the time that you do have.
Move more walking with a friend
If you are like me you want to have more time to spend with someone you care about. So grab your loved one, your neighbor, or the kids and take a short walk in the evening. Even a five or ten-minute walk can raise the heart rate, benefiting and strengthening the heart. You can catch up on the day’s events, or the latest gossip.
Move more while connecting with family
Don’t have family close by, call them while out on your walk and catch up. If evenings are too hectic or exhausting try mornings. Take a short five-minute walk with your morning coffee and sip while you walk. Use this time to set the tone for the day.
If you and your spouse have trouble finding time to connect during the week, bring them along. Tune in to each other during this time. While our physical hearts need to work and move to stay healthy, so does our emotional heart.
Move more and at the ball field
Now that summer sports are starting up in some places, parents with young ones will be waiting along side practice fields. Use this time to walk the track or practice field. Get some of the other parents to walk with you. You can use this time to get to know one another.
If you are at a new base, or duty station, this is a good time to chat with others about the positive aspects of where you are living now. If you are walking alone, or just want some quiet time, try listening to a blog or motivational speaker that you have been wanting to hear.
Move more with stretches
Yoga stretches are another great way to wake up in the morning or wind down in the evening. More importantly they are a great way to get in heart healthy movement during the day as stretching helps to improve circulation.
Cat/cow poses are great ways to start the morning. If time allows sun salutations are a wonderful workout that can be done almost anywhere and with anyone. Get the spouse or little ones involved also. Before beda child’s pose or seated forward bend will help stretch out tired muscles and aid in relaxing allowing you to rest easier.
Move more by making it a game
Along with walking and yoga, strength training is always a great way to stay heart healthy.
While at home try lunges, squats, pushups or crunches. These are also another great way to get the entire family involved. Start a family competition involving counting the number of exercises completed. These exercises can be done anywhere inside the house or outside.
Lunge the length of the hallway or driveway. Lunge while unloading the groceries or school bags and backpacks from the car and maybe the kiddos will help more.
Another great strength training tool is the plank. I know many of us avoid this exercise but it can be done anywhere, by nearly anyone. It doesn’t need a set time or even much time. Try incorporating 2-3 planks into your morning or evening routine. Make it a game with the little ones, see who can hold it longer. Not only will it help improve overall body health I’m sure it will create some added heart healthy laughter throughout the day.
It only takes a few minutes to make a big impact on your heart
All in all, we need to set aside a few minutes each day to take care of our hearts.
We can all find time in the margins of our days to move just a little bit more. Start now by committing to take a 5-minute movement break today. Then look for opportunities to connect with loved ones while moving more, and strengthen your emotional heart at the same time.
