Find Out How to Feel Strong, Alive, Energized and Ready for Anything
This is the third blog in my "Soul Food" series which highlights ways to nourish ourselves other than with food we eat. Can we use exercise as comfort, nourishment and medicine?
Humans are born to move. It is written in our DNA. The health of our bodies fundamentally changes based on how much we move or sit still. In our modern life we move less and our health suffers.
In America, we spend twice as much on health care as any other country per capita and we are ranked 28th in life expectancy compared to other countries per capita. Sadly, America has become one of the most sedentary cultures.
Without some activity every day your nervous system literally starts shutting down big muscle groups for lack of use. That kind of imbalance can lead to a lack of energy, soreness, stiffness, injury, and illness that gets worse with age.
We need to move 30 minutes every day. When you move, your whole system lights up, so why not do something that makes us look and feel so much better? You'll feel strong, alive, energized, and ready to take on anything. Your confidence is boosted and your outlook is so much more positive.
It’s easy to break the promises we make to ourselves to get some exercise. Over time, broken promises can easily become normalized, but just 10-20 minutes of movement is better than nothing, so no excuses.
Benefits of 30 minutes of daily exercise
Boosts energy
Lowers stress
Improves sleep
Elevates mood, depression
Disease prevention
Controls weight
Fun way to feel and look better
Combats health conditions
Improves sex life
Increase your feeling of power
Functional exercise is finding ways to burn calories and integrate movement into every day life.
Walk a dog
Take the stairs
Walk or bike to work and errands
Get a standing desk
Clean your own house
Mow the lawn
Garden
Walk with friends instead of sitting/eating with friends
Walk while you talk on the phone
According to Dr. Jordan Metzl, MD, a nationally recognized sports medicine physician at NYC’s Hospital for Special Surgery, It’s imperative to add in a minimum of 150 minutes of movement per week. 30 minutes, 5 days per week. He explains that there are three components of exercise, flexibility, strength and cardio. Interval training is considered the most efficient way to get results from a cardio workout. 10 minutes of warm up, 20 minutes of moderate exercise (walk, jog) and 10 minutes of real huffing and puffing exertion. Yoga, squats, lunges, pushups, and planks are great for improving flexibility, balance and strength. (push ups are my least favorite thing)
Exercise is very individual just like diet. Do what you authentically love or you won’t do it. I love functional exercise so I integrate as much walking into my every day life as possible. I walk long distances daily to all my regular errands, the dry cleaner, shoe repair, health food grocery and the farmers market etc. I also love yoga, jogging and hiking to mix it up. I do not belong to a gym and you don't have to either. What do you love to do? Dance, ski, roller blade, jog,, pilates, there are so many ways to move!
Just move and live your healthiest life, Xx Nicolle Kate
