We all know moving our body on a daily basis is important to maintaining our health. There are myriad studies to back this knowledge. So why do so few of us actually get around to keeping active, and fit? Why are obesity rates, and eating related disorders, continuing to climb, when we fully know how important daily exercise is?
Reasons we don't move our body effectively?
One of the key reasons many individuals don't exercise is they don’t actually know how much or what type of exercise to do. Hint: It's probably less than you think! You don’t actually have to go hard, an hour or more each day. That's right, if you balance your workouts between easy/moderate/hard throughout the week and slot them in early in the morning, you really only require 20-25 minutes each morning to maintain good health. Huh? You may want more activity than that, during the day, and I definitely encourage that, often.The key is getting some movement within the first hour of the day, before your breakfast (break-fast...there’s a reason for this term).
Another story I often hear is “I am too busy; where could I possibly fit exercise in to my already too full day.” This is somewhat counterintuitive. When we do carve out 20-25 minutes each morning for breathe body practice, it sets us up for a more productive day, with more clarity and energy. It also gets the happy hormones in gear! A half hour or less early morning each day is more beneficial than 2 hours in the gym 3 times per week! I’ll explain this a little more in depth in a future blog.
Then there is the classic “I hate to exercise; I don’t play any sports; I don’t like to sweat”; or “Exercise hasn’t helped me at all.” What if you knew that a good vigorous 25 minute walk every morning would do wonders for your body, or that 20 minutes on a mat, moving your body and breathing deeply will help you maintain your health well into the golden years? Would it be worth your good health into old age to learn what it takes to maintain that vessel you were blessed with? I would think so! Trust me, I’ve worked with seniors, and I’ve watched them suffer from lack of mobility, arthritis, autoimmune disorders,dementia and other age related challenges, yet aging doesn’t have to look like that. You can age gracefully, and vibrantly! Yes, you really can.
Why Exercise (breath body practice) in the morning, every day?
In the morning our bodies are stiff, our blood flow is slow, and oxygen is low when we first get up. Sluggish is not the ideal way to start the day! When we get up and get moving within the first hour, we open the breath channels, connect mind and body, we increase our vibrational field and build resiliency to handle what the day has in store, good, bad or otherwise. I know personally if I skip this morning ritual, anything can and may throw me off for the entire day. It can feel like a wasted day; lacking energy, clarity, resiliency...potential meltdowns. Who wants that? No thanks.
How to get started
Now that you’re convinced it’s a good way to start the day, I’ll share a few tips to ensure success with your morning breath body routine. The key here is that motivation and willpower only last a short time. What we need to succeed is a change in habits for lasting success; a change that becomes part of your lifestyle and lasts your lifetime! Here’s a few good starting tips:
Start small. If it hasn’t been your habit, start with a short routine. Getting out of bed a few minutes early to ensure the time to execute; only fitting in 5-10 minutes is a success, if you previously haven’t done anything in the morning.
Plan your morning the night before. If it’s a run, lay out your run clothes the night before. (someplace you’re likely to trip on them when getting out of bed).
Plan to do it before you grab the smartphone, turn on the news, message your friends, or any other distracting habits you currently engage in. Just do it. First thing.
Use the statement, Right after I……., I will ….. Ex. right after I wake, and go to the bathroom, I will go for my run. Eliminate the decision making process. If it’s already planned, you simply follow through, without even a thought about it, until you’re in the process.
Change it up each day. Some mornings it could be a walk or run, some yoga or stretch, some load bearing activity (weights or calisthenics)...you get the idea. Repetition creates muscle memory, and boredom. Your body likes variety. Try it.
You’ll thank yourself once done, and will notice how much more energy you have during the day, from this one small change. Many of my Blissful Habit change participants will attest to the difference it’s made in their lives, physically, mentally and emotionally. Join the group and benefit for your lifetime.