Five Reminders for Daily Health & Wellness

Is it just me or does exercise sometimes feel like a chore for you as well? On days that I don’t wake up and get moving first thing in the morning, I procrastinate all day. Going out for a run gets delayed or by the time I drag myself to the gym, it’s totally packed and I use that as an excuse to skip. Regardless of the excuses, the biggest benefit of moving our body (on a mat, bench, treadmill, or outdoor trail) is how we feel after we are done! A good exercise session brings clarity, centeredness, calmness, and boosted energy for the rest of the day.?

If you think you need to start a regimented daily routine, shift your mindset. Just moving is what matters and, if you can be consistent, that’s what will benefit you in the long run. It doesn’t have to be hard. Gentle yoga, a leisurely stroll, or even walk around the house or the yard pays off. A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine measured a group that walked at a low intensity for 11 minutes per day, benefiting by a considerable reduction in cardiovascular disease factors. Another study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that simply standing up every 20 minutes from your desk helps improve metabolic health and regulates glucose levels.?

Here are five health and wellness reminders to incorporate into your daily life:?

1. FUEL I began my professional life as a health educator for a forward-thinking hospital wellness program . One of the most important messages we gave clients was, “your body is your most highly-prized engine.” Our engines take us through the entire journey of our lives. To do that well, they need to run on the very best fuel. Try adding nutrient-dense foods to your grocery cart like kale, salmon, almonds, blueberries, lentils and other healthy items. Make an effort to eat only when you’re hungry — not because you’re around food and snacking out of habit. This is a mindful practice that takes discipline. If you work in an office where snacks and candy are always available, make an effort to avoid them. If you buy tempting foods that call out your name at the end of the day, you won’t be able to avoid them. Trust me, if we buy Salt and Vinegar chips, I must finish them immediately! Instead, keep more healthy fuel nearby and you’re more likely to consume it.?

2. MOVE I mentioned some types of movement above and the benefits of moving throughout the day. But how do you find the time? Here are some tips:?

-- Get it done first thing in the morning?

-- Schedule a recurring calendar appointment — don’t put it off until later?

-- Walk to the store, walk to dinner, walk to the coffee shop. If you live too far to walk, then drive, park a certain distance away and walk?

-- Join a group activity that involves movement like pickleball, a cycling class, a dance class or go out on a hike by yourself and enjoy the solitude?

-- Go for short but intense bouts of movement?

-- Here’s a brief video with my most valuable piece of fitness equipment and ways to use it (you probably already own it)?

3. INTENSIFY You don't always need 30-45 minutes for a fitness workout; think in swift sessions. Short (and regular) bursts of exercise intensity count even more. Try walking up and down a flight of stairs of 2-3 minutes, do 10 squats, 10 wall pushups and 10 lunges for 2 minutes at a time. Or, 10 low-impact jumping jacks and high knee repetitions is another example of “exercise bites” that can keep your heart pumping and your blood flowing. If you have time for longer sessions, schedule more intense workouts a couple of times per week where you literally break a sweat and need to shower. When you reach that point, you know you’ve revved up your engine enough.?

4. BE STILL All this talk about movement, fuel and exercise would not help us find our equilibrium if we didn’t also include some intervals of stillness in our day. Anything from starting or ending the day with a few minutes of meditation; closing your door and practicing a few rounds of box breathing (one of Arianna Huffington’s go-to stress relievers ); finding a quiet place and using noise cancelling headphones to add to the audio stillness. When our kids were young, I remember sitting in my car in the driveway honoring the transition from the office setting to the home. Now with more work happening from home, we may need a “getaway space” in a separate room of our house where you can find stillness and quiet. If you have the luxury of that, here is the one yoga pose I recommend even if you only have 5 minutes.?

5. FUEL YOUR BRAIN Cognitive function is another added value of an active lifestyle. When you step away from your desk or start your day with short bouts of exercise, you gain higher brain performance and overall cognitive function. A study measuring this and published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism had subjects climbing stairs and then completing cognitive tasks measuring brain function and memory. Beyond the physical benefit, 1-2 minute intervals of stair climbing helped study participants react faster and accomplish tasks with higher accuracy.?

Considering these five health and wellness reminders, May is Global Employee Health & Fitness Month. Check out this website for fun ideas, tips and virtual seminars on a variety of wellness topics. To commemorate the occasion, my LinkedIn Live for May will be a 35-minute workout. Join us on Friday, May 19th at 1:00pm (EST) for a Live like no other — no Q&A or conversation, we’ll be up and moving in the name of health and wellness! Sign up here. You can be on any type of fitness equipment in your home studio or at the gym. You can also wear headphones and walk, jog or run outside. As you may know, I co-own a fitness studio (Ethos Fitness ) and during Covid this type of remote workout helped keep our fitness community together. We did our classes virtually and people joined from home or logged in on their phone and took us outdoors. Dress for a workout, bring a towel, water bottle, and let’s walk, run, climb, spin or row these ideas into action my LinkedIn friends!?

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