Time to Move – Practical Tips x 2
What you do to take care of your body and mind can change throughout your life. There are plenty of ways to bring activity into your daily life in your home and neighborhood. Whether you are a fitness fanatic or struggling to return to a more active way of living, read on to learn some ideas that might help you keep yourself moving and grooving throughout your life.
- Find something you enjoy. You’re more likely to do an activity you enjoy or find satisfaction in doing. This means you might have to try different and new things to find something that sticks. Who knows, you may discover a new hobby, a new place for hiking, make new friends, or end up getting addicted to pickleball.
- Bring the gym to you. Proximity matters. If you are really short on time, you might want to consider ways you can get consistent exercise in your own home. You can find good quality used exercise equipment on Facebook marketplace, or Craigslist. Ask a tech-savvy friend or relative to help you hunt, and then pedal or walk while you listen to music, read, watch your favorite TV show or streaming service. This leads us to the next point…
- Combine your “veg time” with your exercise time. By reading, listening to the radio or a podcast, or watching TV while you exercise, you may be able to get some downtime for your brain while passing the time as you torture your body. I learned this tip from a busy medical school resident: He plays a simple virtual reality game called Beat Saber which for him fulfills the need for de-stressing play-time while also filling the need of increasing his heart rate and flailing his limbs.
- Use technology to your advantage. At the start of the pandemic, I followed along with beginner yoga stretching routines, and my wife and I had fun doing dance fitness videos (for beginners) on Youtube. So much is available for free online, everything from chair aerobics to advanced high-intensity interval training.
- But don’t let technology limit you. Let the outdoors be your gym. Make a habit of walking every day, whether you’re walking while you eat your lunch or taking the kids or grandkids for a walk in the morning. If it’s cold, try bundling up and hustling to get your body warm. If you’re sitting on the couch, try to spell the alphabet with your arms and legs. Bonus points for writing in cursive!
- Habit Stacking. “Greg, these are all great ideas, but I’m just not motivated to do any of it.” We all go through times of low motivation, to varying degrees, at different points in our lives. One method to help put a new intention into practice is called “habit stacking.” The idea is that you try adding a new habit onto a habit you already have. For example, while you make coffee or tea in the morning, do some standing exercises at the kitchen counter. Or when you come home and change out of your work clothes or work shoes, immediately put on your exercise clothes or exercise shoes.
- Find a buddy. One patient told me he used to train with someone else in his garage, but his buddy moved away… and he stopped exercising. He still has the equipment, but no motivation to use it. Having a buddy to walk or exercise with can help with consistency and accountability, not to mention the positive emotional benefits of social connection. Try inviting someone on a walk or hike.
If you are worried about your balance or have an ache or a pain that is getting in the way of you starting an exercise program, a physical therapist at WWSPT would be happy to help you address your problem and begin exercising safely.
Dr. Greg Synnestvedt, PT, DPt,
WWS Physical Therapy and Vestibular Rehabilitation,
Doylestown, PA.,
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