Finding Time to Fit Exercise Into Your Life (Joyfully!) 😅

Movement is our privilege, but sometimes it can feel like a chore. However, it's not something that can be ignored as we need it to keep our heart💓, muscles💪, bones🩻, and brain🧠, healthy.

To watch or listen to the entire podcast, go here: https://bywdreams.mailerpage.com/112

As a working mom, I don't have as much time as I used to for leisurely, 90-minute classes or three hours of squash, followed by weights, followed by leisurely swims in a pool (I can't believe that was my life!) Now I'm all about "sneaking" movement in because USE IT OR LOSE IT!

In episode #112 of the Harness the Power of Planning podcast, I gave five tips for making movement a joyful habit. The cliff notes:

Tip #1: Do what you love! Don't follow the latest exercise craze if you hate it. That's a recipe for resentment. Instead, find ways to move that you enjoy. For me this includes tennis, soccer, hiking. I like things that allow me to be outside and socialize. Focus on making your movement enjoyable and you'll what to do it more often.

Tip #2: Come up with a realistic schedule for your exercise. Saying, "I'm going to exercise every single day starting NOW!" has been proven not to work by everyone who ever made that New Year's resolution. When my father passed away, I didn't exercise for six months. When I started again I told myself, "I'm going to go on one hike a week." That's SO doable. Find something that is so easy to fit into your schedule, it's almost laughable, and then do that. And once that's easy, do a little more. Rinse and repeat.

Tip #3: Start snacking...exercise snacking! Exercise snacking are short bursts of exercise (SUPER SHORT, like running in place for 30 seconds) that you do throughout the day. A study published in 2024 showed that ten squats performed every 45 minutes did more to control blood sugar than a 30-minute walk. Now that's a delicious exercise snack! I give my dog a 30-minute walk once a day and whenever she stops to sniff, I do the slowest squat I can possibly do, and it's AMAZING how quickly you feel the burn. Other ways to exercise snack: take the stairs and park your car far away.

Tip #4: Exercise with friends! Once or twice a week I hike with friends. Tennis and soccer are also social activities. If you prefer pilates or weight training, find someone to do it with. Not only is it more fun, but it becomes a form of accountability.

Tip #5: Remember to think about all the ways you need to keep your body healthy: heart, muscle, brain, fascia. Try to find enjoyable ways to work all of them either simultaneously or separately!

To watch or listen to the entire podcast, go here: https://bywdreams.mailerpage.com/112