12 Easy Ways To Move More- The Benefits of Exercise

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Why You Should Move

My grandfather lived to be 101!

Do you want to know what I think helped contribute to his long life?

Being active. Every Day!

Now, I know what you’re saying, I don’t want to live into my 100s.

You know what, I get it, but if you want to enjoy the time you do have, then we have to get up and move that body!

This information, I know, sucks for some of us.

I personally love, any moment I can get, to be lazy.

With a toddler 2nd grader that’s far and few between. Which might contribute to that feeling :).

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Now, with that being said, I have gone through p90x3 cycles which have always helped me stay motivated, and now I’m focused on weight lifting but….

It’s still hard!

Staying motivated, actually doing it.

Just remember this – not only will your body thank you but so will your brain!

You know there’s plenty of research that shows just 10/15 minutes here and there does wonders.

If you want to enjoy life, then you have to get up and move your body!

How You Can Move More

So how do you do it?

Well, I know you’ve all heard these suggestions that don’t require you to get a gym membership.

• Just park a little farther
• Take the stairs
• Walk one more lap of the mall before you leave.

These aren’t bad ideas, although some of them are just not always feasible when you have little ones and/or if you’re in a hurry.

Here is what I’m talking about and it’s not about going crazy here (remember I’m not a doctor):

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Do some of those squats while you’re brushing your teeth. Or how about just running, jogging, or doing some high knees in place?

Are the kids playing on the floor? Then how about getting down there with them and doing some push-ups or leg lifts?

Letting the little ones get some fresh air in the backyard or the park.

Why not run around with them? Join in on their game of tag or chase.

And who cares if you look or feel silly! Your kids will love you for it and you’ll be moving!

Play with your kids! They’ll love it and so will you!

And I know, it’s not always easy to motivate yourself to get moving but I know that when I do I feel so, so much better.

So, here’s my challenge for you:

At some point, every day, move.

Take a walk around (inside or outside) your house.

Walk around the block/neighborhood.

Waiting for the oven/microwave to ding? Do a few lunges.

Put on some music and dance around the house.

Making the bed? Do one push-up or skip to the other side.

Do a few squats, lunges, push-ups, or crunches.

There are always little moments throughout your day to be able to add in an extra move or two here and there.

Those little moves will start adding up and you might even find yourself doing more.

How crazy good would that be?

Remember, you’re doing your body, and brain, good when you get a move on 🙂

Now let’s look at why you should be taking all these little steps to move more throughout your day:

Benefits of Exercise

~Better:

• health
• blood circulation
• blood pressure

~More energy

~Lose weight

~Build muscle strength

~Build bone strength

Side note: Now, I have to put my two cents in here.

It’s not a bad thing to build strength!

Especially because it’s one of the ways to strengthen your bones, especially as you get older.

And how do you do that? With weight-bearing exercises!

What, you ask, are weight-bearing exercises?

It is any and all movement that works against gravity.

So, simply by that definition, that means you do not have to go out and buy weights.

Although you might want to at some point so the Bowflex option will be perfect for you, just in case. (They are super versatile!)

So what do you do if you don’t have weights?

For your legs, you can try squats, lunges, and/or jogging.

Or simply walking, dancing, or going for a hike.

For your arms, how about push-ups?

Don’t feel like you have to get down on the floor to be effective either.

Try them against a wall, a bed, or using a chair.

But if you want to work on doing full push-ups, start with doing them on your knees instead of in the plank position.

You’ll be able to be safer, have a fuller range of motion, and have a sense of accomplishment 🙂

You can also try triceps dips, plank (remember the push-up options), or grab a couple of cans of soup or fruit and do some presses.

O.k., sorry, that was a long side note 🙂

Even More Benefits of Exercise

On with the benefits!!!

~How about having lower stress

~More patience

~Feel lighter

~Think clearer

~Encourages better eating.

At least I know with myself, it’s hard for me to eat badly when I’m exercising – who wants to ruin all that hard work?

~Feel happier.

And who doesn’t want to be happier?

What little steps will you take to move more in your day? Please share with us in the comments below so we can all get motivated! Thanks 🙂

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