Harriet Cabelly, LCSW
Therapist . Speaker . Author
Having written a post the other day about starting off our day by preparing ourselves internally to meet our external doings, I’d like to add another component. It doesn’t have to be done in the mornings but it does need to be done. And that is moving our body.
Bodies are made to move. The tin man in the Wizard of Oz needed a good oiling to get his limbs, joints and muscles moving again after he rusted. Our bodies rust away from inactivity. We can’t just get an oil job to get them back in use. We end up getting all kinds of illnesses. And our bodies creak and ache from lack of use. We are tired, lethargic and have little energy from not energizing our bodies.
We have so many moveable parts that need hefty blood flow to keep them oxygenated.
The idea that we have to schedule in body movement, or shall I say exercise, is an interesting concept. With the advent of cars and more recently our propensity towards sitting in front of all our various screens, we must take an active role and build in movement time each and every day.
I find it almost absurd that I go to my local track and walk around 6 – 12 times (1 1/2 -3 miles depending on time). Now I happen to enjoy it. I do some of my best thinking and ideas seem to flow in easily. But what happened to regular daily walking as a natural part of our day? It simply doesn’t exist. So we must adapt, be flexible and do what we need to do to bring this good and necessary component- movement- into our life. And creating a daily routine is a way to ensure it is incorporated, just as showering and eating are.
What are you doing every day to work your body so that it works for you?
Here’s my morning movement routine:
10 minutes of yoga stretches
5 minutes on the trampoline to energizing music
15 minutes of weights and core exercises
30 minutes of walking (cardio)
5 minutes cool down
So I spend a little more than an hour in movement. On days I’m pressed for time and don’t get up earlier to get it all in, I at least do the fast walking.
What are some extra benefits?
Mood-booster
Posture-builder
Energizer
Strong body, strong mind, strong YOU
Thanks for reading. So how are you moving your body? Dancing, swimming, playing sports?
Here’s a great song to get you moving.
I’m awful at exercising. I do the treadmill twice a week, but don’t like it. We can’t walk around our house because we live on a road with no sidewalks or shoulder and a speed limit of 45. I do try to go on hikes when I can and to park farther away than I need to. Also I usually take the stairs, even up or down several flights.
Hi Christy,
Nice to ‘meet’ you here. Hiking is great! I too love hiking, being in nature. How about turning on some fast music you like and ‘moving’ to it a few minutes a day. Nobody’s watching. Let loose, be silly and free with it. It feels so good.
Sounds like you’re looking for those opportunities to move – taking the stairs and parking further away.
Just remember, when there’s a will there’s a way. You can be creative in how you find ways to get your body moving, in invigorating yourself.
I was slow to jump on the exercise wagon. I just found it boring. One day I found myself out of breath after walking up a single flight of steps. That scared me enough to get me moving. Five days a week I walk for 30 minutes followed by 15 minutes of stretching and weights. I didn’t start out like that though. I started with 15 minutes of walking and slowly built up to my current 45 minutes. I am seeing the benefits and now miss my exercise if I have to miss – something I never ever thought I would say 🙂 We also live in town and try to avoid using the car as much as possible. This means walking everywhere. It take extra time, but I find it is a good antidote to the rush, rush, rush mentality of our society.
Hi Sharon,
How wonderful that you built up and are now doing it and Loving it. It does kind of get into our system, both physically and mentally and we do miss it when we don’t do it for a while. That’s the best sign of it ‘working’.
Walking instead of using the car is a great antidote to the rush mentality of our society. It’s breaking the pattern of what we always do and that in itself is a great reprieve and can bring some balance to our lives. It also makes us more aware of what we’re doing and less on auto-pilot.
Thanks for coming by and sharing.
I’m impressed (and embarrassed) by your routine. I used to exercise daily — at the gym, no less — but we moved 50 min away from the gym out in the middle of nowhere, got busy building a house for a couple of years, and then I had to move, got frozen shoulder for a year, and just haven’t gotten back in the routine. I’ve begun doing 30 minutes a day, alternating upper and lower body, and doing cardio 6 days a week. I hate to exercise. I really do. But I want a long healthy life, so . . . Love your post and have bookmarked it for inspiration. Thanks! Patti
Hi Patti,
That’s wonderful that you’re exercising and your routine of 30 min. a day, alternating upper and lower and 6 days of cardio is terrific. Be proud that you’re doing it despite not liking it; and that you’ve gotten back to it after your hiatus of house stuff and pain from a frozen shoulder. I would guess at some point you will start to ‘hate’ it less and maybe even grow to like it somewhat (hard to imagine, eh!)
Wow, you’re bookmarking this for inspiration, that makes me feel good!
Thank you.
So true Harriet. A few years ago we stopped to chat to a ‘young’ man mowing his lawn in the heat of Florida summer and he asked us how old we thought he was. I said maybe between 56 and 60 and he told us he was 87. Hubby asked him his secret and he said, you’ve gotta keep moving.
Just like you said Harriet. Now it’s just a question of making it a daily priority in my life.
Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Elle,
Love your story. People like him inspire us all to get moving. As ‘they’ say, if you don’t use it, you lose it. We all need to use our bodies so we don’t lose them to illness and aches and pain.
Thank you for stopping by and sharing.