Let’s stop talking about exercise and start talking about moving!

“I don’t have time.”

“I don’t feel motivated.”

“I can’t afford a gym membership or fancy equipment.”

“I don’t like to exercise.”

“It’s boring.”

When it comes to physical activity, have you heard people say these things, or have you said something like this yourself? If so, you are not alone! Only about 23% of Texans get the recommended amount of physical activity each week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), despite knowing how good it is for us.

Are we inherently lazy? Are we all doomed? Absolutely not. We can get the recommended amount of movement if we start thinking about activity in a different way and incorporate movement as a part of our culture and everyday existence. Instead of thinking you have to give up something you love, start thinking about your favorite way to move and do that more often!

So many people I talk to think they have to go to a traditional fitness facility and watch the minutes pass by on a cardio machine, lift heavy weights, or do something that requires a lot of willpower. What the current studies are showing is that willpower doesn’t work. If we want to move more, we need to find things we enjoy doing and figure out how to work them into our daily routine. When we try to force ourselves to do things that we don’t actually enjoy, the outcome is usually a short-lived bout of training followed by soreness and guilt for not going back to the gym. People can get stuck in this cycle for an entire lifetime.

To become a consistent mover, think about how you can integrate things you enjoy into your day. Try some of these strategies:

• Do you enjoy being social? Schedule a phone call with a friend and talk while you walk.
• Schedule time to move in your calendar. Make your “meetings with yourself” as important as meetings you would schedule with a colleague.
• Pick a time that works best for you. Whether it's morning, mid-day, or evening, make that “your time” to do something for yourself.
• Save watching your favorite TV show or listening to your favorite podcast while you move so your brain will start to associate the movement with something you enjoy.
• Keep an activity log, virtual or hand written, and note how you feel before and after you move. You may notice that you consistently feel better, mentally and emotionally, after you move, which will help you keep going.

Join us on Thursday, July 23 to learn more about the benefits of movement in our upcoming webinar with Dr. Tim Church, M.D., M.P.H, Ph.D., one of the country’s leading clinical thought leaders in exercise and obesity research. He will share research on why breaking a sweat is so good. As author of more than 250 clinical articles, Dr. Church has received numerous awards for his research in preventive health. He has been cited as an expert source for preventive health stories by The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Reuters, Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Beyond the research, he will also share practical ways to be more physically active at home. With a near-empty social calendar, now’s a perfect time to start. Being physically active is proven to help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, falling, and some cancers. It can also help you manage your weight, boost your mood, and even help you live longer!

Registration link:   July 23, 10 a.m. CT Registration