Finding Movement in a Sedentary Society

  This may come as a surprise to some of you, but my life does not solely revolve around nutrition! Although I love food and the science of how it affects our bodies, I wanted to write a post on incorporating movement into your life as well.
           
  Notice how I am using the term “movement” here rather than “fitness” or “exercise”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the terms fitness, exercise, working out, etc. In fact, I use those the majority of the time I talk about the topic of movement! However, for the purpose of this blog I have chosen to use the word movement. Here is why- oftentimes people say they do not have the time or energy to incorporate a workout routine into their day-to-day lives. I completely understand this! America leads a busy lifestyle and adding another thing to your growing plate can be stressful and intimidating. Fitness/exercise can often cause feelings of anxiety in people when they hear it, making them think they have to do a super intense, 60-minute workout every day to be considered “active”. This is far from the truth. When I use the term movement, I am referring to the entire spectrum of things you can do to stay active- from hitting the gym for a lifting session to taking your dog for a walk outside and everything in between. I find that busy people have a more positive reaction to this term because it does not imply they have to make a huge life/schedule change to make it happen.
           
   The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the average adult get “at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination each week.”  This is a good way to estimate just how much you should be shooting for on a weekly basis, but what is aerobic activity?

• Aerobic means “requiring oxygen” (learned that one from my biochem course!), and in relation to activity the purpose is to strengthen your cardiovascular system so it can absorb and transport oxygen more easily.
  
• Aerobic movement is what we can think of as “cardio”- running, jogging, walking, dancing, swimming, etc. whereas anaerobic movement is activities like lifting weights, sprinting, HIIT training, etc.
  
• Incorporating movement into your life strengthens your muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system, and releases neurotransmitters such as epinephrine that give you that post-workout “high”. Another benefit is that is lowers our stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, making you feel less worried after getting that movement in!

 
  Enough exercise education, how can I make moving my body feel good and not like something I have to do? Well, the first thing to do is change your mindset:

• Just like diet culture lies to us by saying we “can’t” eat certain foods, it also proclaims the false message that you are obligated to do a certain length and intensity of workout in order to be accepted. This is stupid! Moving our bodies is something we get to do, and it is such a blessing to be able to make progress and appreciate your body for everything it does to transport you places and perform the tasks you need to get done.
  
• Realize that movement is joyful and is a part of keeping our bodies and minds healthy and running like a well-oiled machine.

           
  The second thing to do is find activity that you really enjoy:

• For me, I have found happiness in clogging, Irish dance, and Jazzercise (which I HIGHLY recommend if you haven’t tried it out already!). Don’t force yourself to be a runner if you like weights more, and don’t tell yourself you have to be a yoga person if swimming is calling your name. The important thing is finding movement, there are no “one size fits all” exercise plans.
  
• As Americans, many of our schedules don’t leave much time for activity. Try incorporating smalls things like taking the stairs (especially if you only live/work on the third floor!), going for a short walk during your break, or taking your dog out right after getting home from work or school. If you don’t have a dog, take a walk with a friend or family member!
  
• If you are a college student, check out your campus REC center. You are likely already paying for it with your campus fees anyway, and you never know what classes or activities they offer. I recently discovered that mine has a rock-climbing wall, thanks Mizzou!

 
   The most important thing to remember is that movement should be a positive thing in your life. If it is causing you stress, anxiety, or pain, please reconsider what you are doing and choose something that feels better physically and emotionally! Just like intuitive eating, intuitive exercise is something that should be a sustainable, natural, and beneficial part of your life!