5 Easy and Effective Ways to Incorporate Simple Exercise into Your Healthy Lifestyle

I have never been a fan of physical fitness. Even in elementary school my least favorite part of the day was gym class. If I had the choice of sitting and listening to a group of adult's boring conversation or running around playing outside, riding bikes, climbing trees... I chose the boring adults. I hated the feeling of sweating, sore muscles and occasionally my asthma would flare up.

I also never had a great example of how fun exercise could be, it was always painted as this tool used to lose weight and was associated with flavorless food and diets. There was also this weird sense of choosing a side: you could either be sporty and athletic OR you could be crafty and creative. I chose crafty, not realizing you could pick both!

So now, at the age of 30, I've realized that exercise is just the act of moving your body. And moving our bodies isn't just a tool used to look a certain way and fit a specific standard of "beauty", but it is necessary to keeping our bodies feeling youthful, energized and healthy! I am challenging myself to move more this year, not to look "better," because I am already beautiful and slaying 🫰🏻But I'd like to feel better, move easier in the morning and increase the quality of my living.

Here are 5 easy and effective ways I'm simplifying exercise and incorporating it into my current lifestyle:

I was introduced to yoga back in High School and LOVED it. It was low energy and yet I still found myself sweating and getting a good workout in. It's great for warming the body up first thing in the morning and winding down right before bed. There's such variety in yoga and it's fun once you get the hang of things.

As is with most exercise, form is key and crucial to avoiding any painful mishaps, so take it slow, take it easy and don't force yourself into an advanced position before you're ready.

And for that matter, don't force yourself into a beginner position, if it's proving to be too much for you.

We walk from our cars to our buildings, we walk when we grocery shop, to the printer at work, to the breakroom for lunch and yet it can be hard to motivate ourselves to do a little extra walking for our health. Sometimes people say to get a dog to "force you to walk them," but if the motivation isn't there no dog, big or small is going to change that.

Think about the times you have walked outside, maybe even to just grab the mail from the mailbox, you get a breath of that glorious fresh air. I detest the bitter cold winters, but even when breathing in that sharp cold air, I feel a freshness coarse through my lungs.

To me the feeling is akin to being thirsty and taking those first sips of water. My body was clearly craving fresh air, regardless of the time of year, so I headed outside and walked around my neighborhood.

These can be done ANYWHERE 🙌🏻 In the car, at your desk, while making dinner, even when you're on the couch watching tv! The benefits to stretching you may ask???

• Increases blood flow

• Helps joints move to full range of motion

• Better posture

• Reduced stress

• Allows water intake seep into your cells

• Enables muscles to work effectively

Plus it feels so good, whether you work a physically taxing job or sit at a desk all day

A 3 minute burst of an activity: jumping jacks, pushups, running etc. are maybe more beneficial than a full 30 minute to an hour workout session.

It is less straining on the body, can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes and is still getting your heartrate up, muscles moving and blood pumping.

What I like to do is 2 minutes of non-stop activity, 2 minutes rest, 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off and continue to alternate for a total of 10 minutes.

If you have an apple watch, track your exercise in those 10 minutes and compare them to your 1 hour workout sessions.

I feel more energized in those 10 minutes and I'm not as physically exhausted afterward. This is especially a great place to start if you're new to exercise or have never been a fan of it, like me 😉

Water is needed to survive but did you know it plays a critical role in your movement? Water helps to lubricate your joints, protects your spinal cord and other important tissues, regulates your internal body temperature, reduces the risk of heat stress and helps maintain your performance level in whichever activity you choose to do.

Food is energy, and if we are filling our bodies with fast food and pizza and sugar all the time we will crash harder during the day and find our energy is lacking. Nutrient dense foods are not only good for our gut health but also for our bloodstream, immune system, bone and heart health. Good food makes us stronger, makes us feel energized and can be healing to our bodies. We are what we eat!