Did you know that physical activity has a major impact on our overall mental state in a positive manner? You may be someone who doesn’t even think twice about exercise, however, if you knew all the benefits it has on our well-being, would you be willing to incorporate more physical activity into your life?
You can accomplish physical activity recommendations simply by adding 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. That means only about 20 minutes each day! But wait, it gets even better. Exercise does not have to be hitting the gym for a 3 hour heavy lifting session. While that may be what works for some, it doesn’t have to look that way for all. In today’s society, people can easily gain a negative perception on what the idea of working out means to them based on the media. Don’t let that become a roadblock for you. It doesn’t have to be hard to get your body moving! In fact, you don’t necessarily have to accomplish your fitness goals at a gym at all! Some ideas on ways that you can incorporate physical activity into your life starting today include:
Walks or runs
Kick a soccer ball around with the kids
Swimming
Taking the stairs at work/school rather than elevator
Yoga
Body weight exercises such as crunches during T.V. commercials or calf raises while cooking
Try a free fitness app often they have support groups and challenges to keep you motivated and engaged (Couch to 5K, Runtastic, JEFIT, Nike Training Club etc.)
Join a local workout community and/or support from neighbors and friends
Want to learn more about all the great benefits of working out and everything else related to this topic? Please, reach out to us today and we can get you started on setting some fitness goals and get you on the path of improving your mood.
Author: Hollin Ford, BS, RDN
Editor: Marley Carnes, MS, RDN
Email: Nutrition@MarleyNutrition.com