5 Ways to Simplify Exercise

Exercise is something that has been vital to my physical health as well as my mental health. When I decided to stop taking anti-depressants years ago, I knew exercise would be a vital part of my recovery from depression.

In this season of uncertainty and confusion, it is good to focus on things we can control. We can control what we do with our bodies and what we put into our bodies. Exercise is beneficial to our whole body as well as our families. But it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Let’s simplify exercise- shall we?!

Commit to 15 minutes a day

Yep that’s all you need to start. Thinking we need to complete hour long workouts is limiting. Sometimes finding an extra hour for exercise can seem really daunting. But I bet you do have 15 minutes. You may think you are packed to the gills with activiity, but check that screeen time on your phone. See there you do have 15 minutes. :)

Link exercise with family or friend time.

Link it with people you love. Family bike rides, walks with your teenager, walk with a friend are all examples of easy ways to slide in movement. Linking up with others helps your mental health too. A good walk with a good talk can change your whole day.

Make it self care time

I consider a walk around the neighborhood with a podcast or Pink blaring in my ears- self care. We must fill up to be poured out. Alone itme can be hard to come by these days. So a little jaunt around the neighborhood can be just enough for your body and mind.

Start Small

Please…you don’t need a gym membership or a new app to move your body. We compare our starting point to someone else’s finish line. Scrolling through social media can make you believe that if its not perfect, its not worth attempting. But that is not true. Starting small defeats this ugly thought.

Do what works for your body

I do wish I was a runner but about 10 years ago I decided nope. Every time I attempted it my hips hurt for days afterwards. It’s not worth it to me. So walking yes, running nope. Do what works for you and your body. Exercise might not feel great at the moment but it needs to be good for your body. Not everything works for everybody. And that is A okay.