March has arrived and the snow and ice are (finally) melting! We welcome longer days and more light in the evenings starting next week! Spring will officially be here in no time! This is a great time to start moving your body more. Some of us go into hibernation mode during the winter.. with the cold, dark days it came be challenging to move your body, especially if you prefer to exercise outdoors. It is now time to wake up and start moving again!
This month we are focusing on engaging in mood-boosting exercise. Here’s a hint – all exercise is mood-boosting! When we are moving our bodies it stimulates our brain and helps us to produce those feel good chemicals. In fact, exercise is an excellent way to combat depression!
What ways does it feel good to move your body? Is it walking? Dancing? Stretching? Running? Biking? Swimming? Think about what feels good to do… and then make yourself a priority and DO IT! Even if you start as little as 5 minutes a day – it is worth it! In fact right now you could put on your favorite upbeat song and dance, march in place, do some jumping jacks! Getting your heart rate up even for a few minutes can help shift your mood quickly.
If you are currently injured or are having some difficulties with your mobility, know there are still ways to engage your body into movement. One awesome thing about living in the “information age” is we have so much at the touch of a button. Go to YouTube and type in any sort of exercise you are looking for and you are bound to find something! “Exercise while recovering from a knee injury” “Seated exercises” “Yoga at my desk” “Best stretch routine for a runner” “Quick and fun workout” Try some new things this month! One of Dr. Keppy’s favorite YouTube Channels is Lucy Wyndham Read – she has a big variety of different workouts – high and low intensity, anywhere from 4 minutes to 20 minutes.
What can you do today? Commit to more movement and feel all the benefits!