31 Days to Becoming Less Stressed, More Refreshed. Day 7: Exercise!

 

Exercise.

It’s one of those things we hear about a lot. It’s one of those things that is on the top of our lists, ideally, but sometimes not in reality. For many years I have struggled with making exercise a continual habit. I have gone through seasons of being faithful and then neglecting this area of my life for too long.

I have read a lot of articles about how important exercise is and how it helps us – our bodies and our souls! It just always seemed hard to fit a regular exercise regimen into my life. I felt like I didn’t have time to exercise.

As the saying goes,
you have time for things if you MAKE time.

With my recent health and anxiety struggles, especially, I have decided that exercise can no longer be optional. It must become a regular part of my life.

The truth is: Exercise helps us manage stress!

That’s a great reason to exercise!

“Not only does it keep the heart healthy and get oxygen into the system, but it helps deplete stress hormones and releases mood-enhancing chemicals which help us cope with stress better.” Source

As one of my friends says, “I exercise so I can be a better mom”.

Don’t you want to feel less stressed and more refreshed? Then put exercise on your list!

There are many ways to incorporate exercise.

First of all, if you having a hard time thinking about how you can exercise regularly, start small.

• Do short workouts. I have some ideas here in my post about quick workouts.
• Park the car further from the store so you can walk more.
• Take the dog for a walk, daily, starting with shorter walks and build up to longer durations. I am starting to think this is just one more reason why our puppy is part of our household.
• Plan a segment of active chores together so you can get your heart beating for a while, like vacuuming, washing the floors, and scrubbing the tub.

Another thing you can do is involve someone else in the process.

• Get an accountability partner.
• Grab your husband or one of your children and go for a walk or a bike ride.
• Schedule exercise time with a friend.

Of course, there are also a myriad of exercise routines, classes, and videos out there!

It is important that you do what works well for you, according to your situation and your health needs/concerns. Do your research!

Make sure you check with your doctor if you have questions about participating in any sort of exercise routine.

Take action: Why not start exercising today? Challenge yourself to add something to your day today that will help you cope with stress and improve your quality of life. Don’t forget… when you fail, just try again!