How many times have you said recently, “I just don’t have enough time,” literally in relation to anything in your life? Now, how often have you said that when it comes to making time for more movement in your daily routine?
I get it, life is wild. And it can get jam packed real quick. And, let’s be real, movement is a privilege. A luxury, even. So, it’s understandable why it can easily fall to the wayside in your list of priorities for the day.
I also firmly believe that the longer we go without exercising, the harder it is to get back into. Right? Anyone else agree with this? I can feel you all nodding your head in agreement.
Okay, so how the heck are we supposed to get more movement in when life is life-ing as hard as it does? Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered.
This post will outline 3 key tips to get more movement into your daily routine. That’s right, just three. Why? Because, I want to keep this short, sweet, and attainable as all hell so that it actually WORKS for you.
Let’s get into it, shall we.
3 Tips To Get More Movement in Your Daily Routine
Let me be clear in saying right off that bat, that more isn’t always more when it comes to movement. If you’re already exercising pretty regularly, feeling strong and healthy in your body and mind- then perhaps this post isn’t for you.
These tips are really for the people who are struggling to get any movement in on a regular basis. Rather than thinking about being in a constant state of doing, remember that being is just as powerful in cultivating strength on a mental and physical level.
Small Attainable Goals
Alrighty, so first things first, you need to create small attainable goals when it comes to your movement commitments. I know I know, dream big, right? Yeah, kind of. But also, sometimes when we set our sights too high right off the bat, then we don’t actually set ourselves up for success. Sometimes those lofty goals simply aren’t attainable just yet, because they need the ground work done first.
When we create small attainable goals in any area of our lives, we are working towards cultivating more confidence. How does that work exactly? Think about it: when you make a goal, you’re making a commitment to yourself. A promise. It feels good to see your commitments through, because you’re keeping the promises you make to yourself. That “good” feeling might be made up of many emotions, but certainly one of them is confidence.
On the other hand, when we break promises to ourselves, we feel bad. That “bad” feeling comes from a misalignment with our thoughts, desires, and actions. I’m not saying that “bad” feelings aren’t inevitable in life, because guess what- we’re going to experience those yucky feelings at one point or another! And, that’s okay.
Striving to create more alignment helps with many facets of our character- such as integrity, inner strength, and (you guessed it)….confidence.
Confidence can help to get us out of a rut, which is a common feeling when we’re in a movement slump. Like we just can’t get ourselves to start.
I like to think of confidence as a little spark that grows into a flame through the continual alignment of thoughts, desires, and actions. In yoga, the fire element is known as “the transformer,” which is exactly how I see confidence. Cultivating confidence through movement is a great way to positively contribute to both mental health and physical wellness.
All of that to say, create goals that you can- and will– actually keep. Even if the goal sounds too small, that’s okay. Start small, because you can always grow. It will feel better to expand, than to shrink.
I suggest starting with just a set number of minutes that you can commit to on a daily basis when it comes to your movement. Rather than getting specific with the kind of movement you’ll do on exact days, with certain intensities- stay general. Commit to 5, 10, 15 minutes of movement daily.
Passive Multitasking
Now that you have your small attainable goals in place, you can start to figure out where you’ll slot them in. Remember, movement can look so many ways! And movement doesn’t always have to occur in a gym, with equipment, or on a mat. Movement can take place anytime you allow yourself to just be in your body.
Passively multitasking with movement is one of my favorite ways to sneak more exercise into my days, especially when I’m in a place where my usual exercises like hiking or surfing aren’t available. Passive multitasking means you’re doing two things at once, but not in a way that one task or habit is suffering while doing the other.
An example that I love is doing squats while I brush my teeth.
I’m not a big fan of repetition movements, and I get bored doing reps for a workout. However, my glutes literally need more strength in my ripe old age in order to better support my body’s systems. What would I normally do while I brush my teeth? ummm , basically just stare at myself in the mirror? I don’t know- nothing, really. Now, I can use that time to get a set of 20 squats in.
Passive multitasking with movement can occur throughout your day. This might mean doing stretches in your office chair while you’re working. Or, maybe it means a few calf raises while you’re washing the dishes. Another favorite is posture work, or low belly activations while driving.
Notice the pockets of your day where you can afford to sneak in a few reps of whatever it is that you know your body actually needs more of. I try to do this in the more mundane, everyday moments- as those are the ones where I can multitask with movement in a way that’s not going to take away from either task at hand.
For more on this concept, check out my post about habit stacking to understand how this concept can apply to movement, as well.
Add Weights
Let’s say you’ve made your small attainable goals, and you’ve built pretty solid habits around your movement practice with everyday life through passive multitasking. And maybe now you’re at the point where you want to turn it up a little. Or, you have your small attainable goals, and notice that you don’t really have a ton of time available in your day at all- so you want to make the most out of the small windows as possible. Either way, this is where weights can come into play.
I personally love the Bala (Code:Kayla15) 2 lb ankle weights, and lucky for you that link is an affiliate link which means you get a discounted price. However, any ankle or wrist weights will do. Adding a light weight to your ankles or wrists is a great way to get a little more in less time.
Say you’re a stay at home mom, then you sure as heck don’t need anything on your wrists, because you’re probably carrying kids around all day. But you notice your lower body could use some love. Strap on ankle weights while you’re running around the house, doing laundry, doing dishes, or cleaning up.
Or, let’s say you’re a corporate executive who sits most of the day in meetings (ahem, this is my wife 100%), you don’t have a ton of breaks in the middle of the work day. While sitting in weights isn’t going to do anything, other than probably be a little annoying, you can still strap them on and go for a quick 5 minute walk around the block before or after your lunch break. Five minutes with the weights on will give you more bang for your buck, than walking without weights.
Maybe you’ve committed to 5 minutes a movement a day, because that’s truly all you can afford.
Spend those 5 minutes with ankle weights on going up and down your stairs, and I’m pretty sure you’ll break a freaking sweat. To my yogis out there, yes, you can also add weights to your practice if you only have a small time budget for your mat, but you’re still trying to build strength.
As you can see, the options are endless, really. And, all in all, they’re pretty simple. You don’t have to get an expensive membership, or wear specific clothes. You just need to show up for yourself every single day.
Start with 5 minutes, and grow from there.
You’ve got this, my friends.
xx,
K
