Health Refined – Pillar Four: Joyful Movement

This is the fourth and final post in a four-part series. You can find Part One HERE , Part Two HERE, and Part Three HERE

The last pillar I believe creates a “Joyful You” is Joyful Movement.

Joyful Movement can go by other terms such as: exercise, physical activity, and any other word that means to move your body.

Our body’s were created to move. Movement is good for our overall health -spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically, BUT it has to be enjoyable in order for us to get the most benefits from it.

I refuse to use the term work-out.

If it feels like work, it’s more likely creating a lot of stress (which is counterproductive), and chances are it’s something you won’t stick with for very long.  But if it’s movement that’s fun and you enjoy doing, chances are very high that it will become a natural part of your daily life.

Benefits

Contrary to popular belief, long-term studies do NOT show that people lose significant weight on exercise programs. It should not be used as a weight loss tool, or as a punishment for what you ate. If weight loss is your motivation for exercising, when you realize that the weight isn’t coming off like you want it to, you’re going to be tempted to quit. Don’t quit! Do it because it make you feel good.

Moving your body has so many healthy long-term benefits.  Here are just a few:

• It speeds up your metabolic rate
• It improves your sensitivity to hunger and fullness
• It improves sleep
• Makes your mind clearer
• Give you more energy
• It makes you feel more vibrant
• You feel more comfortable in your own skin
• It’s good for your heart and your muscles
• It’s good for balancing your hormones
• It significantly improves mood and behavior
• It allows your body to activate it’s relaxation response eliminating stress.
• It allows time to meditate and spend quiet time with God
• It improves self-confidence and feeling of worth

Fall in Love

After reading all the amazing benefits of moving your body, are you ready to commit to a long-term relationship?  The key to finding the perfect match is to pick a movement you enjoy doing. You should be so in love with whatever joyful movement you choose to do, whether that’s walking, swimming, boxing, yoga, Pilates, weight training, HIIT, running, dancing in your kitchen, hiking, Kayaking, spin cycling, cross-fit, acrobatics, or Thug, that you want to marry it. It should be something you look forward to spending time with and “doing” everyday. If you dread it and hate doing it, then it’s no good for you. Divorce it, and pick something else.

Sitting Society

In our day and in our society we sit way too much. It’s like we have a goal to see what we can do or invent to move the least amount in a day. Like I said before, our bodies were created to move. Cancel your membership to the Sitting Society, and look for ways you can add simple small Joyful Movement throughout your day. For example you could:

• Walk you kids to school instead of driving them.
• Take the stairs
• Park father away from the store or office
• Sweep your floors instead of using the robot vacuum
• Cook as much as possible by hand instead of using appliances to mix and whip.
• Sit on a stability ball instead of a chair while working on the computer
• Squat while doing the laundry
• Bike to work
• Mow your own lawn instead of hiring it out
• Walk to the mailbox instead of stopping by on your way home

The more movement, the better you will feel overall. So go ahead, fall in love with Joyful Movement. You’ll feel happier, healthier, and stronger.