Exercise is more than just a way of keeping mind and body healthy. The actual act of movement can actually act as a catalyst to literally unstick you. It gives you momentum, focus and motivates you to take action. It clears your head and changes your ‘state’. This in turn completely alters your mind.
I was at the doctors for a routine check up yesterday and I was really delighted and surprised when the doctor told me I was as fit as a fiddle, my pulse rate was 60bpm and I was in the top 10% of the fittest people in the UK.
This did surprise me because I suppose all I ever see on social media are fitness instructors, health and wellbeing coaches and fitness fanatics. This definitely blurred my vision of what the actual health of the general population is. My doctor told me that over 90% of people just don’t move enough either because they choose not too, their circumstances don’t allow it or because they don’t know how or even how important it is. Lifestyle, TV, Tech and social media also have a huge role to play in this. I was really shocked and saddened at the statistics.
Inactivity has been proven to lead to a range of health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and depression just to mention a few.
With the focus so heavily on mental health and wellbeing right now and the unbreakable link between regular exercise and mental wellbeing I feel I am really missing the point somewhere.
What is the issue?
There seems to be a fundamental problem in our culture around lifestyle choices and I don’t see it being tackled anywhere near enough.
You don’t even have to go to a daily exercise class or kill yourself trying to get fit, it’s more about mind-body connection and being aware of your body, it’s bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and fascia and how it feels to move through walking, cycling, dancing, yoga, stretching, gardening, or anything that makes you feel good and happy. The human body is made to move. I do feel I am finger wagging a bit too much here and getting on my soapbox, so I apologise- I know it can truly be an issue for so many.
I completely understand that many people may feel inhibited, shy, or have low self esteem and not want to go to a class in front of loads of people. Ironically it is exercise and physical strength that leads to mental strength and boosted self esteem and confidence. It just means finding the right thing for you and everyone is completely different.
Let’s not forget the power of the mind as well, food and exercise issues can start with the mind and can stem from traumatic life events, childhood trauma, negative thinking or beliefs that you may have about yourself or simply bad habits.
It’s how you choose to change those habits that is important. And remember you always have choice.
Climbing an insurmountable mountain is never going to be easy and many will fail after the first few steps have been taken because the task just feels so overwhelming, but taking small enjoyable steps over several smaller mountains and over a much longer period of time will get you to your chosen destination, plus you might actually get to know yourself a lot better on the way.
Changing a fixed mindset or breaking old ingrained unhelpful habits, can be a slow process, like chipping away at some old rocks, but once the new healthier habits have been formed, you will feel yourself getting stronger, growing in confidence and believing that you can do anything. This also means stepping a little outside of your comfort zone and as human beings we don’t like feeling uncomfortable however getting used to feeling uncomfortable will lead you to a whole new you and a whole new way of thinking. Being uncomfortable is where the growth is and as humans we also thrive on growth and development.
Brake those chains today, increase your lifespan, gain more energy, have a better quality of life, enjoy what you have and live every moment as your best self.
And remember any movement can lead to a whole chain reaction as it changes your mental and physiological state.
Get moving, get motivated, gain momentum, get unstuck and take action!
Really interesting subject and happy to discuss and open up debate, I really am curious to hear others point of view on this as I really feel I am missing something somewhere. Confused 🤔
Is it a cultural and habitual issue, linked with poor lifestyle? Does it come back to priorities and education in school? After all what we teach our babies, toddlers and children will stick throughout their life.
Plus how important is it to lead by example? Do what our children see, do?
answers on a postcard.
