Joyful Movement

Stop exercising, and start moving joyfully!

Are you sick of exercising? I used to dread my exercises because I didn't fully enjoy them. I've had so many programs pushed down my throat - Beach Body, Richard Simmons, Jillian Michaels and so many others. If those work for you, that's great. For me, I didn't fully enjoy them and I ended up spending way too much money on programs that weren't sustainable. We don't need to mindlessly exercise just for the sake of exercising. We do need to move our bodies, but what's the point if we don't fully enjoy it? There are many forms of exercise that you could be enjoying more than your boring daily routine, or than that program that is costing you an arm and a leg. I'll share some free exercises that I find incredibly joyful.

Zumba was definitely a fad a few years ago, and I honestly couldn't get into the typical Zumba music. Then, I realized that there are TONS of Zumba videos on YouTube to songs that I love. Now, I rock Zumba with songs like Footloose, Mamma Mia, and other favorites. I even found country songs by my favorite artists. These still get your heart rate up, and the workout is fantastic!

Yoga is an obvious choice for me. There's just something significant about moving the body at the same time as you control your breath. My yoga practice has been crucial to my self-care routine. It eliminates stress, and gives me a place to work through the various emotions of my day. One day this week, I came home from work extremely angry, and the first thing I did was jump on the mat. After my session, I was grounded and calm. It puts everything into perspective for me. My favorite channel on YouTube is Yoga with Adriene by Adriene Mishler. She is amazing and her voice is so relaxing and calming. She is also incredibly funny! I have strengthened muscles that I didn't even know I had. Yoga has the ability to wake your mind, body and soul up to things you never even realized you were holding, and provide you endless opportunities of growth. I could go on and on about yoga. It's incredible. I highly recommend adding Yoga to your exercise routine.

Walking with friends has been my socializing during the pandemic. I walk with a few friends during the week. It's not about having an accountability buddy as much as it is about temptation bundling. Temptation bundling is a trick I learned from my experience on Noom™. You take something you should do like exercising, and mix it with something you want to do, like talking with a friend. You end up actually wanting to do thing you should do! This has helped my cardio tremendously, as an hour walk with a friend usually clocks in at three or four miles, and I'm able to get some (safe) socializing in. Even in the winter, I'm able to put on my snowshoes or Yaktrax (4-Wheel drive for your sneakers!), meet a friend, and get moving outside.

Training your dogs or walking with your dogs is a pretty good exercise! Their energy usually boosts mine. Even if it's just playing inside, you're getting a workout in!

Hiking in the woods in any season is relaxing. You can go by yourself or with a friend. Surrounded by nature is never a bad place to be. My parents and my husband went up to 8th Lake in the Adirondacks this February and snowshoed back to the lake. It was incredibly beautiful, and we each burned an insane amount of calories. We were all pretty sweaty by the end. I would highly recommend snowshoeing or hiking.

One last joyful movement I'll share with you is awkwardly, embarrassingly, and joyfully dance! Put your favorite play list on, and dance it out while you clean, or while you're doing work. Just dance! It gets me so excited and I usually start singing like a madwoman.

What are you waiting for? Get off your treadmill or elliptical (unless you truly find joy in that). Just do whatever makes you happy! I guarantee that you'll actually want to get moving and you will be excited for your next workout. All of your movements should be joyful and purposeful. Get joyfully moving!

<3 Laura