Mind, Sense & Soul: Move
Here’s something that might make you feel better: for millions of years, our ancestors had to work really hard to get enough food to have energy. It is therefore a normal instinct, hard-wired into us to avoid unnecessary exertion and exercise, so don’t ever feel bad about lacking motivation. It’s completely natural. Having said that, our ancestors got in plenty of natural exercise hunting and gathering, but the major difference was that it was a natural part of the everyday, not something they dedicated extra time to. So there’s the rub; we do need to move every day, but it would be much easier if it were a natural part of our life.
I should say at this point this is clearly not a video for those incredibly motivated people who already crave a daily run or enjoy triathlons in their spare time. It’s for those of you like me who feel they don’t have enough hours in the day and genuinely find it hard to be motivated to move, especially now there’s nowhere to go in lockdown and it’s bloody freezing and dark in the mornings.
Why move?
We all know that we need to move our bodies every day, but let’s just have a quick reminder about why:
Exercise reduces the level of stress hormones in your body like cortisol and adrenaline. In short, it’s an anxiety buster. It has also been shown to be an effective treatment for depression.
Studies have shown that those who exercise regularly are at a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia. As over time it keeps your brain growing rather than shrinking with age.
Incidentally exercising your brain helps it grow new neurons too. Daily meditation does this.
Exercise is one of the best things we can do for our hearts, which includes benefits for blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Exercise of course helps moderate weight of course, which has infinite advantages including preventing type 2 diabetes and in short
It generally helps you age better.
How much exercise do we need?
Advice for how much we need changes over time, but if you’re looking to start from scratch, received wisdom seems to be that 150 mins a week, which is just over 20 mins a day, is decent going. In fact solid scientific studies have shown that getting that 20 mins a day can lower your risk of dying by a certain age by 50%, so that’s jolly. It really does have to be regular rather than once in a blue moon though, apparently. But if the thought of getting up and at it is still unappealing, here are a few ways to boost motivation to do it. I’m telling you this because I need to keep telling it to myself. When I get up it’s cold, it’s dark, We’re locked down. There’s nowhere to go so all these things help me.
How to boost motivation
Low, smashable targets
Give yourself a super low target because when you smash that, you’ll get a dopamine hit, feel better about yourself and you’re more likely to naturally do more. Make it easy. We’re talking 2 or 5 minutes at a time at first, maybe just three times a week if needs be and you can gradually increase that. Success breeds motivation, so set yourself up to smash those small targets.
Show up
The important thing is that we all learn to show up, because just getting to the place to start something is often the hardest part. Make it easy for yourself to show up by making sure the yoga mat is out and your clothes are there, or your shoes are by the door and the dog hasn’t stolen one of them. I think it was Woody Allen that said “80 percent of success is showing up”. This is probably true. “You make progress in inches, not yards”.
Break it up
Break your movement time up into three, four or five minute little chunks. These will add up during the day and quickly have positive, knock on effects. Dr Rangan Chatterjee calls these ‘health snacks’, which I love. With five minutes too, you don’t even have to get changed, which is also a bonus. He also suggests checking your health snacks off somewhere as soon as you’ve done your five minutes or even keeping a jar and putting a small token into it every time you do it. Maybe it’s 20p or 50p a go and your reward is to spend all the money in the jar when it's full, or maybe it’s milk bottle tops. Whatever it is, seeing a full jar at the end of the week feels like success and success is the greatest motivator.
Attach it to something else you’re already doing
One thing I’ve found helpful is attaching these five minute chunks onto something I’m already doing, like squats waiting for the kettle or rounds of star jumps after you go to the loo. When it comes to my girls who are seven and nine, they will not do PE indoors, so I’m starting to introduce a ten minute kitchen rock out disco as I’m preparing dinner, where we put on some Metallica (their choice believe it or not) and we all jump around the kitchen. It’s good on so many levels and we’re all out of breath and sweaty by the end of it. Job done.
Here are few interesting things to read and listen to on the subject of movement.
Articles
The surprising truth about exercise - Daniel Lieberman with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
Videos
The 5 minute kitchen workout - Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Books
Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health - Daniel Lieberman
Review of this book by The Guardian - Exercise myths exploded.
Feel Better in 5 - Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Articles
7 Ways to master the art of showing up - Saeed Mirfattah
6 Ways the body benefits from exercise - Forbes.
A short history of wellbeing through exercise - Wellcome Trust
Check out the other videos and articles in our Mind, Sense & Soul series here!