Create a Movement Menu to Stay Inspired This Winter
Unless you are an avid Crossfitter who will not miss a 6 am WOD during a winter blizzard, this blog post is for you! The summer months inspire activity on every level but during the cold dark months of winter finding the inspo to get out of your deliciously warm bed to go workout can be rather…well difficult.
One of the biggest mindsets I work with clients to overcome is an “all or nothing” outlook. Either I workout for 60 minutes 5 days a week or why even bother?
Most health education has been ideal standards set based on research, but it fails in the sense of most people know what they “should” be doing, but they don’t know how to implement it in their hectic lives. Add on the fact that probably .5% of the population actually enjoys being on an elliptical for an hour, no wonder we are living in a stressed out sedentary culture plagued with chronic illness that the medical community is at a loss for. This is where a movement menu comes into play!
WHY CREATE A MOVEMENT MENU?
I love this exercise because it asks you to approach movement in a different way. For too long working out has been strongly correlated to image, a number on the scale, and decreasing fat. This largely misses the biggest point of movement which is to nourish this one body we have by moving it consistently. Not only does this benefit us emotionally and naturally combat daily stressors, but it also keeps are body strong and able so we can live independently long into our years.
Additionally, a movement menu helps release rigid gym routines and asks you to check-in with your body each day instead. In an article for Mind Body Green, if it was more important to get sleep or make your work out. We often set an ideal plan for the week that does not take into account how much energy will be expended at work or projects that need to happen at home and get upset with ourselves when yet again we’re not following through on our health.
With this menu you can check-in with:
- How your energy levels are
- Maybe you have crossfit-like energy to expel and a High Intensity Interval Training workout or run are necessary or a nice walk bundled up will do it for where you are that day
- How your mindset/emotional state is
- Feeling anxious? Will an intense workout help let the anxious energy out or do you need a free flowing dance sesh or grounding yoga practice?
- How much time you have
- 5-minutes a day for movement will literally change your life compared to not moving at all. In back-to-back meetings all day? What fun movements can you do at your desk or bathroom breaks? Seriously!
To learn HOW to create your own Movement Menu click here to read the rest of the article! <3
Always rooting for you,
Samantha