I certainly do! After a short break from exercise, due to many excuses, my body naturally craves movement. I start experiencing stiffness in my body followed by persistent tiredness even after 8 hours of sleep and healthy eating. That is because our bodies are designed to move and if we don’t they start to degenerate quickly.

We all know that we have to exercise, but often we find ourselves surrounded by excuses and sometimes even the word ‘EXERCISE’ itself sounds daunting. But it doesn’t have to be that way if we change our mindset to’ MOVEMENT ‘ instead of EXERCISE. We don’t need to spend a fortune on the expensive gym memberships or spend hours doing the exercises that we hate. Even 10 minutes of movement per day is better than doing nothing at all. In fact, working out for too many hours can increase free radicals in our body and promote aging. And nobody wants that!

I remember growing up in India; I used to do my own version of dance moves while making chapati (bread) in the evening with my sister. Little did I realize at the time that I was actually doing a form of movement. So stop stressing if you can’t make it to the gym, or if you just don’t have time to go for a walk, and focus on getting some movement into your day. Ask yourself: “Did I move today?”

Simple moves include: walking a few extra steps by parking your car further away, taking the stairs to your apartment/office, sweeping/vacuuming the floor, dancing while cooking, playing with your kids, gardening, doing recreational sport, decluttering/re-organizing, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. Find activities that you love and don’t think of it as a chore or exercise, but consider it as your daily dose of movement.

Adding in regular physical activity has so many benefits, which I am sure you wouldn’t want to miss.

Benefits of Movement:

• Improves mood
• Boosts energy
• Promotes better sleep
• Strengthens bones and muscles
• Improves complexion/better skin
• Reduces frequency of getting cold/flu
• Reduces stress
• Improves self-confidence
• Sharpens memory/prevents cognitive decline
• Reduces the severity of asthma
• Boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good’ cholesterol
• Improves oxygen and nutrient supply to all the cells in your body

If you’ve been inactive for a long time, then start slowly with low strenuous activity and increase the effort as you progress. Set mini goals, keeping it simple, safe, and manageable. Just get moving and make sure to have fun!

What was your daily dose of movement today? What is your new move? Share your ideas below.