Focus on Moving for Health, Not “Exercise”

Most of us know that exercise is an important part of a healthy life. Sometimes, however, in our enthusiasm to make diet and lifestyle changes, we create exercise goals around what we think exercise “should” look like and how often we “should” be doing it. We expect to complete the same programs we did 10, 20 and even 30 years ago — like kick-boxing, cross-fit and running marathons — and at the same fitness levels that we accomplished when we were younger, fitter and had much more energy.

If this is you and you are starting to implement new lifestyle changes, I’d like to encourage you to view exercise differently by considering it as moving throughout your day, instead of a task to check off your list. This big picture view can be very helpful, especially for those of us dealing with chronic fatigue from illness or busy work and travel schedules.

Here are some suggestions for incorporating daily movement:

• Start with low-impact movement of 10 – 15 minutes a session

You may have heard those suggestions such as parking the car at the back of the lot and taking the stairs instead of an elevator. These tips are still highly effective, and I encourage adding lots of them into your day.

In addition, you can take advantage of a short break in your day by just walking up and down your street or around the block. In addition to movement, these activities have additional advantages of sunlight and fresh air. Strive for 10 – 15 minutes of movement a few times a day instead of 45 – 60 minutes at one time. You’ll be surprised how quickly those short intervals add up!

If you have access to a pool, swimming or just walking in the pool is good resistance movement and puts less strain on your joints. For those with limited mobility or desk jobs, chair exercises can be a great alternative. Finally, stretching, Pilates, yoga and tai chi exercises use slow, gentle movements that will improve blood and lymph circulation to reduce fatigue.

To build up strength gradually, avoid fatigue and improve metabolism, incorporate a few light weights or resistance bands a few times a day. You don’t need a gym membership to lift weights as just a couple kettlebells or even household objects that you can lift safely will do the trick. Bodyweight exercises, like squats or wall push-ups help build strength without causing exhaustion. If you are concerned about chronic fatigue or injury, find a reputable trainer who will help design a safe, but short and effective workout that you can do at home.

• Pace yourself

Often, we plan these elaborate “exercise programs” where we set goals to go the gym 3 days a week and take long runs on other days. This might work for those of us with very structured schedules, but if your schedule differs daily, this may quickly become a challenge. Moving just 15 minutes a day and increasing as time and energy allows will help your body acclimate to the new exercise and prevent post-exercise fatigue “crashes.” Wearables like the Oura ring, Whoop band and Apple Watch monitor your body’s metrics and can suggest if your day should focus on activity or recovery.

• Set realistic goals

While it’s good to pace ourselves physically, we can also pace ourselves mentally by setting realistic goals. For example, having a shorter goal of walking for 15 minutes after breakfast is much more positive for your mind than beating yourself up because you didn’t get that hour run in. Goals are good, but setting realistic ones will help you succeed with better mental health.

• Good hydration and nutrition

No one feels like moving after overeating or overdrinking. If you find that you have the time, but aren’t motivated to move, consider your diet. Are you eating heavy foods and desserts or drinking multiple alcoholic beverages? These could be the reasons why you lack motivation to do the work. Increase your water consumption throughout the day to stay hydrated and choose lighter meals to get the energy you need to get moving.

• Make it fun

For long-term results, choose movement that is fun for you. It can be dancing, gardening, walking, even organizing the garage counts if that is positive for you! Change up your activities if you feel bored. You are much more likely to engage in consistent exercise if it doesn’t feel like work.

To improve our health, any movement is better than none and consistency is key. For those who may be dealing with chronic fatigue or challenging schedules, but want to start somewhere, below is a beginner-friendly exercise schedule that you can easily add to and change as your time and strength allow.

Beginner-Friendly Weekly Exercise Schedule

Day	Activity	Duration	Notes
Monday	Gentle walking	10–15 min	Start slow and focus on breathing; increase as improvement and time allow
Tuesday	Strength training, seated or standing	15 min	Use light resistance bands or your bodyweight (2–3 exercises repeated 2–3 times)
Wednesday	Yoga or stretching	15 min	Move gently and focus on deep breathing
Thursday	Walking on land or in water	15 min	Try to keep a consistent pace
Friday	Strength training	15 min	Simply repeat exercises from Tuesday
Saturday	Leisurely activity	Varies	Gardening, dancing or playing with pets – whatever brings you joy
Sunday	Rest day	N/A	Periods of light stretching throughout the day

Need Help?

If you feel the need to incorporate diet and lifestyle changes for your health, but aren’t sure where to start, sign up for a free 20-minute Health Coach consultation with me here. We’ll discuss your goals to see how I can best support you.  Subsequent Health Coaching appointments will include troubleshooting your challenges and creating a plan that works best for you. 

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Did you miss Stacy’s blog post entitled What’s Going On with GLP-1? If so, you can find it here.