It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! Time to gather with family and friends and give thanks for ALL we have, to enjoy food, laughter, music and presents. It is also a time of overindulgence and lack of movement. What if you could sneak in movement throughout the holidays without having to set aside your to-do list?
I am learning from Katy Bowman, a Biomechanist, that How we move matters more than what activity we are actually doing. Over the past year I have shifted my paradigm of what maintaining my health thru regular exercise looks like. I now make time throughout my day to reach, bend, squat, stretch, sit on the floor and exercise my joints in their full range of motion.
The following tips were inspired by a recent blog post Katy made and I loved it so much I wanted to share a version of it with you. To offset the over-indulgence and stress
that is so common during the holidays, just move!
- Gather your neighbors for a turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning. This is something my neighborhood does on Thanksgiving morning. It’s a 15- minute walk in our neighborhood followed by socializing on somebody’s patio with coffee, juice and bagels, or your favorite morning goodies. Because everyone has stuff to do it only lasts about 60 to 90 minutes, but it is a great way to create community and start the day off on a positive note.
- Forgo the electric appliances and do your own chopping, grating and mashing.
- Roll out pie dough.
- Make whipped cream by hand.
- If you have a fireplace, haul and stack wood. Even better, chop it yourself if you live in the country.
- Carve your turkey with a regular knife instead of an electric one.
- If you serve a 1st course of soup, serve it in mugs and stand while you eat it.
- Put some upbeat music on and start a Conga line around the Thanksgiving table.
- Create a pre-dinner outdoor scavenger hunt that you and your guests can do together.
- Take an after dinner walk. No exceptions!
- Lastly, giving thanks and being grateful is one of the easiest ways to reduce stress and calm down our fears and worry over life’s challenges. Give yourself the gift of time to reflect on what you are most grateful for.
Write down what you are grateful for and keep it visible throughout the next two months to remind you that All Is Well In Your World!
I am thankful for my health and for the ability and motivation to constantly improve it.
I am thankful for the good health of my family and friends.
I am thankful for my community of Melters who allow me to live my purpose.
Wishing you all a joy-filled holiday!!