“Keep Moving!” was this month’s storytime theme at one of the preschools I visit. We talked about the importance of movement through stretch, yoga, and dance. The children had so much fun and learned how to do the sign language for the word dance.
Keep Moving, has been repeating over and over in my head. It’s more than a storytime theme, it’s a life theme for me. There are plenty of health reasons to keep moving. Studies have shown that at any age or whatever ails you, simply walking every day will help you. Then there’s the longtime PBS show by Mary Ann Wilson, RN called Sit and Be Fit that has proven that even stretching in a chair helps improve your health.
More, I’m talking about a frame of mind. It’s a good life philosophy for when life gets hard to keep moving. When I was younger, I remember being home sick and my grandfather would come into my room and tell me to get up and out of bed. He would have me help him cook or do something around the house. “Now go get the mail. Now go take out the dog.” I would say, “But, Poppy, I’m sick.” He would just keep telling me things to do. Every day, no matter how he felt or what was going on, he would get up and go. And on his final days at home, when he was able, he still wanted to get out of bed, get dressed, get the mail, and go for a car ride. So on the hardest days, when it’s hard to get out of bed, I’m reminded of him and I get out of bed, get dressed, and keep moving.
I’m visiting my relatives in Wisconsin. And I’m reminded of my Aunt Mary who believed that you needed to walk outside, every day – no matter what the weather, no matter how you felt. She believed it helped your mind and body to walk and breathe. When life gets hard, I give myself some time to feel my feels. Then I get up, open a window, take a deep breath, and start my day.
I believe it’s important to keep moving. We only have a short time in this life to enjoy the gifts around us. Some days are hard to not just stay in bed and feel my feels all day long. But I think of my son, my grandfather, and those who have gone before me. I don’t have days like this very often. Sometimes I have a hard moment throughout the day. But when I have these moments, I feel fortunate to have the strength of my angels and memories to keep moving.
I am grateful for my family and friends – even when they don’t agree with or understand me. I try every day to be the best I can be, to live an honest life, and to love. I don’t want to be the “kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, “Oh crap she’s up!” (origin unknown). It might be corny to say, but I want to be the kind of woman that when my feet hit the floor, the angels watching over me grab a cup of tea and a cookie and say “let’s see what good she’ll try to do today”. Studies show the impact music plays on our brains and emotions. So if I need motivation, I play upbeat music, like Meghan Trainor’s Me Too.
~I’m here to help
Tina
Resources:
American Heart Association. July 26, 2016. Get Moving: Easy Tips to Get Active! Retrieved from: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/GettingActive/Get-Moving-Easy-Tips-to-Get-Active_UCM_307978_Article.jsp#.WPDS4IjyvIU
Benaroch, Roy. January 31, 2016. Kids’ Exercise: How Physical Activity and Exercise Benefit Your Body. WebMD. Retrieved from: http://fit.webmd.com/kids/move/article/exercise-helps-body
Good Morning Quotes. December 2, 2016. 50 Best Positive Thoughts for the Day. Good Morning Quotes. Retrieved from: http://www.goodmorningquote.com/positive-thoughts/
Knapton, Sarah. June 14, 2016. A brisk 15-minute walk a day lowers death risk for older adults. The Telegraph: Science. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/14/a-15-minutes-brisk-walk-a-day-lowers-death-risk-for-older-adults/
Mayo Clinic News Network. April 16, 2016. Keep moving: the importance of exercise in cancer survivorship. Standard Times: Health and Fitness. Retrieved from: http://archive.gosanangelo.com/lifestyle/health/Keep-moving-the-importance-of-exercise-in-cancer-survivorship-375969471.html
Mayo Clinic Staff. February 18, 2017. Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950
Trainor, Meghan. May 10, 2016. Me Too. MeghanTrainorVEVO. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDRORgoZxZU
Meyers, Josh. January 4, 2017. Just Keep Moving – The Importance of Staying Fit During the Winter Months. Orthopedic and Sports Therapy Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.ostipt.com/blog/Just-Keep-Moving-The-Importance-of-Staying-Fit-During-the-Winter-Months~3103.html
Minden, Joel. August 25, 2016. The Problem With Positive Thinking. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cbt-and-me/201608/the-problem-positive-thinking
Robinson, Lawrence; Smith, Melinda; Segal, Jeanne. April 2017. Exercise and Fitness as You Age: Exercise Tips to Get Fit and Stay Fit in Midlife and Beyond. Help Guide. Retrieved from: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/exercise-fitness/exercise-and-fitness-as-you-age.htm
Rueb, April. June 15, 2016. 5 Things That Happened When I Tried To Walk 20,000 Steps A Day. Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.prevention.com/fitness/5-things-that-happened-when-i-tried-to-walk-20000-steps-a-day
Seliger, Susan. 2017. Stretching Exercises at Your Desk: 12 Simple Tips. WebMD. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/stretching-exercises-at-your-desk-12-simple-tips
Siegel, Ronald D. May 4, 2016. Mind over back pain. Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mind-back-pain-201605049517
Wilson, Mary Ann. 2017. Sit and Be Fit. Retrieved from: https://www.sitandbefit.org/