Why Movement is one of the Four Sage HealthStyle Pillars
As we dive into the Four Pillars that create a successful Sage HealthStyle, it’s important for us to understand why these four key areas are so important to us. One of our Pillars is Movement. Movement to us means any thing that you can do to get some kind of movement into your life daily. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to do a full workout, but you need to do something besides sitting on your butt all day long (especially if you have a 9-5 desk job)!!
Movement is one of those things in our life that we have a love-hate relationship with. We love it because when we move, we feel SO good. Our mood is enhanced, we feel cleansed and clear headed; we feel stronger, more fit, energetic and it helps us clear our head, to promote a sense of calm and feeling relaxed. But then we hate it. We hate that the first thing we can put aside when our to-do list starts adding up, is movement. We don’t prioritize it the same way we do nourishment (food) and sleep. At Sage, we call this a “self-inflicted bad habit management”. We also hate it, because who really wants to get super sweaty in the middle of the day or after work, and then have to wash their hair and re-do their makeup? Plus, when you’re trying to juggle your schedule, 30-minutes to workout PLUS all the time it takes to freshen up, change, etc just seems daunting and before you know it, it’s been 2 hours!!!!!
But come on! With all of the options that are available to us today, you definitely have no excuse not to work out or do something! There’s so many options out there that are fun for everyone, no matter what your interests are. Yoga (regular yoga, aerial yoga, partner yoga, aquatic yoga, sculpt yoga, burn yoga, hot yoga, candlelight yoga), barre class, cycle studios (with cycle fit, cycle burn, cycle challenge), pilates, swimming, running, walking, power walking, hiking, mountain climbing, rock climbing (both indoor & outdoor), tai chi, crossfit, weight lifting, circuit training, bodyweight workouts, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, rowing… we can keep going, but we’re assuming you get the point….
So how do you get started? How do you get yourself to choose some form of movement as a priority? We like the “power of no”. When you say no to something, you have to say yes to something else. If you want to “yes” to adding movement into your day, say “no” to staying late at the office, say “no” to watching 30 minutes of TV, say “no” to drinks with your friend and suggest a walk instead.
But before we can convince you to start implementing movement every day, you have to understand your motivation behind it. Why. Why do you want to start moving? Why do you want to incorporate a workout routine into your life? What. What is your motivation, your goals? What do you hope to achieve? What are your expectations? Is it because you notice your lack of energy? Because you feel sluggish and bloated? Because you feel dull? After you understand the reason, you can start to focus on the benefits (which is obviously the best part)! And feel free to reach out to us if you need to better understand the "why" in your life! That's what we're here for!
The health benefits of moving regularly are numerous and you can’t open a single social media channel without being bombarded with the reasons why. So why do so many people start a program and then quit within a short period of time (think New Year's Resolutions or most “get healthy challenges”)? At Sage, we think it is because people take on way too much and build in a huge commitment, that’s completely unattainable and not even remotely sustainable. We 100% believe a new habit must start small and you must build on it. For some, this may be over the span of 24 hours or a week, but for most of us, that means over weeks or months. Research suggests that to form any lasting habit, you need to give it about 12 weeks for the habit to become sustainable. 12 weeks!! That’s 3 months. No wonder so many people get frustrated when they aren’t seeing results in a week's time.
Here are some of the key benefits to movement:
We encourage you to find an activity you think you will love. If you don’t like it, you will never keep it up. It is also OK to decide you really don’t like this new activity, but have a backup to turn to. Be totally willing to commit. Choose the activity and time commitment with a confidence that 80% of the time, you’ll complete your movement/exercise program. Be open to activities that are solo as well as those that are group programs. Get creative with the format. Use YouTube for free videos - there are a gazillion out there.
As you are deciding what will work best for you with your schedule and that fits the “I love this” requirement, be sure to write down and acknowledge the why behind agreeing and choosing to make movement a non-negotiable. How does this ladder up to a bigger goal? Where does this fit into your overall HealthStyle?
Comment below with any questions or if you need some guidance on figuring out your "why". Let us know what your go-to movement is.