Move your body, free your mind

The pressure is on for me to make this article a winner. This is my first article for The Macon Melody. As I sit here face-to-face with that dreaded obstacle commonly known as writer’s block, I decide to go for a walk. This is not a marathon walk, mind you. It is a short, slow-paced movement of my body in a forward motion for one block. 

As I am walking my mind starts shifting. I have to hurry back to my computer because now the ideas are flowing and I must get these words on the page before I forget them. I now have energy and focus where stress, fatigue, frustration and dead-brain were before. Was that tiny walk magic for my mind? 

Yes, it was! Moving our bodies may not solve life’s biggest challenges but it can absolutely help. When we feel like the world is on fire and life is overwhelming, we tend to avoid a simple but powerful medicine — movement. 

When we are stressed, we often cope by distracting, slowing down or purging on comfort foods. What if there is a better option? What if we fight back against the stress life throws at us? Movement is a game-changer because it is a physical release of all the things stewing in our minds. According to the American Psychological Association, Americans are more stressed than ever, with women being more likely to report stress than men. However, only a small minority of us are tapping into this mighty drug called movement. I tell my clients, “Move less if you want more stress.”

But what kind of movement? How intense should it be? And for how long? There is no “one size fits all.” Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America because it gets people moving in a way that feels fun. Macon provides an abundance of indoor and outdoor opportunities for play. We have beautiful parks and trails for walking, biking or jogging. All around us there are fitness studios and recreational facilities. Just remember, any movement is exercise. You get to pick what suits you best. If you can physically do the movement and it removes stress, then it is a winner. 

What if your body is out of shape and easily stressed by any movement? Don’t worry, you can still get the benefits. You can take on movement in baby bites. Start where you are and go as you grow. Lift your arms overhead 10 times. Rest and then do it again tomorrow and the next day. 

A personal training client recently said to me, “Big things come from small things.” That is certainly true when it comes to getting results from adding more movement. The opposite is also true. When it comes to stress and anxiety, small mental obstacles can snowball into something bigger if we don’t break them up with physical movement. 

For too long, fitness professionals have sold the idea that movement/exercise has to be hard or a “work out” to be effective. But movement doesn’t have to be punishment — it just has to happen in order to help. Get up out of your chair one to five times while reading this. Congratulations, you just did it! Your heart felt it, your lungs felt it and your brain is stronger and more ready to handle any world-on-fire-day. Move more because the world needs you!

Alli Kerr has 30 years experience in the health and fitness industry. She is the owner/exercise Physiologist at The Pink Physique in Macon. She is also the co-host of the international podcast Girls Talk Healthy Aging, which has listeners in more than 35 countries.