Yes, You Can Fit in Fitness When You're Busy (guest post by Julie M. Gentile)









For National Women's Health and Fitness Day, Julie (author of 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas) provided us the following guest post.










My 3-year-old does Downward-Facing Dog and Tree Pose. Even at her age, she’s learning how simple and fun it can be to fit in exercise and that exercise is integral to mind-body wellness. 

Since she and her brother were newborns, they’ve seen mama stretch, run, walk and lift weights. And some days they exercise with me. The message they’re getting about exercise is: “Fitness is fun and it helps keep us healthy!” As they grow, they’ll know exercise is just as much a part of their day as brushing their teeth and washing their hands.

I wake up knowing when I’m going to workout. Fitness fits in the nooks and crannies of almost every day. Sometimes it’s a 20-minute yoga video before breakfast; other times it’s a 30-minute walk outside with the family after dinner. Scheduling time for exercise is the most important appointment on my calendar, and it’s with my health.

From sun salutations, to high-intensity interval training to brisk walks outside, I include a variety of movement every week, weaving in the exercise trifecta of cardio, strength and flexibility.

I can feel the benefits of exercise in my bones. It gives me a mega boost in energy (it does the job better than coffee!) powers me through my busy day, helps reduce anxiety and helps me maintain overall physical, mental and emotional health. I always feel better after I exercise.

For optimal health and a decreased risk of several common conditions, including depression, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the World Health Organization recommends individuals 18 to 64 years old exercise at a moderate intensity for 150 minutes or at a vigorous level for 75 minutes every week. Moderate exercise for 300 minutes or vigorous exercise for 150 minutes every week brings even more benefits.1  

What will you do with those 150 minutes?

Find an exercise you enjoy and set a goal related to it. For example, if you love to run, register  and train for a 5K. If you like music and dancing, sign up for a Zumba class. Look at exercise through the lens of living well in mind, body and spirit, which will keep you on track for lifelong fitness.

If you’re new to exercise, speak with your physician before beginning any exercise program, and take it one mindful step at a time.


Reference
1.     Physical activity and adults. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_adults/en/.

About the Author
Julie M. Gentile is a certified and registered yoga teacher, award-winning author of 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas (MSI Press), and creator of the blog Stand-Up for Your Self-Care. She has been practicing yoga and meditation for a decade, and leading yoga classes since 2011. Her book is available on the MSI Press website, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Learn more at www.juliegtheyogi.com and follow Julie @juliegtheyogi on Instagram and Facebook. 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In Memoriam: Carl Don Leaver

Image
  1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of awards over the years,
Read more

A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Book Marketing vs Book Promotion

Image
It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.  Today's post looks at the difference between book marketing and book promotion, two terms that are frequently confused. Leading to the confusion is that some of the same activities are needed for both. In fact, good marketing is dependent upon good promotion. Perhaps the essential difference is that marketing focuses on sales, and promotion focuses on awareness --  noting that without awareness, sales generally do not happen. Book Marketing Book marketing includes promotion, sales, and increasing awareness of the availability of the book. It generally starts with a marketing plan that identifies the target audiences and selects marketing t
Read more