It’s not always easy or convenient to incorporate healthy movement into our day, and it can feel overwhelming to see all the options of what to do and how to do it. As we transition into the new year, instead of making lofty movement goals based on trends and impossible standards, we want to have a joyful relationship with movement that lasts. So, I invited some of our friends and trusted voices to share examples of what joyful movement looks like to them across a variety of different seasons of life. Watch out, 2023 - here we come!
“Even as a US Olympian, I have motivation letdowns during January and February--especially when writing at my computer. My secret is to set a step count goal per day and walk at least 500 steps an hour. I set my Galloway timer to go off every 60 minutes. When it beeps, I walk 5 min around the house (if it's cold outside) or on the patio, sidewalk, or at the park under comfortable conditions. Every 5 minute walk turns on my brain and injects me with energy, motivation and empowerment to overcome current challenges. Each step also gets me closer to my goal. As I resume my writing, I'm already looking forward to the next 5 min walk.” - Jeff Galloway, Olympian
(Jeff Galloway)
"Movement is a non-negotiable in my day. It's the fuel to a solid day for me and I believe when you look at it as a non-negotiable just as you do brushing your teeth, it becomes a habit that sticks and feels wrong not to do." - Alec Treffers, Former D1 Athlete, Certified Health Coach
(Alec Treffers)
"Depending on where your baseline is, 10,000 steps is a great general goal to hit daily whether that's walking, jogging, climbing stairs, etc. I personally love to cultivate movement through biking, hiking, and yoga as they all move the body and you can increase intensity based on your level of fitness or readiness to burn a sweat!" - Jordan Mazur, MS, RD, Sports Dietitian for the San Francisco 49ers“Dancing is one form of joyful movement I like, especially on days when I don't feel like moving my body at all. Even though I have two left feet, I like to play 30 minutes of my favorite songs and dance while cleaning or cooking.” - Kim Rose, RDN, CDCES, CNSC, LDN. Click here for Kim’s Diabetes Health Resource.
"As a sports dietitian, I love exercise, but I choose to multi-task that time by listening to my mentoring and coaching course as well as faith-based inspirational messages. This allows me to strengthen my body, but also my mind and spirit at the beginning of the day. Then I love to get fresh air by taking a leisurely walk sometime in the evening; this is especially true for days when I am sitting on my computer all day. It's a great way to move and enjoy the outdoors." - Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD. Click here for Amy’s free Fitness Fuel resource.
(Amy Goodson)
“With a newborn who doesn’t love to nap, I have found that simply breaking down my workouts into 15-20 minute blocks has helped me stay more consistent with exercise. Workouts do not have to be an hour long to be effective and breaking my exercise up into more attainable lengths of time makes me feel accomplished and like I finished the workout I wanted to.” - Lauren Twigge, MCN, RDN, LD
(Lauren Twigge)
“The winter months where I live can make it tough to get in those extra steps, especially on days when it's blistery cold and gets dark later. With my busy schedule, I like to buy a pack of guest passes for my local gym so for those days when it's too cold to be outdoors, I can pop in and get a workout, stretch and even warm up in the sauna. I'll even sit in the lounge area and read a magazine as a way to decompress and separate from #WFH vibes to give my mind a little break, too. Buying passes is a good option instead of committing to a full membership and they are also passes you can usually share with others who might need a nudge to get moving.” - Danny Seo, Best Selling Author, TV Personality, Environmental Lifestyle Expert
(Danny Seo)
“I love running. That's my joyful movement, but I know not everyone is in love with running. However there are so many benefits of not only cardiovascular exercise but to being outside. To get more movement and Vitamin D from sunlight into your new year plan a 'joyful' walk. Get outside alone or with a buddy and go for an unplugged walk. Walk until you find 3 things that bring you joy! You will likely find that the movement and the shift to a positive mindset inspires you to keep going looking for more joy and getting in more beneficial movement!” - Carissa Galloway, RD, TV Host, Race Announcer
(Carissa Galloway)
From Olympians to sports dietitians and TV personalities, we’ve been given lots of fun and attainable inspiration on how to add joyful movement into our everyday lives. I hope that the ideas shared help you carry a more joyful and exciting perspective on movement into this new year!
Meet Bridgette Weber, Trade Marketing Manager at Natural Delights. Bridgette is a newlywed and a recent transplant to the Chicago area where she enjoys getting outdoors for a scenic hike or taking it indoors with hot yoga. She’s a foodie at heart and loves finding a good healthy hack to help her enjoy great-tasting foods without sacrificing nutrition.
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