Exercise vs. Movement
February 13, 2022
Do you have a list of aspirations, either for your health or just for life? I’m sure you do–we all have some kind of goal we’d love to reach! When someone starts working towards reaching their goals for their health, they sometimes find that they need a guide to help them on their way, and I’m always so excited when someone reaches out to me!
When I ask someone about their goals for their health and they get into what their plan for getting healthy looks like, one of the biggest mistakes I see is overcomplication. Looking at how far in the distance your goal may seem, you might feel like you have to overcompensate with tips and tricks to get you there, but all you really need to reach your health goals is a basic toolbox.
My foundational system for building a healthy lifestyle is the Eat, Move, and Recharge™ system. Throughout your life, you’ve most likely heard that you should get 30 minutes of exercise each day, and you may notice that we’re now talking about getting movement each day. I want to share with you why I’ve made this switch in my vocabulary, and why you should too.
The simple difference in exercise and movement is that exercise is specific and intentional while movement is the sum of everything you do throughout your day. If you’re going to ride your bike, go for a run, or go to pilates class, you’re exercising. If you’re going up and down the stairs of your home throughout your day, that is movement, as is walking through your neighborhood, having a dance party while you sweep the floor, and parking further away from the store.
All of those things might seem small, but those little moments add up in a great way over time.
They impact something called your NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or how much your body burns without doing specific, intentional exercise. Over time, that increases your basal metabolic rate which makes it easier for you to stay in a fit condition.
There are so many ways to increase your NEAT, and fitting in small moments of movement will have a huge impact on your health. Working at a standing desk burns more calories than sitting and increases your NEAT. You can also take a longer walking route to your destination, choose the stairs instead of the elevator, and walk or bike instead of driving whenever possible. The possibilities for adding movement to your day are limitless.
I'm a huge fan of my Peloton and exercise classes, and I always fit in a workout when I can. It’s great for clearing my mind and bettering my body. But I don’t want to put extra stress on my joints, and one easy way to keep my body healthy is to not only do intentional exercise, but move as much as possible throughout the day, too.
How can you fit movement into your everyday life today? Let me know in the comments, and I would love to help you out!
If you need some inspiration for healthy living, please join me in my Facebook group Never Diet Again for a great community filled with great discussion!