Ways to exercise without getting up from your chair:
- Jumping to conclusions
- Running around in circles
- Stretching the truth
- Beating around the bush
- Spinning your wheels
- Running your mouth off
- Doing a tailspin
- Throwing a fit
- Jumping out of your skin
- Flying by the seat of your pants
- Driving others wild
- Digging a hole for yourself
- Walking on eggshells
- Chipping away at your self-esteem
- Jogging your memory
- Walking on sunshine
- Spinning plates in the air
- Juggling responsibilities
- Running on empty
- Balancing work, school and home
- Throwing caution to the wind
Do’s and don’ts for Stress Intervention:
- Do: Take a breath.
- Don’t: Hold your breath
- Do: Acknowledge your stress, worries, fears.
- Don’t: “Dread ahead”
- Do: Consider positive action.
- Don’t: “Should” yourself
- Do: Talk with friends.
- Don’t: Gripe about the same thing 3x without doing something differently.
- Do: Laugh, dance play.
- Don’t: Always put the fun off til tomorrow.
Some thinking about regular physical activity:
“Activity” means being active. It does not require special clothes, a gym membership or vigorous muscle contractions. Vigorous exercise is good, great in fact for building muscle endurance (like strengthening your heart); however too often we buy into the “no pain, no gain” myth and overlook the fact that doing SOMETHING is better than doing nothing. Try these:
- 5 minute study breaks every hour. Walk, stretch, go up and down stairs, dance, strike a pose.
- Take a midday stroll to anywhere (that you can walk safely). Notice your surroundings, breathe in deeply (may be hard through a mask), listen to the sounds of nature or tunes of your choice. Bonus points if you take a pet or child with you for a walk.
- Add physical activity to your daily calendar and treat it like a very important class you MUST attend.
- Start the day with 20 minutes of stretching, walking or doing a youtube fitness video – you’ll feel better all day long.
“If exercise could be packaged in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” -Robert Butler, National Institute on Aging