Bite-Sized Self-Care Challenge Day 13
Exercise: day X of the QUALITY BOSS 30-day self-care challenge.
Welcome to day 13 of the self-care challenge! You can catch up here if needed.
Today’s Bite-Sized Self-Care: Exercise
Welcome back to another day of our self-care journey, where we focus on bringing more movement and vitality into our lives. I don’t know about you, but as much as I love binge-watching TV, or staying in my PJs all day, I always feel better when I get some exercise.
There is overwhelming evidence of the importance of exercise for our physical health. There is also an abundance of research on the other benefits of exercise. This research shows that regular exercise, particularly cardiovascular activities, not only boosts our physical health but also improves brain function, and mental health, and can even delay neurological disorders.1
Today’s Challenge:
Most of the research is around the benefits of moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise (as opposed to strength training), so today's goal is to get our heart rate in the target zone, as per the American Heart Association, for a few minutes.
Effective exercise doesn't require fancy equipment or a gym; simple activities like brisk walking, jogging, or home-based exercises can significantly contribute to your health. And, as always, please do only what you can and are comfortable doing. I’d also suggest a short warm-up before attempting anything unfamiliar or new.
Some suggestions:
Take a short walk, at a faster-than-usual pace.
Go for a run (or run in place).
Jump rope.
Try out plyometrics (dynamic movements that improve strength, balance, power, and agility) if you’re feeling up for an extra challenge. Some examples:
Box jumps
Burpees
Jump Squats
More examples and suggestions from Self.com.
What’s your relationship with exercise? Love it? Hate it?
Off for a run,
Brie
This research and data can be found in Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.