Want to move more? Change the way you think
Dr. Jackie Kinley
Many people set intentions in the new year to become active, healthier, stronger. But it’s not unusual for even the best intentions to fail. To be successful at moving more, it might help to change how you think.
There are tangible ways you can visualize the simplicity of adding more movement to your day. For some sage advice, we spoke with Dr. Jackie Kinley, an associate professor of psychiatry at Dalhousie University.
Dr. Kinley is the founder of the Atlantic Institute for Resilience. She helps people and groups build resiliency and mental fitness.
Be kind to yourself and start small
Dr. Kinley recommends thinking about how you view yourself: as an active person or not.
When you stop to consider every tiny bit of movement counts toward your daily activity levels, it’s easy to see that you already are an active person – and that simple change of mindset can make it much easier to start being even more active.
After all, a body in motion tends to stay in motion!
Taking the stairs today is a win. Walking and talking for your next meeting helps. Standing to fold the laundry helps engage muscles in the lower body. There is global consensus underlining the value of these ‘non-exercise’ types of movement. They help boost our overall mental and physical well-being.
Pair movement with other things
You can add small bouts of movement into the day by associating them with activities you already do.
“You have to go to work, so walk to work, or part of the way. You have to do something, do it with a friend. You want movement to fit in as much as possible with the natural routine of your life,” said Dr. Kinley.
If you are meeting a friend for lunch, park farther away from the café and walk the extra block.
If you have to take a phone call, stand to talk.
If it’s time to check the mail, walk rather than driving to the community mailbox.
Act on your values
Take time to consider what matters to you the most. Changing how you think about movement will have a better chance of success if you live in alignment with your values.
“You can’t say you value your health and then not take some small steps to make it more of a priority,” said Dr. Kinley. “Values help you stay motivated.”
If you value family, play together. A game of hide and seek keeps everyone moving.
If you value friends, head outside for a heart-to-heart with a buddy.
If you value work, remember that studies show people perform better after just a 10-minute walk break.
Shift how you view success
Every day is a new opportunity to start adding more movement into your life.
Deciding to get off the bus a stop early is a win. Considering shovelling snow to be an opportunity to move more, instead of an annoying chore, is also a success. If all you managed today was a five-minute stretch break, that’s still great!
“I think we have to change our relationship with judging if things are a success or not. The fact people have tried is a success. I always say, ‘It’s not what you do, but what you do next,’” said Dr. Kinley. “Every second is a new moment, a new choice. These choices determine your life.”
Don’t look back
The psychiatrist said it’s easy to spend too much time contemplating missed chances to be more active – but that just means we’re wasting our current chances to move more.
“We can get stuck in the past,” said Dr. Kinley.
When it comes to making different choices and being more active, “I encourage folks to look forward,” said Dr. Kinley. “The choices you made in the past don’t necessarily dictate your future.”
Don’t worry about the what-ifs, could-haves, should-haves. “What if I had done more of this or less of that?”
Consider what you want your life and related movement to look like.
Ask yourself, “What are little things I can start to do to move toward my goals?”
You’ll start to feel better when you decide to make small shifts in how you view yourself, your goals and your successes. New intentions don’t have to coincide with the flip of a calendar. Shift how you view movement, and you’ll find new ways to move that provide you with a sense of accomplishment.