11 Minutes of Movement a Day CAN HELP KEEP DEPRESSION AWAY
According to the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, depression affects 10% of Americans annually. And since the disorder doesn’t pick favorites, anyone can suffer from its melancholy grasp. But there are things people can do to help. In fact, exercise has been known to help, but what if people are limited on time or motivation? New research by JAMA Psychiatry shows that completing just half of your recommended daily exercise (only 11 minutes!) can lower your risk of experiencing depression. So, when battling the blues, some exercise is always better than none. Here’s how to squeeze that movement into your schedule. INCREASED WALKING TIME If you’re not exercising already, you don’t need to start running a 5K tomorrow. Take it slow before building on the activity that’s already in your routine. The easiest way to hit that exercise mark is by slowly increasing the time you spend walking each day. If you work from home and never leave the couch, consider taking a lap around your house every 30 minutes. If you need to go grocery shopping, make yourself walk through every aisle or park your car farther away so you have a longer distance to walk.
WORKOUT VIDEOS When you’re depressed or feeling down, following a peppy exercise influencer
in a 35-minute YouTube video is probably the last thing you want to do. But remember, you only need to start with 11 minutes a day. Simply choose a video and plan to only complete a portion of it. You can even choose to follow the easy parts, but set your timer for 11 minutes and follow along the best you can. Once your alarm goes off, reward yourself for getting that movement in.! THE BENEFITS OF DANCING Any movement counts, even dancing. And you don’t need to be good at it to participate, either. To meet your 11 minutes, simply put on four of your favorite dance songs — and bust a move! Even if it takes months to get there, moving your body a little each day will help. So, push that cart, pop on that video, or pull out your best dance moves to fight depression.
Get those steps in however you feel comfortable, but the goal is to walk for at least 11 minutes a day.
How to Celebrate and Honor Your Pet We Miss You, Oscar!
As I write this, Robert and I are grieving the loss of our precious fur baby, Oscar. National Change a Pet’s Life Day is coming up on Jan. 24, and we wish he were still with us so we could spoil him. Fortunately, we had almost 18 wonderful years with our beloved dachshund before he passed away this fall.
you’d like to care for your pet, but it could also be wise to seek out the legal expertise of an estate planning attorney.
Second, consider honoring your pet and/or their memory by making a one-time donation to a pet-focused charity like the Humane
Society of Central Illinois in their honor. Finally, you may design your financial strategy to benefit a pet- focused charity. This is a wonderful way to honor the memory of a “family member” close to your heart. As I’ve written in my book, “The Generational Wealth System,” donations like this can be part of a tax-driven strategy while you’re living or a component of your legacy after you’re gone.
You may also have a pet whom you consider a family member. If you do, I applaud you for embracing them! It takes a special person to open their heart and home to a four-legged gift from God. Like raising a child, raising a pet requires a lot of hard work, expense, and heartbreak, but the love our animals give us in return makes it all worthwhile.
If you consider your pet family, you may want to include them in your financial plan and end-of-life decisions, just as you would for other loved ones. There are several ways to do this. First, you can make a plan for the day you are no longer able to care for your pet. Who will become their guardian, and how will their care be paid for? You may be able to resolve this by talking with the person
When he was with us, Oscar’s favorite treats were from Nilla’s Tub, a dog wash and health food store near our office on Landmark Drive. If you’re celebrating National Change a Pet’s Life Day by adopting a pet or treating your current one, I’d encourage you to visit them!
–Krista McBeath
2 McBeathFinancialGroup.com
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