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.
Get those steps in however you feel comfortable, but the goal is to walk for at least 11 minutes a day.
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.
TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS!
ACHIEVING YOUR 2023 FITNESS AND WELLNESS GOALS
FOCUS ON ONE GOAL AT A TIME.
2023 has arrived, so it’s time to get those goals and resolutions underway! However, did you know Jan. 13 is known as Quitters Day? It’s the day when most individuals abandon their resolutions. Fitness and wellness are at the forefront of many people’s aspirations. Whether you aspire to lose some weight, incorporate healthier practices, or increase your flexibility and mobility, here are some tips to ensure you reach your goals and avoid the group of “quitters” who give up after a few short weeks. SET REALISTIC GOALS. Sure, dropping 20 pounds by February sounds great, but the reality is that unless you fall
seriously ill or take part in an unhealthy fad or crash diet, you won’t drop 20 pounds in just one month. You only become frustrated. Instead, set attainable, realistic resolutions! BE SPECIFIC. When setting your goals, don’t just set out to “lose weight” or something equally vague. Setting measurable goals with a clear deadline will make you less likely to fall short. For example, resolving to lose 15 pounds by May by working out four times a week and eliminating sweets from your diet are concrete (and realistic) actions. You’ll be less likely to skip a workout or allow yourself more cheat days than you should.
Multitasking is great, but trying to do too much at a time can make it challenging to finish all your goals. After all, cutting sugar out of your diet, working out five days a week, and getting a full eight hours of sleep each night can be difficult, so you’ll likely bend the rules a little here and there to fit it all in! Just get back on track quickly! Fitness and wellness goals are fabulous resolutions for the new year — caring for yourself and your physical well-being is essential to living a longer and healthier life! How will you achieve your fitness goals this year?
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