The Essential Choice to Move Our Bodies

When we expand our minds and open our lives to make room for positive change, we will discover a shift in many areas that have long been requiring our [intentional] attention. How often do we feel we have no option but to put something 'on the back burner' because more pressing matters are calling louder to us? When we live parts of our existence by default, we stand back and leave the steering of our life's ship to whatever winds blow the strongest at any given time.

We may not realize how much power we have to command our lives. At some point, we may have forgotten that we can say 'Yes' to good things and 'No' to things that throw us off course.

I like this idea of Intentional Attention.

When we begin to distinguish between more healthy and intentional Yes and No moments, we can also begin to understand their positive impacts on our lives. Lasting change can happen slowly or very quickly.

Could it finally be time to make a change many of us have avoided making?

January 1st only comes around every few hundred days. Yet why do so many precious humans wait until that day to decide to change? With so much of our lives being centered around groupings of time, we may not realize how convenient and ideal it is for us to start and then start again if our January 1 change does not occur. We have a Monday every single week, a morning every single day, a top-of-the-hour every 60 minutes, and a Right Now every single moment.

We may have heard about distinguishing between "One Day" and "Day One." If we are waiting for "One Day," the likelihood of that day happening may be small. If we change our thoughts, words, and intentions, Day One can be January 1st. Better yet, it can be the moment we hear someone ask us to be in their wedding party. Or even better, Day One can be Monday or Right Now!

Now, Introducing the featured guest of today's topic:

DAILY INTENTIONAL EXERCISE

Perhaps it's time to designate our Day One and look forward to the positive mental, emotional, and physical effects attainable through daily movement. Even if we are not in an underweight or obese weight category, becoming more fit can assist us in reversing or repairing poor health concerns and slowing the aging process in our bodies.

A few years ago, a friend said, "I heard that if we want to be able to move our bodies after age 65 or 70, we should start practicing yoga now." That reminded me of a video highlighting former Army paratrooper Arthur Boorman and his re-mobility journey. According to various accounts of his experience, Arthur had been declared disabled without hope of ever walking unassisted again-- due to repeated physical trauma (compounded injury-upon-impact) from jumping out of planes during his military service.

At age 47, with the start of his re-mobility journey, Arthur had spent more than a decade using forearm canes, knee braces, and a back brace when walking, as well as frequent sitting in a wheelchair. He was in a dangerous obese classification as well. With these conditions as his reality, Arthur could not enjoy a quality of life. But with consistent and persistent effort, he discovered that re-mobility was possible. Even though he had to push his body through intense pain, Arthur began regularly practicing yoga. He could regain his balance, strengthen his bones, muscles, and tissue, loosen his joints, and regenerate cells to bring him closer to a new physical structure his medical providers had not believed possible.

Little by little and day by day, Arthur made the front-burner decision to work hard on his physical goals, overcoming and surpassing the limitations he had previously known. His path was not all about exercise, however. He followed the nutrition plan laid out by the yoga instructor, who cheered him on and helped him regain his healthy condition. An account of his [intentional] attention is found here: t.ly/iVSeI

Thankfully, we don't have to wait until we reach this level of hardship (or worse) to make conscious improvements. A daily intentional effort to move the body beyond our usual activities can bring such an improved quality of life that perhaps we never believed possible!

A FOUNDING FATHER WHO WAS A BIG FAN OF WORKOUTS

Thomas Jefferson has been attributed to encouraging words about daily physical exercise. Regardless of political views (none of which appear in this article or the linked article), this man was a good example of setting aside time to prioritize his health every day... and he expressed a strong belief that he should encourage others to do the same.

Jefferson seemed to believe walking was the best daily exercise. He trusted that his feet, legs, muscles, joints, lungs, and heart were the ideal exercise equipment and gym membership one could constantly rely on. In the following quote, he advocates clearing the head while walking outdoors, increasing endurance, and doing morning exercise:

'The object of walking is to relax the mind. You should therefore not permit yourself even to think while you walk. But divert your attention by the objects surrounding you. Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far... There is no habit you will value so much as that of walking far without fatigue.'...'A little walk of half an hour in the morning when you first rise is adviseable also. It shakes off sleep, and produces other good effects...' (T. Jefferson’s letter to Peter Carr in August 1785)

Interestingly, a 30-minute walk is referred to as 'little.' For many of us, finding the time for a 10-, 20-, or 30-minute workout can be difficult. However, Day One efforts of even 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 5 minutes should count if we have previously made zero intentional minutes of effort for daily exercise. And, it could be quite rejuvenating and healing to relax our minds by not thinking too deeply during our walk.

Jefferson promoted making exercise a habit when encouraging his cousin to begin small, as in this writing:

'If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong -- the sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all exercises walking is best... No one knows, till he tries, how easily a habit of walking is acquired. A person who never walked three miles will in the course of a month become able to walk 15 or 20 without fatigue. I have known some great walkers and had particular accounts of many more: and I never knew or heard of one who was not healthy and long lived. This species of exercise therefore is much to be advised. Should you be disposed to try it, as your health has been feeble, it will be necessary for you to begin with a little, and to increase it by degrees.' (Letter to Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. in August 1786)

- The choice to exercise for more than a few minutes a day -

The advice to set aside a longer time frame for daily exercise could be the key to better health for many of us! I acknowledge that not all of us can carve out a long workout each day. But suppose we sprinkle our day with breaks for intentional physical movement between tasks, projects, errands, and appointments. In that case, we can increase the time we spend each week in more intense movement of our bodies. The intentional movement we choose should be in addition to our less intentional bending, stooping, standing up, sitting down, turning, and stepping we do to get out of bed, bathe, prepare food, get in and out of our vehicles, and all other common activities that don't get our blood and oxygen circulating more optimally and steadily.

Here's a look at the intensity with which Thomas Jefferson chose to view his body's need for exercise (without wifi, digital resources, and apps):

'Not less than two hours a day should be devoted to exercise, and the weather should be little regarded. A person not sick will not be injured by getting wet. It is but taking a cold bath, which never gives a cold to any one. Brute animals are the most healthy, and they are exposed to all weather, and of men, those are healthiest who are the most exposed.' (Letter to Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr in August 1786) For more writings about Jefferson's call to activity, see this article on the Elect Wellness website: t.ly/q6DQp

The World Health Organization (WHO) encourages these standards for exercise:

- Children and adolescents need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily. They should also be involved in intentional muscle and bone strengthening exercises at least 3 times a week.
- Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, such as 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Adults also need 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity each week. [The WHO exercise recommendation page can be viewed here t.ly/HpTsn ]

When I was a kid, my mom purchased a 14-minute cassette tape called Jazzercise: Tight and Toned by Judi Sheppard Missett. My siblings and I memorized the workout by frequently and regularly looking at black-and-white images of how the moves were supposed to be. The cassette and booklet of exercises likely were destroyed when my family's home was burned in the mid-2010s. But I still have almost the entire program memorized. The motto of the 1969-founded (now modernly rebranded and still thriving) Jazzercise company is: 'A body in motion stays in motion.' This supports the concept and truth that daily exercise is Important. No, it is Essential! A recent Facebook post on the official Jazzercise page shows this encouraging snippet: 'Growth happens outside your comfort zone. Push mindfully and see what you can do!'

Missett is now 80 years old, and she is still leading Jazzercise classes multiple times per week and lifting weights. She recently said, “It keeps your body younger, it keeps your mind younger, and it's a lot more fun to be fit and able to do things as you age.' See the article here: t.ly/vsFeZ

We may feel we can't do something difficult without someone to hold us accountable. Having a walking friend or a workout buddy can be extra helpful. But if we don't have such a person to cheer us on, we can look for opportunities to find a community of people online, invite someone older than us to join us on a walk, or be brave and talk to someone else out for a walk. The least they can say is No, and the most they can say is Yes. Maybe today is their Day One also!

To wrap up, another well-known individual named Martin Luther King, Jr. had this to say when promoting intentional attention:

'If you can't fly, then run.
If you can't run, then walk.
If you can't walk, then crawl,
But by all means, keep moving.'

We can learn a lot by paying attention to the wisdom of others, even if it comes from unexpected sources about unexpected topics. I'm grateful for the nuggets of wisdom that jump out at us when we are open to and in search of growth. We can do so much to improve our physical (and mental/emotional/spiritual) health by setting aside time for extra physical activity. But if we allow it, our essential exercise time will get pushed to the back burner or out of our lives to make way for other things we do to stay too busy.

Wonderful changes will occur if we decide not to prioritize anything else above our health. We may even notice being able to bend farther, digest better, stand or walk longer, sleep deeper, and have a happier mood more frequently.

May you continuously be able to stay in motion by being in motion. May you enjoy your daily exercise, however long or short it may be. Anything we do today more than yesterday is effort and improvement that absolutely counts. I hope you see an intentionally more full and satisfactory life on the other side of your Day One.

By, Kaari Branham