pillar 4: movement + mindfulness
movement
Movement is medicine: it increases resilience to stressors, reduces systemic inflammation, facilitates detoxification through healthy circulation of blood and lymph, and can help promote a healthy gut microbiome.
Exercise is not about running on a treadmill just to burn calories, or doing intense Crossfit-style lifting. It’s about finding ways you love to move your body and making it a part of your daily routine. Exercise should not be a form of punishment, it should be a celebration of all the amazing ways your body can move.
Did you know that increasing from 0 weekly minutes of exercise to just 90 minutes per week can reduce your rate of dying from all causes by 14%! There certainly aren't any medications that can do that! People who exercise regularly can live up to 10 years longer than people who remain sedentary.
Remember: The 10 minutes of movement you actually do is SO much better than the hour-long class you never make it to. Every little bit counts!
some of my favorite movement resources:
Free:
Fit On: app with lots of short but effective classes
10-Minute Daily Workouts with Heather Robertson
Online:
Evlo Fitness: strength training taught by physical therapists
The Class: offers a 2-week free trial
In-Person:
ClassPass: get 20 free credits to try out different local studios
mindfulness
You probably don’t need me to explain the importance of movement … but what I do want to emphasize is that it is equally important to find stillness. We live in a crazy, stressed-out, chaotic world. Most of us spend far too much time in the sympathetic (fight/flight/freeze) response.
We can all greatly benefit from spending more time in the parasympathetic (rest/digest/detox) state - this is where all cellular rejuvenation and repair occurs. It’s the true healing state.
Mindfulness can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to calm the body and mind by shifting from a state of stress to one of relaxation and restoration.
The benefits of a daily mindfulness practice include:
Increased resilience to stress, reduces level of cortisol (the stress hormone)
Decreased inflammation by a reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines
Strengthened immune function: increases T-cell number and activity, promotes faster wound healing
Improved emotional well-being: promotes emotional regulation, reduces rumination of negative thoughts, decreases reactivity to stress
Improved perception of pain, particularly in pain associated with chronic illness
Enhanced brain function: increased activity in the prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain responsible for higher-level thinking)
Improved focus and attention
There is a popular Buddhist saying: “You should sit and meditate for twenty minutes every day, unless you are too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.”
While 20 minutes is certainly a wonderful goal, even sitting quietly for just 3-5 minutes can improve emotional regulation and cognition, and decrease stress.
some of my favorite mindfulness resources:
Start here —> Free 40-Day Course:
Mindfulness Daily with Tara Brach & Jack Kornfield
Each episode is about 10 minutes
Great for beginners as it teaches you a new style of meditation each day, and also helps you cultivate a daily practice.
Free Apps:
Waking Up by Sam Harris. You get a 30-day trial with this link. No credit card is required!
