This year is unique. It's kept us on our toes and ensured we know how to adapt and adjust our lives to unpredictable and sometimes scary circumstances.
Depending on where you live in the world, you may have spent more time indoors this year than enjoying the fresh air. With gyms still closed in places, many of us have had to learn how to exercise inside, amidst the chaos of our at-home workspaces and our children's new homeschool desks. Whatever trials you've had to face this year, you're not alone in your experiences. You're also not alone if you've felt discouraged about lack of exercise or unexpected body changes.
Before COVID-19, you may have started this year with fitness and health goals. Perhaps you wanted to train for a race or climb a new mountain. Maybe you simply wanted to commit to incorporating more walks and activity into your day-to-day.
But then this year turned into something that none of us could have anticipated. Without a playbook for stay-at-home orders, many of us took to the couch and set up workspaces on our dining room tables. Suddenly, fitness goals seemed irrelevant, as did investing in healthier foods and recipes. We were just happy to have food, to have our health, to be able to eat.
Eight months later, many of us are just now starting to get the hang of a routine again because we can at least predict with some certainty what our day will look like. And in this new routine, maybe you're feeling discouraged by the small amounts of movement you can do in your living room or the nearby park. Sure, there may be enough space to work out, but something about this year sucks up most of our energy.
The thing is, though, movement deserves to be celebrated—no matter how small the steps. A walk around your block, a choice to take the stairs, even some stretching while watching TV—these decisions matter. And they are the building blocks for a truly healthy lifestyle. The mountains and marathons will be waiting in the future, but for now, we can gift our bodies movement in whatever form feels best and doable.
Be encouraged by that. You're doing the best you can and that deserves to be celebrated. And we hope that the next time you go to work out, you remember this. Your movement—no matter how big or small—matters. Good for you for just getting out there.
How are you practicing movement during 2020? Share with us on Facebook or Instagram!
