In my practice, no matter what issue a client comes to sort through I always check in on their overall health, that is, how well they are functioning mentally, emotionally and physically.
Quite often I find that their lifestyle is either mainly inactive or completely inactive and when this is the case, one of the things I insist they commit to as a part of our work together is to start moving more, everyday, however gently it may be. For people who live predominately sedentary lives and are resistant to the word ‘exercise’ I usually just suggest they go for a walk every morning and every evening for a minimum of 20 minutes each session (sometimes I’m beaten down to 10 but once they’ve been doing it a while they increase it by choice!). I encourage them to try walking in silence as well as listening to music, the radio, a podcast or audio book. I also encourage them to do a few long deep breaths at the start and finish of their walk and I don’t care how slowly they walk, as long as they walk, everyday.
In all my years of prescribing daily walking I can’t think of one client who hasn’t A) done it B) loved it and C) moved on to try other forms of physical activity/exercise and, I can honestly say that most people I have prescribed daily walking/exercise to have cited it as ‘life changing’. I know it was for me.
The reason I prescribe daily exercise isn’t for the purpose of getting fit or losing weight – although if someone is unfit and/or overweight it will certainly tick those two boxes – it’s for the purpose of ‘increasing wellbeing’. Daily exercise helps production of ‘feel good endorphins’ which hugely contribute to us feeling that ‘life is (generally) good’ and ‘I am (generally) happy’.
It also many other wonderful benefits like improving digestion, sleep and sex drive as well as reducing the risk of all sorts of nasty health issues like heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer.
The is NOT ONE downside to daily exercise – just a heap of upsides so grab your hat and your jacket and head on out for a walk and keep doing that everyday. It may just be life changing.
