When you move your body, you’re not just benefiting your bones, joints, and muscles. You’re impacting everything that makes you you, even the parts you can’t see. Research shows a clear correlation between low physical fitness and risk of mental health problems. That means exercising on a regular basis can benefit your emotional and mental health — in addition to your physical body.
Any kind of movement, from walking and climbing to lifting and pushing, is beneficial. While heart-pumping activities are great for burning calories and eliminating excess weight, every bit of movement adds up to do your body (and mind) good.
Join us as we move our bodies to heal our minds in the next #healthynurse challenge, Mindful Movement, powered by Humana.
First, this Mindful Movement Challenge will help you understand how exercise impacts both physical and mental well-being. We’ll also arm you with the tools you need (for now and later) to give your body and mind an ongoing boost.
Let’s get moving! Starts October 11. Sign up today by clicking "Yes," under "Ready to Join?" and invite a #healthynurse you know to join with you.
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Please Note:
How are you doing in the challenge?
Got my physical exam, blood drawn, snacking on broccoli, carrots and other veggies instead of unhealthy snacks. Eating fruit instead of sweets and exercising for at least 30min a day.
@jtrip Great work!!
So as we come to the end of this challenge I have had the opportunity to evaluate some places that I am doing well, some areas that could be improved and some changes that have been slowly happening that have caused a slip in my focus on self care. I haven't got those items addressed yet but the first step to doing that is becoming aware of them, clarifying the reasons for them and developing the motivation to change them. This challenge has helped me get to that point of being willing and ready to implement those changes and has actually helped put some positive steps into action. I hope everyone else has found the challenge useful and is in a better place now than when we all started a few weeks ago.
The positive mantras and saying have always been a challenge for me. My first introduction to them was an exercise of saying them to yourself in a mirror and that felt oddly uncomfortable. I do try to catch myself when I am listening to that inner critical voice and use techniques from an ANT's workshop, to reframe the negative thoughts into a more positive framework. I also use daily gratitudes in the morning and a daily reflection & evaluation in the evening to build on positive experiences and things in my life. Visual affirmations have been useful to post for me to see so I will try to shift the discomfort I feel in putting those words into the personal “I am…” “I can…” format more.
Mrs Sheena D Pracyk, RN For me the shorter the better for mantras. Repeating “Breathe, Just Breathe” has helped me calm myself, collect myself or focus. It's always good to know what works for you!
Catching up on the last few days post after a quick trip to the midwest. I must say that I use music a lot in my self care. It can calm, energize, inspire and restore both the body and the mind. I use it to energize me during workouts and housecleaning/chores. I use it to calm me and help me destress at the end of the day or whenever that need arises. I have sat recently in a church service and had me spirit lifted by the familiar words of a hymn that connects me to my family thousands of miles away, and was connected to my sisters and my childhood through dance and memories of dance classes together as children. A certain song can connect to memories of places and people and songs can definitely get me out of my chair, out of a blue mood and into my walking shoes into the sunshine. During my trip, music helped me blitz through a list of household repairs and maintenance and calmed me through my crowded airport journey and flight home.
Had a dance party with my kids! 👯♀️
It was a really fun way to add to my step count for the day!!
Love the idea of playing like a kid! And to have an excuse to do it 🤸🏃
Two of my hydrangea trees from this season. They had gone through the color change to pink and recent heavy rain and storms had curved the branches over. Spent a day pruning them all back and bagging up the blooms and trimmed branches into compostable bags for collection.
Our municipality has a community composting site that they maintain and you can go to to purchase back mulch for your garden for the next season. This fall weather has been perfect for some time outside. I'll be spending more as the leaves have just started to fall consistently so more clean ups and garden time in my future
…. and I can testify from my muscle aches that there was a lot of stretching, bending and squatting involved in my gardening workout!
sooo pretty!
GORGEOUS!!
i am luck to work with an amazing group of off shift administrators. We have all contributed different ideas & activities to take care of ourselves as the COVID pandemic continues. Many of us use a tracking device to count our steps. We are taking stairs as we round on the units. We even do a 20 minute exercise You Tube workout around 430AM. We also support each other to eat healthier and increase our water intake. The key to our individual success has been the support we give each other.
Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
We each have our own inner strengths but, on occasion, we may also need to bolster and support that inner strength from those around us & external resources. As individuals, we can also add to or take away from, the strength of those around us…whether family, friends or team members. From a Circle of influence perspective, your team of shift administrators are influencing and supporting positive changes in each other as individuals, as a team but also, very importantly as a community/culture. Great example of the inter-connection of team work and workplace wellbeing in action. So inspiring to hear that you have prioritized your wellbeing in this way. Congratulations to you all for your efforts.
I'm going to start walking a mile on my days off, followed by some yoga or cardio.
I tried the 7 minute Qigong video routine. Its always interesting to try some new things. A few years ago I did a couple of Tai-chi introductory sessions and found the rhythmic flow of movements to be a nice combination of body, mind and breath work similar but different to yoga and the Qigong left a similar impression of something that adds an extra dimension to what I currently do. I sometimes find myself in two minds about being tied to or distracted by technology and being present and mindful in myself and in the moment. However, Headspace and other apps that can provide guided meditations and relaxation supports do seem a way to use technology to support wellbeing instead of undermine it.