Regular movement of your body provides a whole host of physical, mental, and emotional benefits.

Exercise 

• Start slow and incrementally
• Multiple benefits accrue to regular exercise
• Mixing it up
• Staying motivated

Exercise – Start slow and incrementally

• Like all parts of the Big Five, small changes in your exercise routine can lead to large changes in your physical, mental, and emotional health
• If you are sedentary, talk with your doctor about any suggestions to exercise they have or any limitations
• Walking, biking or their indoor equivalents is the easiest place to start
• Start small – give yourself easy goals
• If you already have an exercise routine, look for ways to changing it up and incrementally improving your performance

Exercise – multiple benefits

• Our bodies were designed to move
• Physically, all our systems work better when we get regular exercise
• Mentally, our balance, concentration, and many other brain functions are improved with regular movement
• Emotionally, the regular movement stimulates the generation of hormones and neurotransmitters that help us feel better and more engaged in life

Exercise – mixing it up

• The body is stimulated by change
• A mix of cardio and resistance exercise is best
• Add balancing aspects to your resistance exercises
• Core” exercises are important for stability and balance

Exercise – staying motivated

• Make it routine
• Get a buddy or buddies
• Join a team
• Track it!
• Establish goals
• Know your “why”

Exercise – summary

• The effects start today.
• Start small.
• Make it a practice.
• Mix it up