Movement March: Making Moves Toward a Fitter, Healthier Future

During the winter, it’s easy to adopt a sedentary routine, with cold weather and short days often discouraging outdoor activities. Yet, with longer daylight hours and milder temperatures on the horizon, March serves as a reminder that it’s time to get out and move.

Whether taking a brisk walk, cycling through the neighborhood or engaging in another type of physical activity, March provides the perfect motivation to break free from the confines of indoor spaces and reinvigorate your body and mind through movement.

The Benefits of Regular Motion

Regular movement helps you maintain optimal health and vitality. Engaging in physical activity can lead to a host of physical and emotional benefits that contribute to a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life.

Weight Loss

While what, when and how you eat affects your weight, so, too, does how and how much you move. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in, and there are many different strategies you can adopt to do so. Exactly how much physical activity you need to lose weight varies based on your existing weight, among other factors, but your best bet at dropping noticeable weight comes from a combination of physical activity and healthy eating.

Reduced Health Risks

Regular motion can also reduce your risk of developing certain diseases and health conditions. Staying active can lower the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, including bladder, breast, colon, kidney and lung cancers. Regular motion can also improve cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure and strengthen your immune system, which boosts your body’s natural defenses against illness and disease.

Increased Lifespan

Regular physical activity can also extend your lifespan. Exercise reduces your risk of premature death from heart disease. It also lowers your risk of stroke and certain types of cancer. Staying active also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which can also lead to a host of additional health benefits, including a longer life.

Improved Mood

When you move your body, it triggers the release of endorphins, which act as natural stress reducers and mood boosters. Regular movement also encourages your body to produce serotonin and dopamine, which enhance feelings of happiness and relaxation. Staying physically fit can also distract you from negative thoughts and emotions, reducing your risk of anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders. Motion can also improve your physical appearance, which can enhance confidence and self-esteem.

Better Sleep

Exercise also plays a role in how well you sleep at night. The more you move during the day, the more likely you are to fall asleep quickly and remain asleep throughout the night. Be mindful of when you exercise, though, as exercising too close to bedtime may have the opposite effect.

While embracing an active lifestyle enhances your physical well-being, it can also elevate your mental and emotional state, leading to a higher quality of life.

Strategies for Staying Active

While staying active can lead to an abundance of benefits, you don’t need to run marathons or log long hours in the gym to see progress. Here are some simple, yet effective, ways to stay active not only in March, but throughout the year.

Take the Stairs

If time is holding you back from hitting the gym or taking a long walk, try to identify opportunities for physical fitness during your daily routine. For example, rather than climb several floors to your office each day, take the stairs. Similarly, consider parking far away from your office or favorite store to get in more steps wherever possible.

Upgrade Your Workspace

If you spend the majority of your day at a desk, consider investing in a standing desk or desk exercise equipment that helps you burn calories without taking time out of your workday.

Sneak in a Walk

Walking can ward off heart disease and other health problems, and it also has mood-boosting effects. Make an effort to sneak in a walk whenever you can, whether than means walking during your lunch break or walking your kids to school in the morning.

Keep in mind that staying active doesn’t have to involve extreme measures – instead, incorporating simple, yet effective, strategies into your daily routine can lead to numerous advantages. Whether it’s March or any other month, moving more enhances mood, improves sleep, reduces health risks and helps you achieve long-term health and happiness.