5 Ways to Find Time for Exercise During Your Day

I am a busy busy person. I run my own business, I have two children, a husband, a fish, and a household to care for. I have friends and family and did I say I run my own business? Well, all of those things take time and energy to manage them, and make sure they run smoothly. 

I imagine that you are busy too! It's just how it this world works. We have a lot of demands for our time, and free time to relax and take care of ourselves is hard to find. 

However, it is SUPER IMPORTANT that we take time to care for ourselves throughout our day. Otherwise, we spin ourselves in circles trying to do all the other things in our lives that keep us busy. 

I try to focus on exercise every day, and although it's hard to find the time, somehow I do. Here, I am going to share with you the ways I sneak in some movement during my busy day. 

1. Planning: I find that it helps to plan ahead. Every Sunday night, I make an exercise plan for the week, and I block off time for it in my schedule. Then, I make sure I get the extra help in place to make sure I can take that time. My husband usually takes the kids to school 3 mornings a week so I can exercise before work. Or sometimes, I can find play dates for them after school and I can squeeze in a workout then. Or many times, I just workout in my house or at a playground, and they join me! (More about that below)

2. Accountability: I think it's important to have someone be accountable to when it comes to exercise. My schedule keeps me accountable (I am the type of person who gets obsessed about sticking to the schedule). But I find that talking to friends and family about the exercise you are doing helps to keep you accountable. Even better if you can find a "buddy" to do it with you, or at least be there for check-in support. The Autoimmune Strong Facebook group is a great place to find a buddy to keep you accountable to your Autoimmune Strong videos!

3. Priorities: We spend our time doing the things we think are important, right? So, if you consider exercise to be important to your health management, then you will make sure to do it. Set exercise as your priority for at least 3 days per week, and you will be more likely to squeeze it in.

4. Make it Fun:  Find a yoga class you like, or go for a walk with a friend. Personally, I like to take my kids to the playground and play chase- they think it's fun, and I get a workout in. I have even been known to do my Autoimmune Strong exercises at night in front of the TV- that way I can catch up on my shows while moving my body. You may need to try a few different things to see what you like best. Maybe rock climbing is your sport and you didn't even know it!

5. A Little Goes a Long Way: For those of us with little to no time, or extreme pain and fatigue- this one is for you. You don't have to "hit the gym" to get fit. Stand on one leg while you are in line at the deli counter. Take breaks and practice your abdominal bracing in your office. Get a standing desk. Practice a few sun salutations when you wake up, or before bed. Plank 1x a day. These are all examples of useful movements you can squeeze in during the day. 

I believe in movement every day, anywhere! Click HERE to follow me on Facebook to see all the random places I do my Autoimmune Strong moves to keep my body healthy- and check out my post on abdominal bracing at my son's soccer practice. 

4 Easy Exercises to Reduce Stiffness & Pain

We all have been told over and over again that daily exercise is good for us. And yes- it is indeed true. And it stands true even more for people with autoimmune disorders, as daily movement has been shown to have a major impact on the reduction of physical and metal symptoms of autoimmune disease and other chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia and lyme disease. (click here to read more on this topic)   

However, all us of suffering from these chronic pain disorders know that we DO perform daily exercise, and that it doesn't always feel good. In fact, daily activities that require movement, like walking, climbing stairs, carrying groceries, all of these activities can cause pain. During my times of my most heightened symptoms, I learned that these daily exercise activities were hurting me, rather than helping me. 

But the question is why? If daily exercise is good for us, why did I dread having to climb up the stairs to go to bed every night? 

Well, the answer is that not all exercise is created equal. It is not just daily exercise that can make us better, it's the proper daily exercise that can make us better.

You see, we all have postural misalignment. It's inevitable in today's modern society- we sit at desks all day staring at computers, we look at our phones, we drive our cars- and all of these positions reinforce some muscles to be tight and others to be weaker. Eventually, the tight/weak muscles imbalance becomes one that is chronic and difficult to undo. And every time we move, we compound this tight/weak muscle relationship instead of undoing it. So, even going for a walk could cause or aggravate pain. This holds true for all people, but for autoimmune and chronic pain sufferers, the pain is greater, making even a gentle exercise like walking feel impossible. 

So, while daily exercise is important, it is more important to use exercise to correct these imbalances. Once the imbalances aren't so major, the basic daily activities discussed above won't hurt so much.

There are many ways to work on correcting these imbalances. Stretching is the best place to start. You could get a deep tissue massage, which would release some of your tight muscles, or you could try a yoga class.   

Here, I am going to give you my 4 favorite exercises to start bringing your body back into balance. Three are stretches, to work on the tight neck, shoulders, back and hips. The last is a butt booster- since our glutes and hamstrings- are often the weakest part of a person's body. 

1. Neck Stretch: Sit or stand with a straight back. Place your right hand on your head, and use that hand to gently pull your neck towards your shoulder while you keep facing forward. Hold for 30 seconds, and then repeat on the left side.

2. Forward Fold: Standing straight up, feet hip width or wider, pull your belly button in, and raise your arms to the ceiling. Then start bending your body at the hips, folding forward. Bend your knees, let your arms neck and head fall forward and release. Hang for as long as feels good, and then slowly, pulling your belly button in, squeeze your bum and lift your body back up. 

3. Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneeling on the floor (or on a yoga mat or towel for more padding), place the right foot out on the floor in front of you, knee bent. Sit up all, and lean forward toward the bent knee, and you should feel the stretch in your left groin and upper thigh area. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch legs. 

4. Glute Bridge: Lie on your back on the floor, rug or a mat, with your feet on the floor and your knees bent, pointing to the ceiling. Lift you bum off the ground, pressing your feet into the floor. Hold for 30 seconds.   

Here is the thing about these exercises: doing them once in awhile probably won't help. Your muscle imbalances have been there for a long time, and so it will take some time to undo their tension. However, if you commit to these three stretches every day, you should see, and most importantly, feel some change in your body. Stiffness and pain should dissipate, and ease of motion should return. And that is a good thing. :)  

And for those of you who want video instruction on these exercises, sign up for the free trial here, and you will find these exercises (and many many more!) in the Autoimmune Strong program. 

Autoimmune Strong Tips on How to Manage Stress & Anxiety

Autoimmune Strong is, at it's core, an exercise and physical fitness program. However, for me, the idea of being "Autoimmune Strong" is a metaphor for life in general. You see, there are two ways people typically exercise, and these represent two very distinct ways of living our lives.  

1. People who don't exercise at all. These people find exercise scary, painful, and overwhelming. The idea of sweating, being in pain, or sometimes even just going to the gym fills them with dread. So, even though they know that exercise is good for them, they avoid it. OR...

2. There are the people who work at intense levels of exercise at all times. They push themselves harder and faster, working their bodies to the limit. They feel that failure means not working hard enough. They push through the pain and exhaustion, and they try to accomplish what they think needs to be done to stay healthy and fit.

These two examples are both different ways to deal with the same thing- stress and anxiety. And in life, these metaphors hold true. For some, the anxiety is paralyzing, for others the need to "overcome" the anxiety is so strong that they push far beyond their physical and metal limits. I have lived at both extremes, and I can tell you personally, neither is healthy.

So, for people living at both ends of the spectrum, I challenge you with this-

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable 

For those who relate to the feeling of paralysis, this is a time a time to push through. Challenge yourself. Try something you thought was scary or intimidating. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "You must do the things you think you cannot do". This will feel uncomfortable, your brain and body might resist. Push yourself forward a little bit despite that discomfort, and you will find that you are stronger and more capable than you think.  

For those on the other extreme, this is a time to slow down. Press pause. Listen to your body, and take a rest. Take some time for yourself, relax your mind, take deep breaths. Do something fun and silly. Let yourself go for a few days. Don't hold yourself up to such a high standard all the time. This will also feel uncomfortable. Breathe into the discomfort, and push yourself to find a space to unwind. You will find that when you return to the things you are passionate about, you will be better focused and more capable of handling the pressure that comes at you.     

Both types of people can most certainly participate in Autoimmune Strong's fitness program. For some, they will feel that these exercises are challenging. For others, they might find the exercises too slow. I encourage both groups to give it a try- I promise you will learn something about yourself through the process.

Either path you choose, no matter what, requires hard work. But I promise you, it is worth it. I designed Autoimmune Strong's exercises as a progression- it is a slow buildup of foundational strength over time. This too is the metaphor for life. Build proper foundations, go slow but keep moving forward, take rest days when you need them, and soon enough, you will find yourself at the crossroads between strength and security- at peace with yourself.