Burnt Out? Move More.
A 20-Minute Workout for exhausted women…
I have become a proselytizer.
Well, to be fair, I’ve always been moved to spread the good word about my latest obsessions: the most emollient eye cream, the best smelling soap, the softest sweatshirt, the probiotic soda that will change your life!
But now, I’m talking about exercise.
I know, I know. Not long ago, I would have rolled my eyes at me too. But, as I wrote last year, during the pandemic, when it became difficult to get up each morning and face the day, workouts saved me.
Earlier this month, I shared tips from Katia Herman of Joy Space, a specialist in helping busy mothers prioritize their own burnout, on calming the mind in a short amount of time. Most recently, she and I sat down to chat about the physical too (which, by the way, is also ultimately connected to the mental).
If you don’t naturally love working out (me) and are over-scheduled (me) and will find any excuse not to do the thing if you could be watching Never Have I Ever instead (also me), how do you motivate yourself to exercise and, ultimately, luxuriate in that endorphin boost?
WHY DON’T WE EXERCISE? (IN THEORY)
Not surprisingly, Katia says the biggest barrier for her clients is just what you’d expect: time, followed by time and then, finally, time. “As busy moms, who are juggling a million things at once, and engaging in the most exhausting and draining job of all time: mothering, time can feel scarce and extremely limited,” she says, “and everyone else’s needs land before your own.”
WHO CARES?
Why is this a problem? Well, there’s the question of physical health, of course, but that’s not all. “Exercising is not just about flatter abs and a tighter butt!” she explains. “The benefits of physical health also extend to reducing stress, gaining confidence and protecting longevity and quality of life. It’s hard to imagine aging as a young mother, running around taking care of kids, but it happens to all of us!” In other words, prioritizing ourselves actually gives us more energy to prioritize ourselves in the future. Unless we put the time in to care for our bodies, even just a bit every day, we risk aging more rapidly, making ourselves more prone to injury, disease and reduced quality of life. And, above all, if we don’t exercise, we remain burnt out and exhausted.
HACKS FOR MOTIVATING OURSELVES
That’s all well and good, but we’re tired. And when we’re tired, we can come up with a billion reasons to prioritize just about anything or anyone else. The first step is busting up all the myths about how onerous the exercise will be.
“You don’t need to have a gym membership,” says Katia. “You don’t need an hour. You don’t need fancy equipment. You don’t need a trainer. You need space the size of a yoga mat, 20 minutes and a bit of motivation. That’s all.” The idea that you have to commit to something expensive and time-consuming is one of the biggest barriers to starting a regimen. “The idea is to move,” she impassions. “Make it easy. Do squats, jumping jacks and push ups in your bedroom for 20 minutes. Done. It doesn’t need to be glamorous, complicated or, honestly, even fun. It just needs to happen!” I personally find just turning on some music can make a big difference.
*A WORKOUT FOR YOU*
If thinking up your own exercises sounds like another annoying thing to plan or excuse not to try, use these five moves that Katia recommends.
This really isn’t about reinventing the wheel. All I can tell you is that finding 20 minutes to move a few times a week has truly altered my moods, even on my grumpiest and least motivated days. Maybe especially on those days.
And, believe it or not, there’s still time for Never Have I Ever.