Small stuff counts

This weekend had me majorly spoiled

60 and sunny? I’ll take it, and 90+ more days just like it.

Today? It’s still mild out, but the rain has me feeling bleh. Mondays are tough enough to get in a workout.

It has me thinking about how easy it can be to *not* follow the advice I give patients allllll the tiiiiiime:

“Be ok with doing little things.”

What I mean by that is that it can be SO easy to be black-and-white, all-or-nothing when it comes to exercise. I chose to sleep in instead of go jogging. Fine- plan B: lunchtime workout. But then things got busy, and I contemplated not sticking with my plan B of going for a walk.

(Internal dialogue)

“Why bother going for a walk when it’s only 20 minutes?”

“Well you’ve got your sneakers ready and waiting, and you’ve got time…”

“Yeah but what is a little walk really going to accomplish?”

You get the gist of it, and are probably nodding your head ‘cause you’ve been there too. The bottom line is that any little bit counts. Am I going to be sporting six pack abs and a sub-7 minute mile because I ended up doing that 20 minute walk? Of course not. BUT what it does do is the whole MENTAL change. Any exercise gets you going with that dopamine- the happy hormone in your brain. I’d quote Elle Woods for you, but you don’t need me to.

If you sneak in a bit of exercise, you could be more likely to make a smart snack choice, followed by a smart meal choice. You would potentially sleep better at night and be able to wake up feeling refreshed, ready for an active day.

Ya get my drift?

I’ve never had a moment where I’ve thought to myself “Well THAT walk/run/bike ride/strength session was a waste of time.”

We regret the exercise we DON’T get.

Aim big, but don’t be afraid to do the little things. They count too!