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Well-being Investment: Movement & Exercise

(NEW) TLDR at the bottom*

We are looking at your investment in your own well-being with the emphasis this go round on physical health. Last week we reviewed a helpful lifestyle change framework. Today we go a bit more in depth on movement and exercise. 

You Know This - still - it’s a good time to review through the lens of self instead of patient care.

While having a good strategy is important to incorporating more movement and regular exercise - mindset is key!

 

Movement and Exercise Matter - Basics

Moving your body isn’t just about exercise; it’s about health and longevity. Regular movement helps:

- Improve postural autonomic health.

- Lower risks of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

Aim for 10,000 steps a day— even if it didn’t originate from scientific evidence, the more steps the better has borne out. This is referred to as NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) and is important for maintaining baseline metabolism and utilization of calories. For very sedentary individuals every step above 2,200 steps is beneficial.

Some studies consider less than 5,000 steps a day sedentary and associated with poorer health outcomes. Staying active throughout the day toward the higher end of the step count is more impactful than only sporadic formal exercise with extended sedentary periods. 

Wear a fitness tracker. Gamify it. Set reminders to move and embrace how good movement feels. You deserve this!  

 

The Case for Exercise

The American Heart Association recommends:

  • 150-300 minutes of moderate cardio weekly (e.g., walking briskly, conversational pace) OR
    75-150 minutes of intense cardio weekly (e.g., running, where talking is challenging).

Plus

  • 2 days of strength training per week

 

Why? Exercise improves and maintains:

  • vascular health (cerebro-, cardio-, and peripheral-)
  • musculoskeletal health (including balance, decreasing falls, and functional fitness - want to still carry your own groceries at 90?)
  • mental health
  • metabolic health
  • bone health 

It decreases cancer risks (colon, breast, lung, and endometrial)

It decreases overall mortality!

What a fantastic health intervention!  You deserve this too!

 

I love this short video compiling a lot of the large studies.

 

Building an Exercise Routine

Here are tips to make exercise fit into your life:

  1. Choose the Right Activities

Pick exercises you enjoy and that fit your lifestyle. Consider 1-2 indoor and 1-2 outdoor options to mix it up and have options. Examples:

  • Walking, swimming, or biking.
  • Zumba, yoga, or playing soccer.
  • Chat & Walk while the kids’ practice with other parents.
  • Anything fun and sustainable for you!

Pro Tip: Avoid activities you dread. Hate running? Don’t run. Find joy in movement.

 

  1. Set a Range of Goals

I stole this for myself and others from Dr. Ali Novitsky. Define your “bare minimum (make it easy!) and “ideal” weekly exercise targets to escape binary all-or-nothing thinking:

  • Example: “Change into workout clothes and step outside for 2 minutes 3 times a week” (bare minimum) versus “Walk 20 minutes 4 days a week” (ideal).

Adjust based on life’s demands (e.g., call nights). On particularly challenging weeks or rotations, focus on movement instead of structured workouts—deep breaths, stretches, taking the stairs between floors, or a quick 7-minute exercise app workout.

What if you don’t hit the bare minimum on a ‘typical’ week? Reflect, do you need to adjust it? (I work with too many overachievers who struggle with a truly easy bare minimum – try it). If it was easy and you missed it – grace. Just do the next right thing. You don’t have to give up. (See C. below)

 

 

  1. Schedule Exercise Strategically

Make exercise non-negotiable:

A. Prioritize: Add it to your schedule first and honor it as a commitment to yourself.

B. Rebuild Trust: Follow through with appointments you make with yourself. Use boundaries like you would if it were appointments for your kids to see their doctor. Soon you'll be reminding yourself of your new super-power - consistency.

C. Problem-Solve: Identify barriers and strategize solutions. Trial and error are okay. PDSA cycles for the win!

Remember habit stacking is a fabulous way to build in a new habit. You more quickly build habits by tacking the new on after one that is already in existance. I had one resident who put her yoga mat by where she laid her keys down each evening (visual cue). Laying keys down (existing habit) --> unfold yoga mat (stacked habit) --> sit on it for at least 2 minutes (bare minimum) became very easy and she was back in the swing of some regular yoga sessions which were quite beneficial to her. 

D. Remember Your Why: Reflect on both short (sleep better, feel better afterwards) and long-term benefits (staying active for your family, your patients, and your future self).

 

  1. Check-In on Exhaustion

Distinguish between sleep deprivation/physical fatigue and mental/emotional exhaustion. At the end of the day most of us are wiped. If you have saved your exercise for after work, you may need to take an honest reflection on how much of it is:

  • Mental/emotional exhaustion,
    • Take it easy, trial the first few steps and start moving—if it's the stressors of the day - it often lifts with movement. If, however, it seems worse, it may be physical fatigue.
  • If you’re truly sleep-deprived/physically wiped, prioritize rest and resume exercise the following day.

 

Mind your Mindset - the strategies above are good, but I want to highlight the mindset portions:

  • Sabateurs: include perfectionistic thinking, all-or-nothing mindset, and "should" statements
  • Shift to prioritizing your well-being investment and seeing both as FOR you AND for those in your life, including your patients. 
  • Inserting Boundaries and Honoroing your appointment with yourself 
  • Grace and Accountability balance - just do the next best thing. 

 

Reflection Question

What small, achievable change can you make this week to prioritize movement or exercise in a way that feels joyful and sustainable? Let's do it!

Next week, we will cover restorative sleep

Have a joy-filled and healthy week!  Tonya

Residency programs can benefit from our Flagship 6-week hybrid coaching course for resident or faculty groups. Learn more here.

TLDR

Moving regularly is crucial for overall health, reducing cardiovascular risks, and improving mental well-being.

  • Choose the right activities for you
  • Set a range of activities – bare minimum to ideal
  • Schedule exercise and keep your appointment with yourself
  • Run PDSA trials until you get it dialed in
  • Check-in on your exhaustion
  • Mind your mindset

Next week, restorative sleep.

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