Miscellaneous Monday: What Does Physical Activity Bring to Your Life? 🏃🏻‍♀️🏋️‍♀️💃🏻

[Kate Pawlak _Appsvio_]

As the autumn chill sets in, it’s easy to slip into cozy habits—spending evenings bingeing Netflix with a bag of chips by your side. But what if you could trade a few of those lazy moments for something that boosts your health and happiness?

Here’s the big picture: Studies estimate that increasing physical activity worldwide could prevent 4 to 5 million deaths annually. Regular movement isn’t just about staying fit; it’s a powerful tool to prevent and manage major health issues like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, and even mental health challenges like depression and anxiety.

The good news? You don’t have to be a gym rat or a marathon runner to make movement part of your life. Small, simple changes can add up:

• ☀️ Morning strolls: If you’re commuting, hop off the tram or bus a stop early and enjoy a brisk walk in the fresh air.
• 📞 Walking and talking: Catching up with a friend on the phone? Grab your headphones and take the conversation on the go.
• 🛒 Shop local on foot: Swap one car trip a week for a walk to your neighborhood market. You’ll get your steps in and support local businesses!

For me, physical activity has become a way of life. Two years ago, the pandemic and health challenges faced by my loved ones taught me that there’s nothing more precious than our health. Exercise became my lifeline—and my passion.

From sweating it out in the gym (a lot more fun when surrounded by great people!) to dancing and running, I’ve found joy and purpose in moving my body. This year, I completed six half-marathons across Poland. Along the way, I’ve faced my fears, built resilience, met incredible people, and created unforgettable memories. Crossing that finish line? It’s an unbeatable feeling of accomplishment!

Now, I’d love to hear from you: What role does physical activity play in your life? Whether it’s planned or spontaneous, big or small, how do you move? Let’s inspire each other! 🚶‍♀️🏃‍♂️💃

[Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM]

At my age mostly pain.

[Stuart Capel - London]

I'm with you there!

[Amanda Barber]

I love being active. I (mostly) enjoy running, love taking my dog for walks, walking on my desk treadmill, and especially my group fitness classes at the gym. I've found a pretty great group of people who hold me accountable. Plus, attending classes helps me keep my workouts varied and allow me to stay engaged and have fun. At this point, I'm trying to ward off the aches and pains, @Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM speaks of and prevent osteoporosis. 

[Andy Gladstone]

@Kate Pawlak _Appsvio_ such a timely topic! So many of us go into hibernation during the colder winter months, gain weight and get into a cycle of poor physical health and habits. 

I have tried to ensure I move each day by doing the following:

• Walking to and from the train station M-TH when I go into the office. This gives me 1.6 miles of guaranteed walking each day. 
• Getting off the train one stop early to ride a CitiBike 2.4 miles to the office each morning. Another 10-15 minutes of fresh air and exercise to prepare my mind and body for the day ahead.
• Taking a CitiBike back to the central station each afternoon - another 1.5 miles of exercise. 
  • I head to the Central Station in the afternoon instead of a further station for two reasons - hard to get out of the office early, and the Central Station is the first stop and guarantees me a good seat to work from on the commute home. 
• Hopping on Zwift for an indoor road cycling session at least 3x a week. I used to be a bit of a snob and would not do less than an hour on the trainer, but have learned that anything is better than nothing and have been getting in 30-45 minute sessions this season - more frequently active, more frequently healthy in mind, body and spirit!

Anyone else out there a Zwifter or track their workouts on Strava? Let me know so I can give you Kudos like @Kate Pawlak _Appsvio_ gets for her runs!

[Susan Waldrip]

As @Andy Gladstone said, this is a great topic @Kate Pawlak _Appsvio_! I love the cool weather of Fall and early winter, and although I have many "must do" tasks outdoors to prepare our animals and shelters for the winter, I love taking the dog and goats out walking around our property. Also walking in my neighborhood, it's wooded and pretty quiet. This time of year, we walk the nature paths to see Sandhill Cranes fly in and out and eat (and eat and eat!). As for marathons and the gym, I enjoy living vicariously through others like yourself. 🤣

[Sandra Franchetto]

Hi Kate. In Australia it's soooo hot.  Lol.

Physical exercise is also great for mental health.

I exercise at home but have a beautiful view of trees and birds out my window. 

People may not love exercise but it's more about loving yourself enough to take care of your number 1 asset - your health.  Nothing can be done without it.

[Darryl Lee]

At the ripe old age of 54, playing Ultimate frisbee 2-3 times a week is the only thing keeping me in shape. I hate any kind of repetitive exercise like running, working out in the gym, etc. It feels like a chore. 

But if I'm playing a game? Well, that's just fun, and if I happen to be running around, that's just a side benefit.

Unfortunately in recent years I've been having to deal with twisted ankles, sore knees, and a strained Achilles tendon. Having to do rehab/strengthening exercises for those things suck. But enh, old age. 

Physical fitness (and ailments) aside, I suppose it has mental health benefits as well. I'm generally in a good mood after games, and I think it helps me get to sleep because I'm dead tired on days or evenings when I've played.

So yeah, here's a photo of the team I played with (as a "free agent") during the recent Fall league. All of these players are at least probably 10-20 years my junior, and are REALLY GOOD, so the fact that we came in first place is definitely more on them than me, but I was happy to be along for the ride!

Sidenote: we're somewhat bundled up because it was a chilly (for us Californians) ~50ºF. Winter league (games are played in the evenings) is coming up and it's going to be even colder and possibly wetter. Ugh.

I complain, but I'm typing this from truly chilly Boston, where Ultimate pretty much closes up for winter OR if they can afford it, bring their games indoors.

All of that's to say, I'm very very lucky to live in California where comfortably we can play outdoor Ultimate year round.

[Darryl Lee]

I should mention that additionally during the school year, I've been volunteering at my kids' old school to teach middle schoolers how to play Ultimate Frisbee once a week.

(My youngest just graduated from there in 2022, and I started teaching the class back in 2017, so woof, it's been 7 years.)

I cringe at being called "coach" because I'm lucky if by the end of each semester every one knows the basic rules of the game, much less any strategy.

Because that's my goal. Introduce kids to the game. Teach them the basics. And let them have fun. If they go on to play in high school, college, or beyond, that's gravy.

And also, a little bit more exercise every week. Also good.

[Tomislav Tobijas _Koios_]

My sports pleasure was badminton 🏸 until two years ago when I had an injury and ended up having surgery. These days, I still love to step on a court and play a little, but it's not like it used to be, and I can't play it for long.

However, since I moved to a new place, I've had one 'gym' room at the house, and I can just say it's a lifesaver! I usually end up sitting in front of my PC for 10-12 hours a day, 8 of which are work hours and the rest are personal-related. After 8 hours of work, I just switch rooms and do 45 to 60 min exercises and I can just say, after that, I feel like I've been reborn 💚 I do it almost every day, and as soon as I skip more than 2 days in a row, I know I'll get major back pain. Also, it's not just the physical part that gets recharged, but the mental part too.
Additionally, I'm preparing for a recreational winter 5km race next weekend so we'll see how that will go 🏃

[Alyssa Towns]

Six half-marathons is INCREDIBLE! Congratulations! 

This message and post deeply resonate with me. When I was in college, I lost my grandparents unexpectedly, first my grandmother and then my grandfather a few months later. It shook my world, and when I started grief counseling, one of the recommendations from my counselor was to consider incorporating more movement and physical activity in my life to help me work through other emotions and manage my anxiety. I started doing yoga at the rec center on campus, quickly fell in love with it, and then started spending more time at the gym on the stationary bikes and elliptical. 

In the years since I've found so many physical activities I love! I'm a few classes shy of taking my 500th class at Pure Barre, love gravel biking in the summer (Colorado is arguably one of the best places for it!), and started running this year. I ran three 5Ks this year (and walked one in a Halloween costume). I love how energized movement makes me feel, no matter how big or small the activity is. 

[Barbara Szczesniak]

I have always preferred to do things I like that happen to be exercise. Even as a teen, I was on the varsity basketball team and could run up and down the court for 2 hours in practice, but I could not manage to run around the track for a mile.

I do miss going to the office from the point of view that exercise was built into the walk from the parking garage to the building, from my building to the cafe in the next building over, from my desk to the restroom and coffee machine. I would even take half of my lunch hour to walk up and down the ramps of the parking garage—my knees can't do stairs anymore.

Now, I just park as far as I can from the grocery store or other building I'm going to. Once or twice a month, I go to one of the Florida Disney parks and get my walking in. Now that it's cooler, I walk down the block to the mailbox, instead of taking the golf cart. (And I keep reminding myself that I need to do more. ☺️)

[Stuart Capel - London]

I need to get back into running - my last half marathon was in London and I had not trained properly for it so it was not fun, but I did it. Having a new son makes it hard to find time to train so guess what my new years resolution is going to be!