In the season of raising two toddlers, I have been finding it tough to exercise as much as I’d like. My favorite form of activity is taking a walk, and before kids I used to walk most days out of the week for a solid 45-60 minutes. These days, I am lucky if the thought to walk even crosses my mind!

A few days ago, I was really feeling an urge to walk. It had been a while since I had gotten one in, so I tried to load the boys up in the wagon and get out- but my one year old was NOT feeling the wagon. So we walked a few steps down the street and I opted to play outside on the driveway instead—an activity always loved by both kids. The rest of the day was chaotic and non-stop, and that urge to walk dwindled as my exhaustion built. But that evening, I had another opportunity to get outside (by myself) and try that walk I had been craving all day. I was tired and not sure I felt up to it anymore but still decided to go for it. Within 8 minutes of walking, I noticed a HUGE shift in my mood and how I felt physically. I went from feeling drained to feeling empowered and able to take on the rest of the day. It got me to thinking about how truly even small bouts of exercise can have such an impact on my mindset. I may not be able to get out and walk several miles these days, but even getting out for 10, 15, 20 minutes can really be beneficial. And that is something I always try to remind clients- exercise doesn’t have to be all or nothing and we don’t have to make unrealistic/rigid goals with it. We can keep it simple, enjoyable, short in length, and still benefit.

What is a simple step you can start with this week to realistically incorporate a little bit more movement?

Julia Blackford RDN, LD