What do you do when you need a little pick me up?
My go to is always dancing. It’s not that I’m a great dancer or anything like that. But getting my body moving releases endorphins which help me to feel good, at the same time as reducing cortisol which causes stress, anxiety and depression.
The music I dance to affects my mood as well. In the mornings I choose to dance to praise music. So my dance time doubles up as a sort of prayer. Sometimes I might dance to Salsa, because I love it. I enjoy listening and singing along to the Spanish.
Today I am dancing to Bollywood songs! Although I don’t know any of the right moves, it doesn’t matter at all. I can try to copy what the dancers in the video are doing. And if I get it wrong, so what? I can make it up and I still get a workout. It’s not like anyone’s watching!
The videos are so much fun to watch with all the red, purple, orange, teal and gold clothing. Since the songs are usually part of a movie, you get a sense of the story they are part of. Which makes it so much more fun for me than jogging on a treadmill!
What can you do to release your endorphins and reduce cortisol in your body? Perhaps you love the treadmill! There’s nothing wrong with that! And the elliptical machine can give you a really good workout without putting strain on your joints. It’s a great way to get fit and burn fat as well.
But what I want to know is, what kind of movement do you absolutely love to do? Because if you really enjoy it, you’re far more likely to do it regularly. And it doesn’t have to be for a long time either. Just 5 minutes a day of some movement that you love can give you so much joy and improve your self esteem. It might help your physical fitness too!
So what will you choose next time you need a little pick me up?
