Guest Post: Getting Back To Goodness In Just 20 Minutes Per Day

This guest post is by Brooke Benlifer.

Brooke is our incredibly awesome resident Dietitian here at The Wellness Bucket.

This is her sixth installment of her 2016 Back To Goodness Series.

It’s going to be one awesome summer with Brooke’s 20 minutes per day movement challenge.

Learn more of how and why below.

Thanks so much for being here Brooke… Take it away!

Thanks Mike…

Happy Summer, everyone!

School is out and people everywhere are headed to the beach.

All those cool refreshing drinks and salads are more appealing as temperatures rise and we spend more time outdoors enjoying the extended daylight.

Last Months Cooking Challenge

Last month, I challenged you all to join me in cooking more meals at home.

Cooking, in many ways, has become a lost art.

We no longer need to stand at a stove or whip up ingredients to bake a recipe in the oven.

We can now drive through a pick up window and retrieve hot meals for the entire family or pick up convenience items at any grocery store, even at many gas stations (although I don’t recommend eating a sandwich from a gas station 😉 ).

So tell me, how did it go for you cooking at home?

Was it enjoyable? Easy? Perhaps challenging to allot a little extra time into your already busy workweek?

Whatever went down, I’m glad that you took it upon yourself to get outside of your comfort zone and take the challenge.

If nothing else, you probably learned that you can be creative and have fun making delicious, healthy meals.

Daily 20 Minute Movement Challenge

OK, so I have a new challenge for you… if you’re up for it. I’m confident you are.

(Note From Mike: We’re all about and for challenges here at The Wellness Bucket, aren’t we guys? 🙂 )

This months challenge is all about movement!

Movement, not exercise.

People tend to associate the word exercise with some drill sergeant with a whistle and biceps the size of baseballs yelling at you to do 100 more push ups followed by burpees and a 10 mile run!

Movement can and should be enjoyable, something that you ultimately look forward to doing and can sustain on a regular basis.

If it’s not, and we all know the cliché of how the brand new exercise equipment becomes a coat hanger, you won’t stick with it.

I’m challenging you to build in some movement (specifically 20 minutes) for the next 30 days.

If you complete the 20 minutes and feel up to adding more, by all means, go for it!

20 minutes is enough to get you on your way to creating a positive wellness habit.

What Counts As Movement?

Anything that you love doing.

It could be yoga, walking, jogging, running, skating, soccer, swimming, barre, Pilates, raking leaves, shoveling, sprints, workout DVDs/streaming videos, manual labor, running around and playing with children or pets, Frisbee, etc.

I suggest keeping a journal too and writing down what you do each day and for how long.

Here’s why…

Acknowledge how you felt before and after each day’s daily activity.

You may have felt sad or bored before your 20 minute walk although upon returning home, you notice you felt energized and happier.

Movement is crucial not only for our physical health, but also for our mental health as well.

I know that when my kids are inside or not physically active for the better part of a day, they get very restless and getting them outside makes all of us (myself included!) feel better.

Have you ever seen a dog that doesn’t get walked enough?

Besides having an energy imbalance and likely overweight, the dog is literally scratching at the walls, practically eating sofa cushions in an attempt to say…

“Let me move!”

Super Challenge…

Here’s an even bigger challenge to consider.

I know you and I know this community and I have no doubt you’ll be up for it.

You ready?…. Here it is!

Continue with last month’s challenge to cook at least one meal at home each day AND tack on this month’s challenge to build in 20 minutes of movement each day.

Let me know if you’re in for this summers super challenge in the comments below so that both Mike and I can cheer you on!

Get Back To Goodness and your body will thank you for it!

Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD is a Cornell University graduate and Registered Dietitian. She currently lives in San Diego with her husband and twins.

“My passion is preventative health through optimal nutrition. I want to lead people toward healthier, more fulfilling lives.”

www.brookejoannanutrition.com