Guest Blog
Dr. Amy Bantham, CEO/Founder of Move to Live More and national spokesperson for the Moving Together Outside campaign, was interviewed by Wix Fit.
What is green exercise and how can it benefit your fitness business?
Green exercise isn’t about recycling your water bottles or reducing the environmental impact of your sneakers; both good goals, to be sure. It’s about being active in nature.
Coined in 2003 by researchers in the UK, green exercise refers to exercise in natural, outdoor environments. “Green exercise recognizes the mental and physical health benefits of being physically active in nature,” says Amy Bantham, DrPH, national spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise's Moving Together Outside campaign.
You don’t need to have access to backcountry trails or high peaks, either. There’s a lot under the green exercise umbrella: logging your runs outside, walking your dog in a park, doing beachside yoga flows or shredding down a snowy mountain. And if you’ve ever done any of these things, you probably left feeling more energized and inspired to go back for more. Your clients experience the same benefits.
Sweating outside is hardly new, but the pandemic created a green exercise wave. In 2020, 53 percent of Americans ages 6 and over participated in outdoor recreation—like walking, biking, climbing or skiing—at least once, the highest participation rate ever recorded, according to the Outdoor Foundation’s 2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report. And the popularity of outdoor workouts has continued past initial lockdowns: “It’s third on the American College of Sports Medicine’s top fitness trends for 2022, up from number 17 in 2019,” says Bantham. (Read more about the latest fitness industry trends.)
Now that many gyms and studios have reopened, people may turn back to their indoor sweat sessions—but many are hooked on the unique rewards of sweating outside and will continue to incorporate green exercise into their routines. Your clients can use Wix Fit’s scheduling software to book sessions with you in multiple locations: outside, in the gym or virtually. (Related: Why hybrid fitness is the future of working out)
The benefits of green exercise
You already know that exercise, in general, serves up a slew of health benefits for anyone involved. Green exercise offers even more: Outdoor activity reduces stress, depression and blood pressure, and increases mood, self-esteem and well-being,” says Bantham. (More: 5 ways trainers can help with the mental health crisis)
Indeed, University of Essex research shows just five minutes of outdoor exercise can improve self-esteem and mood, and that spending 120 minutes in nature each week (exercising or otherwise) is linked to the greatest level of health and wellbeing. (Any more, and levels don’t go down, but simply plateau.)
Again, you can score these health benefits whether you’re being physically active in an urban park or a remote forest, says Bantham. But if you can seek out spaces with grass, trees, lakes or rivers, you’ll be even better off. Greenery and water enhance the beneficial effects of green exercise, according to that University of Essex study.
That’s great news for exercise professionals, too. Your clients may be more likely to return if you’re teaching or training outside. Research suggests greener environments encourage greater levels of participation. The meditative effect of being in nature can help distract from the monotony, boredom or physical discomfort that can arise during exercise, and can even make workouts feel easier. That means clients can push themselves harder and likely see more results
Guest Blog
Dr. Amy Bantham, CEO/Founder of Move to Live More, is featured in the GoSolo Interview Series.
Entrepreneur Stories
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Amy Bantham, Founder of Move to Live More, located in Somerville, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Move to Live®More is a research and strategic consulting firm addressing physical inactivity, obesity, chronic disease, and social determinants of health through cross-sector collaboration and innovation. Move to Live More services include:
program design, implementation, and evaluation
qualitative and quantitative research
translating research into policy
case studies and best practices
strategic planning and coalition building
Our clients come from the healthcare, health & fitness, and community sectors, including Special Olympics, The Daily Mile, and IHRSA—The Global Health & Fitness Association.
Tell us about yourself
I started Move to Live More because I didn’t see that anyone was exactly doing what I wanted to do, which was to connect these three sectors - maybe two out of three, but not all three. My mission (for my organization and my life) is to help people live healthier, longer, and more active lives. That is what I am trying to accomplish - getting the world moving.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is the ability to help clients solve problems to have a real public health impact. I am a connector — of people and ideas. I like looking at a problem and seeing the solutions from a vantage point far above the silos that exist across sectors.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things about being a business owner is balance. This is a calling for me, not a 9-5 job. It is very hard for me to stop thinking through problems and possible solutions when there is so much to do to move the dial on improving individual and community health.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Work on what energizes you and absorbs you, making you completely lose track of time.
Partner with people that you trust and that complement your skill set.
Communicate the value of what you do clearly and constantly.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I draw inspiration from thought leaders that are working in this space. For example, people do innovative work in their communities to overcome barriers to physical activity in underserved populations. I feature some of these thought leaders on the Move to Live More podcast.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.movetolivemore.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MovetoLiveMore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movetolivemore/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/movetolivemore
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybantham/
Guest Blog
Luke Strauss of Siege Media contributed this Guest Blog, exclusive for Move to Live More.
How to Overcome Exercise Intimidation and Live Your Healthiest Life
The new year is well underway and for many, resolutions are getting harder to maintain.
Creating (and sticking to) an exercise schedule has become a popular resolution during the pandemic. After all, exercise is great for us — it can reduce health risks, help with weight management, build strength, improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety, and combat fatigue.
Beginning a physical health journey requires you to evaluate your lifestyle and make some significant changes to it. This can be a vulnerable experience, so it’s completely normal to feel self-conscious during your first steps toward self-improvement.
Why Does Public Exercise Feel Intimidating?
Although exercise has many health benefits, it can also come with some challenges. Gymtimidation is the fear of working out in front of others. It typically occurs when you're surrounded by people who seem to be fit and knowledgeable about exercise.
It makes sense why this environment can feel intimidating. Nobody wants to look like a beginner or get judged by more experienced people when working out. After all, humans are pack animals, and the thought of being made fun of or excluded feels terrifying. In this guide, we’ll help you overcome this fear and exercise in public confidently.
The Value of Overcoming Gymtimidation
While it’s completely normal to feel self-conscious during the start of a fitness journey, you can’t let fear stop you. Exercising can improve physical health by aiding in weight management, protecting against chronic diseases, lowering blood pressure, and strengthening muscles and bones.
Mentally, exercise can improve your mood by reducing levels of anxiety and depression. Exercise can also improve energy levels, which allows us to improve our relationships and work performance.
How to Feel More Confident At the Gym
Your health should not be sacrificed due to the potential for stares and judgment from those around you. Luckily, there are ways to become more confident at the gym so you can focus more on your workout routine than on the people around you:
Listen to music that puts you in the zone.
Practice exercises at home before trying them in public.
Ask athletic friends and family (or even a personal trainer) for guidance.
Bring a friend to the gym and support each other.
Become a member at a gym that makes you feel comfortable and safe.
That last tip is perhaps the most important. Gymtimidation isn’t something that can always be handled internally — certain gyms are less friendly than others. It’s so important to choose a gym that welcomes you with a smile, encourages you along your fitness journey, and doesn’t tolerate judgment or gymtimidation.
Exercise is one of the best acts of self-love and respect you can practice. It’s time to put your health first and become the best version of yourself.
Guest Blog
Sarah Webber contributed this Guest Blog, exclusive for Move to Live More.
How to Increase Physical Activity in a Remote Workplace
Office desk jobs are already quite limiting to many people’s daily physical activity, but working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has made being sedentary an even more prevalent issue.
Because many people are still stuck at home without having their typical commute to the office, finding ways to incorporate exercise into their day-to-day life has become even more of a challenge. However, there are easy ways you can stay active and take care of yourself even when you’re barely leaving the house. Here are some easy tricks to incorporating fitness into your work-from-home schedule.
Stretch in the Morning
Stretching is a fantastic and easy way to add physical activity to a busy day. Starting your day with this routine is great for your physical health, as it provides several benefits like increased flexibility, improved blood flow and posture, and relieved back pain.
Stretching after you wake up is also good practice for your mental health. A study found that stretching regularly helps reduce anxiety levels and improves mental health and vitality.
Go for a Walk During Conference Calls
While remote meetings and conference calls can tempt anyone to listen and speak from the comfort of their beds, going for a walk is an even better method that isn’t just beneficial for your health, but your focus as well.
Going for a gentle walk outdoors or even simply pacing around your home increases your step count for the day and keeps you active in a very simple way. Additionally, going for walks can help increase brain function and concentration, keeping you more alert and energized during your work calls.
Get a Standing Desk
Too much sitting can be incredibly detrimental to your health and can cause serious issues like heart disease and diabetes due to the lack of circulation and calorie burn. This is a major issue in traditional desk jobs but can be made even more palpable when working from home when even less daily activity is made.
Standing desks or standing desk converters are great items to invest in that can seriously benefit your daily routine without altering all that much. By simply standing while you work, you can burn more calories, lower the risk of heart disease, improve your mood and energy levels, and even increase your productivity.
Join Online Workout Classes
Given that many enclosed public spaces during the pandemic have been closed or only allow a limited capacity within their premises, people who normally get their daily exercise by going to the gym or joining workout classes have found it even more difficult to incorporate physical activity into their work schedules.
Fortunately, many studios and private instructors have begun teaching and organizing group classes online, so if you’re the type who enjoys group exercise or just needs some guidance, there are several platforms and services available on the internet that will help you get and stay fit from your living room.
Final Note
Remembering to stay active and take care of your health when most of your day is spent at home can be difficult, but there are many small remedies that can help even the most inactive of us live a fitter lifestyle. By simply stretching, standing, and going for walks, we can significantly improve our health and happiness even while we’re working.
Guest Blog
Katherine Ross contributed this Guest Blog, exclusive for Move to Live More.
3 Tips to Motivate Older Loved Ones to Exercise
Motivating the older adults in your life to exercise may be challenging, but it is important for their health and quality of life. Many older adults develop sedentary routines at their age, with journal Health Promotion Perspectives noting that many adults aged 65 and older spend 60% to 70% of their waking hours sitting or reclining in a chair. This could be because of a change in lifestyle — with retirement, they have much more time to relax and fewer responsibilities they have to attend to. Physical inactivity can also be due to how their bodies are changing as they age. After all, the older you get, the less energized you tend to feel.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case. If they want an energy boost, getting more active may just be what they need. Our whole motto on Move to Live More is that exercise is the key to improving health outcomes and, ultimately, their quality of life. So if you want to help the older adults in your life become much healthier and happier, here are some tips on how you can encourage them to move more:
1. Set realistic goals
You can help an older adult gain more confidence in exercising by setting achievable goals that can challenge their mind and body. Make each goal more realistic by basing it on their personal health conditions.
For instance, if your grandfather is diagnosed with high blood pressure, you can have him set 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day or about 30 minutes of walking together as a realistic target to hit. At the start, though, targeting 15 minutes may make the goal more achievable. This light cardiovascular exercise is a safe way to manage hypertension. Alternatively, if you're caring for an older adult with arthritis, some light swimming or gentle yoga could be great options. These exercises can help with their joint mobility without causing any additional impact or stress on their joints.
2. Enroll in a fitness center
Exercising with a partner, group, or trainer will help to encourage them to continue exercising as they start out their fitness journey. In fact, The Conversation reports that this can help people feel more connected to their routine if there are people to share it with. In turn, this can help older adults socialize more. So, if you can, encourage your loved one to enroll in a health & fitness center or find movement classes that can be fun and beneficial for them.
It’s also important to check their health insurance or Medicare plan for additional options. Some feature health and fitness programs as additional perks. These fitness plans provide adults over 65 access to gyms, workout equipment, live exercise classes, and even instructional videos. With a diverse range of resources, older adults can enjoy flexibility when it comes to how they want to work out. For example, if they want some company while they’re exercising, they can meet like-minded older adults by joining a live Tai Chi class. This strategy can also make the process more enjoyable for your loved ones, which can compel older adults to stick to a routine for a prolonged period of time.
3. Establish clear connections between exercise and health
Another key variable to consider is raising awareness when it comes to certain health issues. On your part, you can help them understand how crucial physical activity is for their health, especially as they age. Join them on their next wellness visit and get information from their physician. Maybe their physician can explain that physical activity can help them prevent or manage chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Some benefits, such as effects on short-term mental health, will come instantaneously, but older adults might not notice these results unless you discuss the connections clearly to them. Research from our ‘COVID-19 and Physical Activity’ series showed that participants who exercised more during the COVID-19 pandemic reported lower levels of anxiety to those who were more sedentary. When older adults feel good immediately after a workout, you can point to exercise as the cause, so they will be able to associate the physical activity with improving their mood.
This goes hand-in-hand with their setting goals, too. Maybe you can help by showing how exercise is promoting a change in their mind and body. For instance, measure the change in their weight or blood pressure after a week or so of regular exercise. Another idea is to help them keep a mood journal, to see if exercise is actually helping them to enjoy life more.
Staying physically active can help your loved one age better. So if you have older adults in your life who want to improve their health, you can help by setting realistic goals, making exercise more enjoyable, and developing awareness.
American Council on Exercise
Dr. Amy Bantham, CEO/Founder of Move to Live More and national spokesperson for the Moving Together Outside campaign, joins the ACE Mission Blog.
American Council on Exercise
Dr. Amy Bantham, CEO/Founder of Move to Live More and national spokesperson for the Moving Together Outside campaign, joins the ACE Mission Blog.
Strong Well
Jason Lewis, Founder of Strong Well, contributed this Guest Blog, exclusive for Move to Live More.
How Fitness Can Affect Recovering From Tough Times
While stressful times can really take a toll, physical activity and fitness can go a long way in restoring our mental health. By keeping up a fitness routine, you may find your recovery smoother.
Why Exercise?
Working out regularly can help you keep your weight under control, prevent serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease, and improve your energy levels. Staying on top of your fitness regimen offers obvious physical benefits, but there is more to it than that. It can be a tremendous tool when you’re facing challenging times.
Per Verywell Mind, evidence suggests that exercise also helps people overcome addiction. Many individuals have found that exercise has given them a sense of strength to get through treatment, when nothing else would.
Exercise can empower you, and help you see that you can set your mind to goals and accomplish them. The routine may help you develop self-confidence, which is invaluable when you’re stressed. Exercise can even improve mood and make you feel happier and less pressured overall. A workout routine can help your state of sleep as well, which can go a long way to aiding your mental health. Exercise can help you fall asleep, and stay asleep much longer.
Best Types of Exercise
There are different benefits to each form of exercise. However, as addiction is a condition associated with brain chemistry, it’s best to focus on exercise that is good for your mind. Aerobic exercise in tandem with weight-bearing routines is ideal. Running, swimming and other aerobic activity that increases the heart rate is a great way to start. Strength training or weight lifting are other ways to strengthen the heart, and possibly improve the state of your mental health.
Routines that focus on endurance over time may increase stress, so it’s good to rotate your routine and include workouts that emphasize stress relief. Yoga, tai chi, and dance may all be useful to achieving meditative states while allowing you to continue working on your fitness goals. You can stream the fitness channel of your choice; Grokker, Daily Burn and Glo are a few popular options.
Even incorporating meditative techniques with your aerobic workout can be beneficial to overall mental well-being and help you stay on track. Motivation and rhythm can also come from upbeat music, or from listening to encouraging Ted Talks. If you want to listen to a guided meditation, helpful podcasts or your favorite jam, add some AirPods or headphones to your exercise gear. Sometimes simple changes can make a big impact on your adherence to a regimen.
Best Way to Eat
What you eat has a huge impact on how you feel. Put trendy diets aside and consider what is best for you as an individual. A doctor may have specific suggestions, but if you don’t have any explicit health conditions, simply eat sensibly. Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy proteins, like lean meat, fatty fish, and nuts. Avoid stimulants like sugars and caffeine, as they may actually contribute to unhealthy feelings and patterns.
Eat regularly to keep your blood sugar from dropping, which can cause mood swings and cravings. However, it’s okay to have fun sometimes, too. Having one or two sugary desserts a week may not be detrimental, and may give you something to look forward to, thus helping you to stick to your healthy diet. The rest of the week, stick to fresh or dried fruits for a sweet treat.
Develop Healthy Routines
Unfortunately, routines are notoriously difficult to keep, especially when undergoing stress. However, The Spruce notes there are ways you can combat the mental fatigue associated with new routines. Much of this involves taking the time to properly plan and schedule. Think of what you need or want to accomplish in a week, and don’t overlook the basics, like sleeping, mealtime, and hygiene.
If at the end of the day you find you were not able to do an item on your list, determine why and consider adjusting your schedule. You may be more likely to do your workout, for instance, in the morning rather than in the afternoon. Keep experimenting until you find something that works for you.
Recovering from stress can be a long, sometimes winding, road. However, fitness is a great way to make that road steady. Make taking care of yourself and your body a routine, and you will be well on your way.
Jason Lewis is a personal trainer by day. He specializes in helping seniors stay fit, healthy and injury-free. To make this mission possible, he created Strong Well to be able to share his tips.
