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Christmas closed: Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – January 1, 2025
Christmas closed: Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – January 1, 2025
For the past few decades, exercise has shared the health spotlight with diet—and for good reason. Movement is foundational to how our bodies are designed to function. Today, we’re surrounded by fitness experts, programs, and equipment promising stronger muscles, leaner bodies, and better health. From yoga, Pilates, and barre to treadmills, spin bikes, resistance bands, and free weights, the choices are endless. Add in lifestyle movement—taking the stairs instead of the escalator, parking farther away, or walking the dog—and suddenly “exercise” looks very different from one person to the next
And that’s exactly the point.
There is no single right way to exercise—only what is right for you.
The most important factor is not the trend or the equipment, but whether your chosen activity matches your body’s current abilities and limitations. What challenges one person may overwhelm another. Listening to your body, honoring its signals, and choosing movement that you can sustain is far more valuable than pushing through an aggressive routine that leads to burnout or injury.
Keeping the body agile, strong, and resilient is essential to overall health and longevity. Movement supports circulation, nourishes joints, strengthens muscles and bones, and helps maintain balance and coordination. It also plays a powerful role in mental and emotional well-being, helping to reduce stress, improve mood, and sharpen focus.
No matter your age or physical condition, you need to move those parts that move. Properly executed exercise benefits both young and mature bodies alike. People who move regularly enjoy:
That said, exercise alone does not guarantee good health. For movement to truly support wellness, it must be balanced and integrated—engaging the whole body rather than overworking isolated parts. Whole-body movement promotes harmony between muscles, joints, posture, and breath, helping the body function as the interconnected system it is.
Before starting any exercise program, it’s worth honestly assessing whether your body is ready for it—something that isn’t always as obvious as it sounds. If you’re unsure, a B.E.S.T. or other healthcare provider can help guide you safely.
Once you’re cleared to exercise, structuring your sessions thoughtfully can make all the difference. A simple and effective approach is to divide your movement into three phases: warm-up, activity, and cool-down.
Take walking, for example—one of the most accessible and beneficial forms of exercise available.
1. Warm-Up:
Begin slowly. Stretch gently and allow your muscles and joints time to loosen. This prepares your body for movement and reduces the risk of strain or injury.
2. Active Phase:
After warming up, increase your pace to a speed that feels comfortably challenging. Aim to raise your heart rate to around 120 beats per minute. Your body will tell you how it’s handling the effort. If you’re gasping for air, feeling dizzy, or sensing your heart pounding uncomfortably, slow down or stop. When your breathing and heart rate normalize, resume at a moderate pace.
A helpful guideline is the “talk and smile” test: if you can carry on a conversation and smile while moving, you’re likely in a healthy range. A reasonable goal is to sustain about 15 minutes at this pace, gradually building endurance over time.
3. Cool-Down:
Finish with five minutes of slower walking to allow your heart rate and breathing to return to normal. This helps your body transition safely out of activity and supports recovery.
Importantly, exercise should leave you feeling better—not depleted or defeated. The way you feel about movement plays a significant role in the benefits you receive from it. When exercise feels like punishment, it’s unlikely to become a lasting habit. When it feels enjoyable, empowering, or even meditative, it becomes something you look forward to.
The keys to a healthy exercise plan are simple:
When movement is approached with respect, consistency, and joy, it becomes more than exercise—it becomes an investment in lifelong health. And it all starts with one simple principle: Move those parts that move.
