A 6-Minute 42-Second Activity that Changed My Day
“She needs to get one hour of cardio a day,” our pediatrician said. “And that’s the recommendation for adults too. Right now what we’re seeing is that kids are no longer playing or exercising. Instead, they’re replacing cardio with an activity that actually contributes to health problems.”
The replacement activity? Screen time.
It’s the first time in 10 years that I’ve had steady childcare (i.e. school) for both kids.
My youngest started Kindergarten this year and even though I have more time because my youngest is out of the house up to 9 hours a day, I’m not that much happier or relaxed… because I’ve been filling that time with work.
So this morning I decided to listen to our pediatrician.
When I woke up at 6:10a, I decided to go for a run.
Although I used to love running as a kid, as an adult I hate running because I have a hard time breathing.
My 5-year old was up in the morning so she joined me.
We walked to the jogging path and then I sprinted/jogged for 90 seconds.
I was exhausted, made a stop at the bagel shop and walked home to drop off breakfast.
We headed out again.
Got to the jogging path and I ran/jogged another 90 seconds.
Walked, ran/jogged, walked, ran/jogged.
All in all it was about an hour of walking and 6 minutes and 42 seconds of jogging. (I timed my jogs on my phone to motivate myself.)
When I came home I was so happy, unlike I usually am in the morning (I’m generally stressed out about getting everyone to school on time.)
I was smiling, enthusiastic and kind.
My older daughter was happy to see me so happy, but when I started turning on the music and dancing she said, “I don’t know if I can handle you like this.”
After the kids went to school, a friend and I hiked in the woods and then I returned home to work by mid-morning.
The thing that has most fascinated me about running is it’s impact on my brain.
My default is typically rumination - I think about my to-do list and have a habit of problem solving / worrying.
However, today, try as I might, I’m not able to ruminate. My brain is completely in the present.
I’ve tried to stop ruminating for many years so I don’t know if this is a new pattern, but it’s working today.
It’s amazing what 6 minutes and 42 seconds can do.
And if you don’t have that amount of time, even 4 seconds of high intensity exercise will help.
What’s your favorite (quick) activity that changes your day? Do you ruminate and what helps you stop?
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