Research published this month in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports that regular exercise prevents dementia. Unfortunately for baby boomers, federal health surveys indicate that only 18% of the generation is exercising consistently.

I asked Sr. Suchness, or Leslie, to be a regular guest blogger for Savor as she is a yoga teacher and former nun. She is currently studying at Harvard University’s School of Divinity for a Master’s degree in Buddhism. I am very happy to welcome her to the Savor Sangha.

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Meditation by Laura Smeaton 
Photo by Tracy Powell
 

For me, bicycling is a mindfulness exercise. 

When I’m bicycling – whether commuting, running errands, training for fitness, or just riding to meet friends --all I’m doing is bicycling.  No chatting on the phone, watching TV/videos in the background, or listening to music… just bicycling. 

My senses are honed and focused --- looking and listening for obstacles to avoid. 

Have you been waiting for a little extra motivation to get outside and exercise? Luckily, spring is the season of activity for a cause and there are hundreds of events in the coming months dedicated to supporting nonprofits through gifts of time and physical activity.

Photo by Federico Stevani from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Regular physical exercise improves our health more than any other single factor, aside from the decision not to smoke. Exercise also has a profound impact on brain functioning.

Nowadays, we tend to sit more, staring at the screen instead of moving around. Create your own inMoving plan  to help you stay active and feel better by asking yourself a few questions:

1. Why do you want to be more physically active?

2. How do you feel when you are really sedentary, sitting almost the whole day?

Singers and yoga lovers know this trick well. It’s simply diaphragm breathing. Breathing in to your diaphragm instead of your chest cavity allows for deeper, longer breaths and enables this quick do-it-anywhere exercise:

Breathe in slowly through your nose, filling your belly, instead of your chest. (it may help to place your hands on you stomach, to guide the air and feel the expansion)

I love to walk and enjoy nature. A mindful connection between my feet and the earth reminds me that I am intertwined with an abundance of beauty- a mutually supportive world that I give to and receive from, with every breath.

Despite the knowledge that walking brings me joy, I often need a reminder to prioritize this activity and an incentive to get out the door.

If you find that you have fallen away from your exercise plan for a day, a week, even a month, do not judge yourself harshly as a failure. Just start again. Everyday is a new day, an opportunity for a new beginning. You can begin anew every moment.