When You Need a Little Less

This post is by Tami Rodriguez.

I was an athlete as a kid. Movement always had a purpose...to win!! We trained to be faster, stronger and more flexible so we could excel against other teams and WIN. Do you remember the dread of running “suicides” in the gym? I do. 

This mindset of, “Push yourself harder! Don’t rest! Don’t quit!” has a time and place, but I’ve learned an interesting thing as a Mom, this type of mindset and intense training can also exhaust us!  

I have consistently exercised all throughout my life so the Move Time of Hello Mornings has always seemed normal to me. When stressful or busy seasons have come I have often tried to “run off the stress.”  At times that can work but what I have come to know now, after all these years, is sometimes less really is more. 

While we still need to move our bodies daily, sometimes they just need a break! They need to be loved and nourished and cared for, not beaten into subjection. One way I’ve learned to do this is with short 15 minute workouts. I’m a list maker, and I have used this to my advantage by making a list of long and short, gentle and challenging workouts. For days, weeks or seasons when life is just too much I can quickly check my list and have a way to still accomplish my goal of morning movement. When I do a short morning workout my hope is to get a walk in later and to be active with my kids but, if I can’t, at least I know I did something good for my body that day. 

This also keeps me from having an all or nothing attitude when it comes to exercise and lets me check in with my body to see what I really need. Sometimes my body craves some intense cardio or strength training but other days I swear it’s just saying, “Please, please be gentle with me today!”  

This year one of my favorite 15 minute workout options I have found is The Balanced Life. This is an online Pilates membership where you can stream workouts on your phone, tv or computer. Yes, there is a cost, but you can also find many of their workouts free on YouTube. I really like their mindset that exercise doesn’t need to exhaust you to work. You can be slow, intentional and gentle while still reaping the rewards of strength, flexibility and stress relief. These workouts are also all short! Many are only 10-15 minutes and you leave the mat feeling peaceful and energized not depleted and exhausted. 

Remember, caring for your body can be forcing the self-discipline to go all out and challenge yourself but sometimes it can be short spurts and gentle movements that bring us strength, energy and health for everything else the day holds. 

Regardless of your love (or hate) for exercise, remember the whole reason behind it is to take good care of the body we have. 1 Corinthians 16:9 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” 

In the Old Testament the people went to the Temple to meet God. Now there is no Temple to go to because God is WITH us! Immanuel! Praise God for that amazing gift. May we care for our bodies well so we have the energy and health to reach out to others with the joy and love of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Tami Rodriguez has been married to her high school sweetheart for 28 years and has 5 children plus a lovely daughter in law! She has homeschooled for 17 years and still has 6 more to go...send coffee! Tami is a lifelong learner who loves to study God’s Word and to teach on it whenever given the opportunity.  You can find her living life as “just a mom who likes to write” over on instagram @rodfamily007.

Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash