The Power of Daily Movement

Recently, on a Saturday morning, I discovered the power of practicing daily movement. I invited my husband to do a yoga video with me. To my delight, he said yes. He’s very fit. He runs every day and takes really good care of himself. So when I saw that he was struggling during the session, I was surprised. He stopped and said, “Wow, you are an incredibly strong woman!” At that moment, I fell in love with him a little bit more and I realized my daily practice of five minutes of yoga was building strength. 

How five minutes daily changed my life.

My yoga journey began when my son was a toddler. Being a parent of a toddler came with a few demands, often at unpredictable times. I was tired of feeling like crap so I made some changes, of which one was more exercise. For me, I wanted an exercise I could do every day and one I enjoyed. There was enough tough stuff each day; I needed something to look forward to. I also wanted an exercise that would be adaptable, one I could do anywhere, at any time, at any age, with no excuses.

I’m grateful to my colleague at the time who recommended Yoga with Adriene. The classes came in a variety of time options—there was actually a five-minute category! I started with five minutes a day.

I wasn’t really sure what that would do, but over time, five years later, I can say that I’m still doing yoga every day and I’m noticing the positive impact in my strength, mindfulness, and nutrition. Not that yoga fixed all that, it was the pathway to getting to know me and making better decisions. There is power in practicing something every day. 

Five minutes may not seem like much time, but when you do it every day it adds up to 35 minutes a week, which is better than no time. 

Having trouble forming a daily practice?

It might not be what you think. There is research that proves how behaviour can change with practice. I’m a fan of  BJ Fogg’s research The Fogg Behaviour Model which is Behaviour = Motivation + Ability + Trigger.

Behaviour = Motivation + Ability + Trigger

Behaviour = Motivation + Ability + Trigger

The most important part is the trigger.

If you feel discouraged because a daily practice is a struggle to maintain, you might have a design problem rather than a commitment problem.  

The #1 question to ask yourself before you start is:

  • What are some trigger points you can leverage in your day to start your new habit?

If you pick a trigger point and something that is attainable, you’ll start to experience the power in doing daily practice.

What five-minute habit are you going to start?