The Daily Reminder - Day 11: Physical Health + Stretch

Our bodies are made for movement. Anyone else experience that feeling that when you get up, you imagine some places in your body that are sorta creaking back to life?? Or is that just me?? Maybe it's that I am "getting older." Or maybe it's that I grew and fed FOUR babies in this body. Either way, my body needs more intentional stretching of the big and small muscles. Everyday.For many of us, our jobs or leisure time are spent sitting. Sitting at a desk. Sitting on the couch. Sitting in a chair. Sitting. Sitting. Sitting.Y'all. I'm a therapist! My entire job is to just sit on my butt and talk with people. I am not sure there is a more sedentary job than a therapist. Now...if we were talking about having an active brain -- my job is awesome! But an active body... not so much.So today we will stretch. We will focus on stretching all the muscles in our bodies. My goal is to stretch 3 times today, for about 10 minutes each time. Feel free to do a yoga class or pilates class or your own version of stretching. Just get those bodies to be a little bit more limber!Recap from Day 10Okay. So I carry no shame in telling you that I did NOT even do yesterday's goal. I am realizing that on my 11-hour therapy days, I just don't really have the energy to focus on anything else. I came home, spent time with the kids at the pool and then was basically DONE. Sure. I could have gotten up early to get the workout in. Which I have done in the past. But yesterday. Well. Yesterday just wasn't that day. :)Despite having a job where I am sitting 96% of the time, doing good therapy is tiring. It should be. Folks are pouring their hearts out to me and I am honored to get to join them in pouring my support right on back to them. But doing that can be as tiring as running miles at a time.  Please hear me. I am NOT complaining about my job. I LOVE my job. I LOVE my clients. I am merely reflecting on reasons why those days are particularly challenging for me to get additional physically challenging work in.Perhaps you also have a job that is emotionally or physically draining and can relate. I imagine teachers having exhausting days, nearly everyday. I imagine the same is true for anyone with a job that requires physical labor. Whatever your case may be, I think the important message here is to reflect on what gets in the way of you meeting your physical health goals and determine a way to overcome.Although I am leading this charge, I want to admit to you that I didn't meet my goal yesterday, but I DID drink 100 ounces of water (again). And I did some really darn good therapy with some awesome clients. And I loved my kids and my husband. And well - that workout I planned will have to wait until today.I hope we all continue to push forward while having grace for days like yesterday. Shame has no place here. photo cred pexels.com (George Becker)