Movement IS Medicine, by Howard Luks, MD

Contact Helping.Mom (we don’t spam) I follow Howard Luks, MD on X. He is one voice I listen for each day. He is an Orthopedic Surgeon n NYC. All thoughts today are his, so let me give him credit.  Your fitness is your safety net, not $, insurance, govt program. (my words: "All the kings' horses & all the kings' men cannot put us together again at our age). Money will not matter if I am immobile.   Exercise is not taking time away from your family--its adding years of time to them.  It's wrong to view exercise as selfish time; instead see that your wellbeing is directly related to your family--in more energy, more patience, more life for you & them. Success is not how sore you are, but how often you show up. Everything you think you need you do not. Sweat is optional. Gyms are optional. Equip is optional. Pvt trainers are optional. MOVEMENT is NOT OPTIONAL Exercise is additive, not subtractive (my words). It adds to, it does not take away. It compounds interest. It is going from nothing to something. Each step adds, Each Stretch adds, Each walk adds. Kids learn watching you. You are teaching them life-long habits of mind, body, investment, patience, working toward goal, spirit, service.  Exercise reflects gratitude; you CAN move, work, go, get, carry, reach, bend, etc.  At this point in life our goal is not 6-pack abs. It is Strength you can use, Balance you can trust, Energy that lasts past 5pm! We are not chasing youth. We will not win awards. We do not need performance. We need movement.  Motion is medicine My tips:  10/10/10: Start today doing 10 stretches, holding each for 10 seconds, for total of 10 minutes. Hold onto back of couch, kitchen counter, or chair to help steady body.  Walk (I walk 2.5 Marathons/week with my adult dogs, some 10 miles/day, rain or shine, Winter & Summer).  Of course, eat better, sleep & drink water. And, above all, listen to helping.mom podcast, and buy a nostalgia beautiful White German Shepherd puppy from PatriotPups.org