When we first started prescribing exercise in the medical setting (for fatigue, stress, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, elevated blood fats, etc) there was one group of adults (both women and men) who were really a hard sell. Stay at home Mothers and Fathers were convinced that exercise was not what they needed. I was always given the invitation to come to their house and follow then around all day taking care of two kids and a mile long list of routine daily chores.

“Just follow me around for a day and you will see what I mean about exercise. What I need is not more exercise, I need a nap”.

What was happening?
• The stopping and starting. The bending and lifting. These are enough to make one tired physically.
• The busy routine with a lack of any specific set time where the mind can be somewhere else makes one tired mentally.

Prescription: Try the following and see how you feel.
• Commit without any judgments to the following for two weeks.
• Set aside 15 minutes for a slow relaxing walk, run, bike, dance, etc. for week number one
• Increase to 20 minutes week number two
• Answer the questions: “How do I feel right while exercising and at the end of the day? Building up or tearing down?