Why Daily Commitment To Exercise Matters, Even If It's Just For Five Minutes..

This week, Lorri, one of my Autoimmune Strong members, had a big moment and I wanted to share it with you.

When she signed up for Autoimmune Strong, she set a goal for herself of doing her Autoimmune Strong exercises every day.

Then, her daughter had to go in for emergency surgery. Like any mom would do, she rushed to her daughter's side, and stayed with her for days, nursing her back to health.

And while there was nowhere she would rather be than taking care of her daughter, a little voice inside her head expressed concern that she was not accomplishing the goal she had set for herself of doing her Autoimmune Strong exercises every day. So she reached out to me with concern, wondering how she was going to take care of her daughter and herself.

And here is what I told her:

"We all have unexpected stressful situations that come up in our lives, right? Well, exercise helps you manage that stress. When life gives you stress, exercise gives you an outlet. Otherwise we just store up all that stress inside of us and it festers. When you exercise, your body and your mind can process and release all of the negative and scary thoughts and feelings that might come up in a situation like this. So yes! The best self care you can do is to take a few minutes and exercise. You will feel better and calmer afterwards, and you will be a stronger caretaker for your daughter."

And guess what? She took my advice and took a few minutes to do her Autoimmune Strong exercises. And here is what she told me afterwards:

"I really do feel better. I thought I needed cardio to feel the exercise endorphins, but I am feeling them now. Off to the shower and heading to the hospital feeling better than I did an hour ago!"

I know that many of you have emailed me, saying that you really want to exercise, but that life is too busy with all of your responsibilities- taking care of elderly parents, or of your young kids, or working a tough job, or even just feeling too tired.

I encourage you to push through that voice in your head that says "I don't have time".

I encourage you to make time- even just 5 minutes- to help yourself get stronger.

Not only will you feel better, but it will make you a better caretaker, a better friend, a better parent, a better spouse. The exercise endorphins that Lorri mentioned- they are real! And they do make us feel better. So take 5 minutes for yourself, and everyone around you will be thankful.