Lazy days get the best of everyone from time to time. You know the feeling: All you want to do is marathon an entire season of your favorite Netflix show and impersonate a sloth for as long as humanly possible. The mere thought of the gym is a major turn-off, and movement of any kind honestly just sounds like a lot. Still, there are creative ways to move your body — even on those super lethargic days — that don't require all that much effort, but will still allow you to tune into your body's needs and take care of yourself.
“Breaking a sweat doesn’t require any training, athleticism, or even rhythm," Sarah Rodenhouse, founder of Moved LA, tells Elite Daily over email. "Creative movement is easy to sneak into your regular routine and make a part of everyday life."
Rodenhouse is a self-described "movement leader" at Moved LA in Los Angeles, where her workshops feature "non-exercise workouts" that use movement as a way to encourage self-expression, rather than as something you feel like you "should" be doing (but probably don't really want to). She explains that a bit of daily movement, even when you're feeling super sluggish and unmotivated, can provide a boost in both your mood and your energy, as well as an increase in blood circulation. All you have to do is get up, get moving, and find creative ways to keep yourself going — in other words, there really aren't any rules.
“When it comes to creative movement exercises, let music be your guide," Rodenhouse says. "For a quick boost, pick a song that really makes you want to move, and do one exercise for the whole song. Keep things interesting throughout by changing speeds, directions, levels, and/or by focusing on different body parts.”
Below, Rodenhouse shares five simple ways to make movement fun again, even on the the laziest of days. Fair warning: These moves are a little out there, but hey, it beats climbing the StairMaster.
Spell Your Name With Your Body Parts
Remember those old-school Disney Channel commercials where the stars would use a wand to draw giant Mickey Mouse ears? Imagine you're doing that in this "workout," except, instead of a wand and Mickey Mouse ears, you're using all different parts of your body to spell your own name.
"Try using a different body part for each letter," Rodenhouse suggests. "The benefits of creative movement are endless. Even just five minutes of constant movement will get your heart rate up and cause those first few sweat beads to form."
Interpret Nouns With Your Body
If you're bored of letters, move on to nouns — Rodenhouse recommends picking five to 10 words to interpret with your body. Think creative nouns that are simple to interpret, or that have some sort of action behind them, like "popcorn," or "vacuum," or "laughter."
"Creative movement exercises [like these] prompt you to use muscles you either haven’t used in a while or have maybe never even used before, resulting in a stronger body overall," the movement leader explains.
Use An Imaginary "Ball"
Here's how this one's done: Pretend there's a ball starting at one part of your body, and your goal is to let it "roll" to other parts of your body without letting it "fall" — no actual ball required. If I had to guess, this move will probably look somewhat similar to doing the wave.
Rodenhouse says that challenging your mind and body to find new forms of movement like this will not only channel your creativity, but it's sure to get your heart rate up, too.
"Paint The Room" With Your Body
"Pretend your entire body is covered in paint, and you are painting every inch of the room with every inch of your body," Rodenhouse explains. Again, no literal paint is needed here, y'all (although, hey, I won't judge if you want to get that creative).
While a move like this is obviously pretty different from your traditional workouts, Rodenhouse says that if you regularly challenge yourself to do these creative alternatives, you will see some of the same, great benefits. The real perk, though, is that you're allowing yourself to be totally relaxed and silly, rather than buttoned-up and stiff like you might be at the gym.
Interpret Verbs With Your Body
Once you've got your nouns down-pat, Rodenhouse recommends picking five to 10 verbs to interpret with your body. Some examples might be "wiggle," "bounce," or "flicker."
"Not only will you notice physical differences [from these exercises], but you’ll experience mental and spiritual advantages, too, as these exercises can sometimes feel like a moving meditation that really takes you to your happy place," the fitness expert tells Elite Daily.
All in all, remember not to take yourself too seriously with these movements. It's all about having fun, and again, it's definitely more enjoyable to get a little silly in the comfort of your own home than it is to walk on the treadmill in a crowded gym, right?
